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June 12, 2008
AdWords Editor Updates - Pay Attention!
Do you pay enough attention to the AdWords Editor Updates? If your answer is no, I recommend that you start. There is usually some really good stuff, that unless you take the time to read the Editor release notes, you probably would not know about.
Each new version of AdWords Editor is accompanied by release notes, which I highly recommend reading. I will save you some time by highlighting the best, most beneficial updates from the latest version(AdWords Editor 6.0.)
Append Keywords : This tool allows you to add a word/phrase to the beginning or end of any text within the account. I have found this VERY useful in creating local campaigns. Simply take a general campaign and append the city name to all keywords (then tweak the ad text of course.) It is also useful for adding offers to headlines, or changing display URLs.
Get Recent Changes: There is a new option to include minimum bid changes. Before you had to re-download the entire account to get this data. This is very useful in accounts that have keywords that often go inactive. Also when you download this, the changes are highlighted so it is easy to spot the keywords that have recently gone inactive.
Duplicate Keywords: Finding duplicate keywords is now easier! You can now quickly select all the duplicates that meet certain criteria. For example, you can choose to select all the duplicates with the lowest CTR, then delete them. This tool was always handy, but you had to delete the duplicates manually in order to keep keywords with the highest CTR.
Drum roll please!
Conversion Optimizer is now compatible with AdWords Editor! This was the feature I was most excited about. Previously, you could not use AdWords Editor with any campaigns that had Conversion Optimizer enabled. You had to cut Conversion Optimizer off.
Many PPC specialists use Editor for a few tasks that they are familiar with, but rarely learn how to use new features and tools. Often times, when you are familiar with the AdWords interface it seems easiest to just avoid Editor altogether. I beg to differ. Taking the time to learn the features and tools of Editor, will definitely help you manage your accounts more efficiently. I am SURE that the time you invest in learning AdWords Editor will pay off in the end.
It is very easy to start viewing new versions of AdWords Editor as just another necessary software update. Quite the contrary! The AdWords Editor team does a fantastic job at listening to feedback and adding updates and features that can help you manage your campaigns more efficiently (saving you valuable time.)
If you are wondering if Editor can do what you need it to do, I often refer to the AdWords Editor Help Center for a quick reference. There is also an Adwords Editor Forum where you can listen in on discussions and search for topics you need help with.
