In January, we announced that Microsoft will become the exclusive provider of contextual and paid search ads for The Wall Street Journal Digital Network (WSJDN). Today, we're here to share some tips for how to get more quality clicks from our contextual network, which includes WSJ.com, Barrons.com, Marketwatch.com, as well as MSN Money, CBNC.com, EDGAR Online, FOX Sports, MSN Entertainment, and other partner sites .
Microsoft Content Ads Beta, available in the U.S., places content-targeted advertisements on relevant web pages across the Microsoft network and partner sites (mentioned above) – and offers the perfect opportunity to potentially increase your adCenter impressions and clicks as we expand our network of participating high-quality sites.
It's easy to extend your search campaigns to Content Ads, and you can set different bid prices for content clicks by using the Advanced Bidding function at both the ad group and keyword level. You can also see how your contextual ads are performing with advanced reporting features in the adCenter Report Center.
This screenshot illustrates how to choose Search, Content, or both distribution channels when creating a new campaign:
You can get more out of your Content Ads campaigns by:
- Increasing your bids:
- Start with competitive bids to position your ad to appear. Remember that, unlike Search ads, there are a limited number of ads that appear on an editorial page – typically, 3-5 slots.
- Monitoring your ROI with conversion tracking:
- Track your ROI with adCenter conversion tracking to help you regulate competitive bidding and adjust your bids as needed.
- Writing compelling ad copy:
- Since users are not actively searching for products or services during a contextual ad experience, ad copy should be customized to attract a more passive audience.
Find out more about Microsoft Content Ads Beta on advertising.microsoft.com – and check out the Content Ads webinar.