Starter Edition is a simplified version of AdWords for new users.
Starter Edition lets users create an AdWords account with a single ad, using a one-page signup form. Users write their ad, target locations and keywords, and choose a currency and monthly budget. Once their account is activated, the ad starts running. The Google Budget Optimizer automatically determines when to show the ad to earn the most clicks possible within your monthly budget.
For answers to commonly asked questions regarding AdWords Starter Edition, please visit:
Since there is no keyword level bidding - do these account essentially use the 'budget optimizer' feature?
As there is no advanced features for bidding, do these accounts use the exact same CPC x QS formula in determining placement?
Since distribution isn't an option, are they automatically opted into the content network?
In the geotargeting area, one option is 'driving distance from x'. How is driving distance calculated? 5 miles in Chicago is driving distance, where central PA, that could be 50+ miles.
> As there is no advanced features for bidding, do these accounts use the > exact same CPC x QS formula in determining placement?
Starter Edition is a simplified interface, but in all ways the ads are treated exactly like ads from 'Standard Edition' accounts. For example, they must meet the same guidelines and policies, the same algorithms apply, and so forth.
> Since distribution isn't an option, are they automatically opted into > the content network?
> In the geotargeting area, one option is 'driving distance from x'. How > is driving distance calculated? 5 miles in Chicago is driving distance, > where central PA, that could be 50+ miles
Excellent question! The answer is 100 kilometers, and this info will be added to the FAQ shortly. Sorry for the confusion. ;)
BONUS INFORMATION: By the way, did everyone know you can go to Google.com and enter "100 km in miles" into the search box, and get this info:
'100 kilometers = 62.1371192 miles'
Lastly, to answer a question that you didn't ask, eWhisper, but which others have elsewhere:
Starter Edition is currently available to all US users - and will be available to all users, globally, before too long.
I think I'm the only eWhisper - however using THE sounds pretty amusing :)
Thanks for the info.
I'd love to hear the SME adoption rate on these types of account, but I'm sure G will keep a bit quite on it for now. Will be interesting to see how it grows.
However, I must say the overall look (especially the easy to find/add keyword tool) seems intuitive and very easy for an end user.
Although, the driving direction radius seems a bit aggressive.
Is there going to be a special newsletter, blog, or anything (besides this forum section basically) for these types of accounts?
I'm distinctly worried about the impact that this new product will have. The classic behaviour for a first time user is to have a single advert and every keyword, especially single word keywords, loaded under a non-specific advert that drops people on the home page.
Under these conditions, AdWords will tend to rapidly increase the MinCPC to US$5/click. The related forums here are awash with people complaining about this problem - though they usually don't recognise and document the symptoms correctly.
The consequence for me is that even my accounts, who haven't suffered from MinCPC problems, demand periodically what I'm doing to control click fraud (by which they mean Google defrauding them by increasing bid base prices in the auction), Google ripping them off through MinCPC increases, etc. These perceptions are being given to them by journalists (who speak to vocal businesses who've had problems - but who obviously can't explain why they've got a problem, or they'd have solved it and wouldn't have any reason to talk to a journalist) and by business peers who've suffered (often, so far as I can see, because other agencies still haven't got to grips with the meaning of MinCPC). You've created a significant word of mouth perception problem, in my perception.
If you haven't got tools that help users to identify that they should have differentiated adverts, and to help them to better control the $5/click MinCPC problems, you are only going to add more fuel to the adverse criticism. It doesn't matter whether the critics are ill-informed, you've just found a way to make thousands of small businesses into anti-ambassadors - unless you help them away from the single advert/multiple unrelated keywords/weak advert/$5/MinCPC that will be created.
> Although, the driving direction radius seems a bit aggressive.
Not quite sure I know what you mean - could you please clarify? (BTW, the driving distance option only comes up when the zip code entered is not near to a medium-large or larger city.)
> Is there going to be a special newsletter, blog, or anything (besides > this forum section basically) for these types of accounts?
Excellent question. The answer most likely will depend on adoption of Starter Edition, but I'll see what I can find out.
JezC, as one of our most prolific members, I take your comments very seriously - and have already forwarded them to the appropriate team. Tomorrow, I'll make sure a wider audience will see your comments, in an Advertiser Feedback Report that a colleague sends out each week to a large number of interested parties here at Google.
Thanks for your presence in this community, by the way. Much appreciated.
>> Not quite sure I know what you mean - could you please clarify? (BTW,
the driving distance option only comes up when the zip code entered is not near to a medium-large or larger city.)
The first started account I opened was based around the zip 60606 (the heart of downtown Chicago), and the 'driving directions option' came up. So, not quite sure I know what you mean by the driving directions not coming up near a large city.
By aggressive, I mean 100 miles is pretty far. In the zip code 60606, 100km is a 2-3 hour drive. For a local service based industry (electrician, plumber, etc), these are really non-qualified clicks as someone 50 miles away is not going to convert for a business like this.
