We recently launched Mobile Ad Sitelinks, a search ad format that displays additional links to content located deep within your site. Available globally on high-end mobile devices, Ad Sitelinks are an easy way to introduce customers to multiple landing page options for your website.
Ad Sitelinks on mobile function similarly to Ad Sitelinks on desktop. Currently, only two-line sitelinks will appear on mobile devices, with each line displaying one sitelink. As shown in the example below, a mobile ad from Oakley, Inc displays two links, driving users to the “Custom Products” and “Sunglasses” sections of the company’s site.

Desktop Ad Sitelinks have been a useful tool, leading to an average increase of more than 30% in click-through rates. Because websites may not yet be optimized for viewing on mobile devices, navigating them to find information can be more difficult. As a result, we anticipate that mobile Ad Sitelinks will be similarly, if not more, effective on mobile as the benefit of deep linking and driving users further down the conversion funnel is even more valuable. Mobile Ad Sitelinks help by taking users directly to the specific content they’re looking for, enabling them to find information and complete transactions more quickly.

Since we’re constantly working to bring our experience with desktop advertising to the mobile web, starting with Ad Sitelinks is simple. If you’ve enabled Ad Sitelinks on desktop, your ads will automatically show on mobile phones — provided your campaigns are opted-in to run on iPhone and other mobile devices with full Internet browsers.

Posted by Gordon Zhu, Inside AdWords crew

In early August, we announced that the updated Keyword Tool was nearing the end of its beta phase. Today, we wanted to let you know that we’ve fully launched the updated Keyword Tool.

What does that mean for you? It means we’ve combined the best features from two previous keyword tools into one. The previous Keyword Tool and Search-based Keyword Tool are no longer available in AdWords. The updated Keyword Tool is now the only Keyword Tool available in AdWords, so you can now simply call it “The Keyword Tool.”

The Keyword Tool’s benefits include:

• Flexible search options: Search by any combination of keyword, website/URL, and category (where available) and receive a single set of results.
• Easy Keyword Refinement: Filter results by word or keyword match type.
• Negative keywords: Easily add keyword ideas as negatives right from your keyword list. Just click on a keyword and use the drop-down menu to select and save your negative keyword.
• Advanced options: View statistics for mobile search and use data filters based on local searches, search and ad share, and more.

In addition to these improvements, we’ve also changed how we calculate Global Monthly Searches and Local Monthly Searches. Statistics in these columns are now based on Google.com search traffic only. Previously, they also included traffic from search partners. We’ve updated these statistics based on advertiser feedback, and hope you find them more helpful for keyword selection.

While we recommend using the Keyword Tool while signed in to AdWords, you can also access the tool without signing in. We hope you like the new streamlined version of the tool and we look forward to bringing you more features soon.

Posted by Jason Shafton, Inside AdWords crew

We’ve received very positive feedback from advertisers using Search Funnels—the new set of reports launched in Conversions. Advertisers are beginning to understand the path to conversion beyond just the last click and are now able to give credit to assisting keywords and ads that customers saw and/or clicked before converting. Each buying cycle is different and Search Funnels is eliminating the guesswork over the roles your keywords are playing in the path to conversion.

And here’s the first round of improvements, as requested by you.

Longer, customizable Conversion History Windows

A buyer may take longer to research and buy a vacation package rather than purchase movie tickets, for example. The funnel for various conversion types can differ greatly in regards to time to purchase and number of clicks to purchase. Now, you can adjust the time span, or Conversion History Window, to 30 days (default), 60 days or 90 days prior to a conversion to see the Search Funnel data leading to that conversion. With this feature, you can look further back into the history of your conversion paths.

A percentage of surfers clear cookies from time to time, which can influence search funnels data by causing conversion paths to appear shorter by eliminating some upper funnel assists – impressions or clicks on your keywords – that may have occurred prior to cookie deletion. For instance, if a buyer clicks on one of your ads, then clears cookies, then goes on to click another one or your ads before making a purchase, the click prior to cookie deletion will not show up in your Search Funnels reports.

Now, you can sanitize the search funnel data you’re looking at by checking a box in your reports called “Only show complete conversion paths.” This option will filter out conversions that are from paths that are potentially biased by cookie deletion. As such, while you will end up analyzing fewer conversions overall, you will be seeing truer, more complete conversion paths. Use this option to strengthen your overall funnel analysis and understand how buyers are finding your products.

These new features were created based on feedback we received from Search Funnels users and we hope you find them useful as you experiment with, analyze, and optimize your portfolio of keywords.

For those of you who use My Client Center (MCC) to manage your client accounts, we’re launching two new features to help you stay on top of critical notifications and alerts about your accounts.

Email notifications

As we make this feature available over the next few weeks, you’ll be able to manage which email notifications you receive about your client accounts. From the My Account tab, click ‘Notification settings’ then the ‘My Client Settings’ tab to edit settings for email alerts about billing issues, campaign updates, and disapproved ads. These alerts will be emailed to the email address associated with the Google Account you’ve used to sign in to your MCC.

Custom alerts

In the past, to create custom alerts for your client AdWords accounts you had to sign into each account directly. The new MCC custom alerts allow you to create alerts at the MCC level from your single MCC login. To create alerts at the MCC level, click the ‘Custom alerts’ button from your MCC dashboard.

Please note that alerts you create when you’re signed in with your MCC login are associated with your MCC login email address and won’t be accessible when you or your client sign in at the client account level. Learn more about creating and managing custom alerts within client accounts.

Posted by Jason Shafton, Inside AdWords crew