AdWords and the Order of Ads

Many customers who place ads through Google AdWords in Google's Search or Display Network ask us how the ad positions are determined. What decides the order of the ads, and is it possible to book a fixed position? How can the ad position be positively influenced? In this blog post, we would like to answer the most important questions about this.

With AdWords, the position cannot be booked permanently. It is dynamically determined for each search query based on the ad rank. The ad with the highest rank is displayed first. A fixed position cannot and will not be guaranteed by a professional and reputable AdWords agency.

Positions for keyword and placement-based Ads

A distinction is made between keyword and placement-based ads, and in the former case, between ads in the Search Network and the Display Network.

For keyword-based ads in the Search Network (Google results and results on websites in the Search Network), the ad rank is determined based on the quality score for the booked keyword and the maximum CPC bid. The quality score consists of the past click-through rate (CTR) of the keyword and the ad, the past click-through rate of the displayed URL, the relevance of the keyword and the ads for the search query, the quality of the landing page, and other factors. Ads above the search results must exceed a certain threshold for the maximum CPC bid and the quality score. The threshold for the CPC bid depends on the quality score.

Keyword-based ads in the Display Network are ranked based on the ad group's quality score and the bid for the Display Network. The quality score is calculated based on the past performance of the ads on the respective webpage and similar pages, the relevance of the ads and keywords for the webpage, and the quality of the landing page.

Placement-based ads in the Display Network occupy the entire available ad space (unless several ad blocks are placed side by side). They are shown based on the bid for the ad group or the placement and the ad group's quality score. If the CPM (Cost-Per-1000-Impressions) bid option is chosen, the quality score is determined by the quality of the landing page. For the CPC (Cost-Per-Click) option, the quality score is calculated based on the quality of the landing page and the past click-through rate of the ad on the respective page and similar websites.

Improving Ad Positions

To improve ad positions, the landing page should have as much relevance as possible for the booked keyword. Important factors include relevant ad text, a high click-through rate, and a high maximum bid. To further optimize the campaign, it is advisable to optimize the landing page for conversion. Various ad formats, texts, and target groups can be additional success factors.

Our AdWords Experts Are Here for You

Our AdWords experts are happy to assist you in optimizing your AdWords campaigns. Just call us at 030 - 97 00 387 0 and we will work together to develop the optimal strategy for your goals and budget.