By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)
We’ve all experienced this before. I’m typing in “iPod Touch” in a search engine, but accidentally spell out “iPod Tuch.” I immediately realize my mistake as I see the popular question, “Did you mean: iPod Touch?”, encouraging me to search for the correct terms. However, many of the listings that pull up are relevant, so I don’t redo the search with the correct spelling. Then I see the paid search ad on the side with the incorrect search query inserted in. I can’t help feeling annoyed
PPC ads like I just described implement what’s called a DKI or Dynamic Keyword Insertion technique. These ads automatically insert search keywords into a paid ad. This form is popular because, if used correctly, it can produce very specific results that will generate quality traffic.
However, the use of DKI in PPC ads can result in annoyance, as in my situation, mistrust or even generic and weak ad content. I am going to outline some of the pros and cons of using dynamic keyword insertion in your paid search ads. Then you can see for yourself if this method is right for you!
PRO: Customized Ads
Sometimes, DKI can greatly increase your traffic. For example, when searching for foreclosed homes in Provo, UT, I came across this specified landing page. It seems like this page would be exactly what someone would be looking for with their search.
CON: Incoherence
However, with the same site, I found I could type in anything for the name of a city in Utah where I would like to find foreclosures. The result? You get the picture. Obviously, there is no place called Crappy, UT. With DKI, by allowing any search term at all to be included in your ad or landing page, you run the risk of becoming incoherent and purposefully spam-like to the public eye.
CON: Generic and Misspelled Ads
When you create a PPC ad using DKI, your wording will need to be deliberately vague, so that multiple terms can be inserted without changing the meaning of the ad. The problem with this is that the ad will be weak. Even if the ad does include the specific word that was searched for, there is little likelihood that it will be strong enough content wise to draw a quality click.
All-in-all, pay-per-click ads using DKI appear desperate and can even resemble spam. If you choose to use this technique in your paid ad, do so carefully and choose only key words that both fit your ad and are relevant to the service or product you are advertising. Stay tuned for more posts on social media, SEO, web design and PPC!