Enhanced Campaigns: A Caveman’s guide to the “meat” of the matter!

Over the last month there has been vast opinion on Google Adwords Enhanced Campaigns, with varying arguments for and against the drastic changes.
For those that are Pro Google, Enhanced Campaigns will simplifies mobile search, make Adwords more concise and easier to understand at entry level and add context to the “moments that matter”(Google’s words not mine!) If you stand in the Anti Google corner, it is an obvious attempt to monetise another advertising stream, straight after Google Shopping has been “improved” for Google’s benefit . Another valid argument against Enhanced Campaigns is that Cost-per-click (CPC) will now increase on mobile devices.

Here at SEO Traffic Lab we want to give you guys a more practical look at how this may work. We are going to use an example using Adwords and Meat, as we like Adwords and meat. (Bangs Chest)
2 cavemen, Ugg and Grumph, from Lincoln, (Lincolnshire, not Nebraska, America) search for the term “meat dinner in Lincoln” (2 completely separate entities). Now this is purely an example, there is absolutely no search volume for this particular search. There are much better meat-related keywords to businesses who sell ribs, steaks et al in the Lincolnshire area. If you searched for this is Lincoln America there is still no traffic.
Google Adwords Enhanced campaigns focus on the context of your search, as much as the actual query, and the elements of this context are:

• Device, What device did you use?
• Location, Where was the search query made from?
• Time, What time in the day was the search query made from?

There is a distinct difference in intent in these 2 particular searches, Ugg is sat at home on a Monday Morning on a “desktop/tablet” (now classified as the same within Adwords). Ugg’s search did also not take place within the city centre of lincoln. Grumph, however, is searching from a mobile, on a Friday evening within 2 mile of the centre.
We can make an educated guess that Grumph has more buying intent at the time of search and further down the buying cycle, therefore this click/lead( affectively what it is) is potentially worth more, and the crux of enhanced campaigns is that you can now modify your bids to capture the searcher with the highest buying intent to your business.

Let’s say there are 2 restaurants in Lincoln that sell great ribs, steak, meat,  Damon’s and Ribs and Bibs, both delicious by the way! What these companies can now effectively do is modify their bids and multiply their CPC bid based on the 3 variables, device, location and time to be in a prominent position when a search query relating to their keywords in performed on a mobile device. Although mobile is a device, think of mobile as access and context.
Let’s say Ribs and Bibs spend £1 CPC on “meat dinner in Lincoln” (purely an example), they may want to increase their bid:

• 10% Increase for a search using a mobile device,
• 10% Increase for a search within 1 mile of Ribs and Bibs HQ
• 10% Increase for a search that takes place after 4pm

Ribs and Bibs, also depending on Quality score, and their competitors CPC, may now appear in that all important prominent position. Ribs and Bibs get a new customer, Adwords get paid more in the process and Grumph is now snacking on his  buffalo wings and spicy ribs. Vice Versa, if Damons capitalized on Enhanced Campaigns they may get Grumph’s custom.
Advertisers can now also tailor the extensions that the searcher will see, such as offers, (£2 for 1 on steaks before 5pm/ Cheaper combo’s before 5pm) price, availability, can change based on device, time or location.
It is very important to think how Enhanced Campaigns can benefit your business, if it can at all? Many critics are saying it only good for the takeaway pizza industry but that is simply not true, Pro-active Taxi’s companies can also benefit greatly! All joking aside, every industry could potentially benefit. When a search query is made within a car showroom the particular lead may be worth more to the dealership as it is further down the buying cycle. It is now an accepted way of life that people price check items whilst in the store they are comparing. The question is, how much more would you be willing to pay for that lead, over and above a desktop search. Improved Device reporting is a new feature of Enhanced Campaign and this will prove crucial to work out when the cost per acquisition has become too high.
I can think of many service based Industries that will struggle to take Advantage of Enhanced Campaigns. An expensive Adwords CPC Keyword may be “Solicitor”, however, would the potential customer of an Solicitor who are using Adwords search on a mobile or desktop? It is a safe bet to say desktop but check your Individual Analytics and reporting to be exact. Solictor’s, recruiter’s, IT support (the list goes on) may want to focus more on location than device or time of day.
If you use Adwords and believe mobile targeting won’t affect you, you couldn’t be more wrong. When this is fully launched Mobile will be part of the default device. At the very least you need to decrease your bid for any of the 3 variables  (device, location and time) that do not increase buyer intent. Before Enhanced Campaigns you weren’t forced to use mobile targeting, now you have to use Mobile Targeting to an extent, so decrease your bid. If you sell in the evening, decrease your bids in the morning, if you sell breakfast, decrease device and time in the morning for example…
These changes aren’t going to be widespread until June so there may be many changes to this dramatic change to Adwords, however we will be posting a video very soon and will be keeping you up to date with any further changes.
If you have any questions regarding Google Adwords Enhanced Campaigns please leave a comment below…