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Editorial Best Practices for Search Advertising
Research Report|03/05/07
Before your Microsoft adCenter campaign goes live, we conduct an internal editorial review. This process helps us ensure that all parts of your campaign, including keywords, titles, and descriptions, are as relevant and user-friendly as possible.
In order to help you optimize your message and get the most out of your online ad campaign, we have prepared the following guidelines:
- Avoid excessive repetition or capitalization.
- Use no more than one exclamation point per ad.
- Check for correct spelling and grammar.
- Clearly articulate the destination of text links, avoiding vague language such as
“click here.”
- Remove inappropriate language and content.
- Your site must be stable—it must be immediately available and not under construction. It also should respond reliably at peak use times. Note: To secure pre-approval of postdated campaigns, the landing page must be live.
- Page content must offer information that is relevant to the keyword requested.
- The site must look and feel professional. The visitor may perceive misspellings, typos, or hard-to-read text as unprofessional.
- Part of the site must be accessible without registration. We understand that user registration has become the norm in certain categories, but base-level usability is crucial.
Use your limited space wisely and creatively. Highlight what sets your product or service apart from competitors. To build trust and understanding among your audience, use clear, concise language that is appropriate to your subject.
If your product or service is location-specific, it should be stated clearly in the ad. If the purpose of your ad is branding or increasing site traffic, make sure the first line of your ad copy includes the keyword as well as the name of your company or Web site.
To create an effective campaign, avoid the following elements:
- Software downloads, not expressly consented to by the user
- Free offers and sweepstakes
- Illegal contests, pyramid schemes, and chain letters
- Adult-related content
- Personals and dating content
- Webcams and surveillance equipment
- Religious content
- Political content
- Defamatory, libelous, slanderous content
- Content that violates rights of privacy or publicity
- Hate speech, profanity
- Online pharmacies, pharmaceutical products, and medical products
- Illegal activity
- Suffering and violence
- Gambling content
- Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, fireworks
- Spam and bulk marketing products
- Bypassing of copyright protection
- Cable descrambling devices
- Drug paraphernalia
- Non-accredited universities, fake educational transcripts
- Fake IDs
- Traffic devices and tickets
We hope these guidelines will help you select the keywords, ad titles, and descriptions that best allow you to reach your audience. We look forward to working with you on a successful campaign.
It’s easy to start your Live Search ad campaign—simply provide your contact details and pay a one-time, $5 fee to create your Microsoft adCenter account. Sign up now to see what adCenter can do for you today.
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