I'll go out on a limb and say that this is one of the 3-4 most profound changes to AdWords and the entire paid search industry that have ever occurred, right up there with Quality Score, Broad Match and AdSense.
While those of us who live and breathe SEM will no doubt monitor this closely and make ROI-based decisions as to whether to use Automatic Match or not, IMO the majority of AdWords advertisers will start paying a massive surcharge as of next Tuesday.
I've heard of at least two people who in the last 24-36 hours have received emails from Google stating that Automatic Match will go 'Production' as of May 20th [...]
I often take a quick glance at WebmasterWorld and a couple of other forums at least once over the weeked - I can't seem to stop myself, actually.
I almost never post on the weekends, however - with today being the exception that proves the rule. I felt I had to jump in briefly to say that the headline of this thread and text of the post quoted above are simply not correct. Rumors that take on a life of their own trouble me, actually, and I don't want to see that happen here.
What is happening: Automatic Matching has been in beta for some time as regular readers of this forum will know - and starting on May 20th the beta will be expanded somewhat. Even with the expansion of the beta, the number of advertisers who will see this beta option in their account is truly tiny.
Again, to be very clear Automatic Matching goes not go live 5/20.
I'll gather some more details when I get back to work on Monday, and post again.
AWA
<edit> Fix multiple typos. it's late. ;) </edit>
[edited by: AdWordsAdvisor at 6:57 am (utc) on May 18, 2008]
Given the way Google's blurred the line between beta and production with its products to date, and given Google's stated strategy of not pre-announcing many substantive AdWords changes, I think that for such a massive change in ad-to-query matching and budget mgmt you should understand that it's your company's strategy that leaves us trying to feel our way through your dark room.
I met with a $150K+/mo AdW advertiser on Friday and he started the meeting by complaining that in the last few days a number of Broad Matched terms were getting more traffic, at dramatically higher effective CPC's and for more profoundly un-related queries than historically has been the case. Is he wrong to wonder if this is the next phase of Automatic Match, are you wrong to be troubled by the rumors your dominance and strategy inevitably create...
...or is this just the way things are in search?
I felt I had to jump in briefly to say that the headline of this thread and text of the post quoted above are simply not correct. [...]
At the time that I made that post and said that the headline was not correct, the headline actually read as follows:
Automatic Matching goes live 5/20 - hold on to your wallet
It has since been changed to reflect reality, for which I thank the mods.
Just this quick clarification for now - will post more later today when I can come up for air. ;)
AWA
It kinda makes one wonder about "quality" and "relevance" vs. pure Google profit when things like this are launched and you start to see the terms that are sending traffic.
It kinda makes one wonder about "quality" and "relevance" vs. pure Google profit when things like this are launched and you start to see the terms that are sending traffic.
Google still thinks its algorithms are smarter than its advertisers. They can help, but nothing yet beats a smart human looking out for his self-interest.
I have repeatedly asked for a real broad match which would show my ad anytime that combination of words was used. This way I don't have to hunt for every long-tail term out there and match it with my trunk keywords. Instead, we get automatic matching and all this non-sense.
Google, this isn't difficult:
1. [exact match]
2. "phrase match"
3. real broad match (default option)
4. #expanded super duper algorithm match#
Thanks
So, as I've already mentioned automatic matching is not going live on 5/20 as was reported in the original subject line and first post of this thread. Instead, the existing (and very limited) beta is being extended to include a number of additional advertisers.
Bottom line: same beta, more testers, still very limited.
Here are the basic details.
On May 20th, a very small percentage AdWords advertisers will receive an email letting them know that they have the option to beta test automatic matching.
For the purposes of this limited beta, the feature is enabled by default. Please note, however, that automatic matching won't start running in these new beta accounts until June 3rd.
Advertisers being offered the beta option may opt out as early as May 20th (and, of course, at any time thereafter) - and, again, they will not receive any traffic before June 3rd.
Full instructions on how to opt out are provided in the email they will have received. Basically, though, advertisers who wish to opt out will want to uncheck a check box on the 'Edit Campaign Settings' page of each of their campaigns. They will want to do this before June 3rd if they want no automatic traffic at all - or at any point thereafter if they are not pleased with the actual results once they've seen them.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about automatic matching:
[adwords.google.com...]
AWA
<edit> Someday I will make a long post with no major typos. Today is not that day. </edit>
[edited by: AdWordsAdvisor at 9:25 pm (utc) on May 19, 2008]
Is this beta only in the US or is it a worldwide beta?
It was opt out - I had to turn it off on around 80 campaigns. Wasn't happy about that.
followed by...
For those that are in the Beta, where do you opt out? In the campaign settings area? I work with some large advertisers and my Google rep said none of the accounts are in this, but still I'd like to keep an eye out for it. Please advise the steps you took to opt out.
Avalon37, to be clear netmeg was referring to the earlier phase of this beta, rather than the yet-to-be implement phase which is the subject of this particular thread. There is nothing to be seen in accounts at this point.
Is this beta only in the US or is it a worldwide beta?
US and Canada only, briggidere. Sorry, I should have remembered to mention that.
By the way, I will certainly pass feedback from this thread along to the right folks here at Google, as I always do.
AWA
Why oh why does Google make all this stuff opt-out
Why do you think?
My email is...
I spend $100K+ with adwords but no invite to the party;)
That said, I suppose I should go look and see how successful it was. I applied it to a campaign where my budget was above what we were currently spending, for a product that my client wants to be known as the absolute leader in the industry.
Hey, AWA - does this automatic match apply to the content network at this time, or is it just search?
Man I would love to get in on the beta to this!
If you're feeling left out, then please sticky me. I can arrange to take another $10K off you. In return, I'll give you absolutely nothing. Not quite the same as being in the beta, but the result is identical.
On May 20, 2008, a checkbox will appear on your campaigns' 'Edit Campaign Settings' pages giving you access to an optional beta feature called 'automatic matching.' The feature will be enabled by default, although it won't begin to affect your account until June 3, 2008.Please use this time to decide if you'd like to participate in the automatic matching beta. If you wouldn't, simply uncheck the box on the 'Edit Campaign Settings' page for each of your campaigns before June 3rd.
....enabled by default, terrific.
