In an economy where advertisers look ever more closely at the bottom line, online ad sales companies hope that enhanced pay per click management tools could help their clients find even greater value. Power users of advertising platforms operated by Google, MSN, AOL, and Yahoo! have used third-party pay per click optimization software to tweak campaigns and to ride unexpected trends. Developers hope that integrating some of those tools most popular features directly into the ad buying services may entice advertisers to direct more of their shrinking budgets into PPC campaigns.

Google Updates Pay Per Click Advertising Tools

Users of Googles AdWords management backend may soon find more similarities with the search engine giants analytics tools. A more robust set of graphs and charts on the new AdWords website can visually illustrate successes and opportunities for advertisers. Advanced interface elements also make it easier for customers to add and change their AdWords listings on the fly. Some of the most talked about changes to Googles PPC management system include:

• Placement reports. Not long ago, Google offered AdWords customers the ability to split their PPC ad buys across a series of specific websites along with the broader AdWords network. In Googles new pay per click management interface, some of the more effective network ad placements can bubble up for attention on a results graph. Buyers can choose to use the information to include those more effective publishers in future, targeted campaigns.
• Budget management. Users of online stock brokerage services should feel at home using Googles new PPC management suite. Ad buyers can manage individual ad purchases and campaign budgets through a set of interactive charts, graphs, and grids. The previous interface required users to wade through a series of time consuming forms and confirmations. Using the new suite, power users can execute multiple requests from the same screen.
• Granularity. In Googles new pay per click management system, ad buyers can choose to implement decisions case-by-case or on an account-wide basis. Users can respond to sudden changes in strategy or reactions to competition quickly, without having to set up new campaigns.

MSN Responds to Competition with Stronger PPC Management Suite

Leveraging its heritage in software development, Microsoft Advertising has released a beta version of a desktop pay per click management tool that organizes customers campaigns across MSNs network of publishers. The new software tool promises a faster response time, compared to the companys web based ad placement platform. In addition, the desktop PPC management system incorporates some of the recent enhancements to MSNs ad network, including:

• Support for geographic targeting. MSN has improved its ability to target prospects by city or state.
• Bid management. New support for default and "non-default" bids gives advertisers the ability to aggressively target critical keywords.
• Familiar interface. Since many ad buyers already use Microsoft Office, the new MSN platform includes tools that look and feel like simple Excel spreadsheets.

For small business owners still getting used to pay per click management, these enhancements should help demystify the online advertising process. However, power users should appreciate the ability to take control of their online campaigns with fewer clicks and faster response times.

Sources

Forbes

WebProNews