Google AdWords Topic Targeting

Topic targeting is a unique feature of Google Ads which allows you to target topics instead of keywords across the Google display network. Topic targeting helps you gain a lot of impressions. It allows your ads to be eligible for appearing on any page of display network that have content related to your particular topic.

Topic targeting can also be used in combination with individual placements (placements are generally sites or pages where you want to show your ads, and keyword targeting lets you choose which keywords will target your ads). For precise targeting, you can combine topic targeting with placements or keywords targeting.

What is AdWords Topic Targeting?

Using topics to contextually target your ads offers broad targeting and reach and is a good way to connect with a large audience quickly and easily to generate awareness or drive sales. When using topic targeting, our system looks at all the terms on a page to determine the topic of the page and is less reliant on particular keywords. On the other hand, using keywords to contextually target allows you to target your ads to a more specific set of pages in the Display Network, since you use individual keywords to develop a theme in your ad groups. However, both targeting options can be used together to effectively reach an audience across the Google Display Network.

Topic Targeting allows you to place AdWords Advertisements on website pages relating to those topics. There is no limit to the topics, they could be anything from agriculture to computer programming, to sports, or something completely different. Topic targeting ads are only eligible to appear in the Display Network with related content. Since web pages are constantly revising and changing their content, the locations which you advertisements appear can also change. Additionally, you can also use topic targeting in combination with individual placements and keyword targeting.

Why Topic Targeting?

• You want to reach broad audience or generate additional traffic.
• For example, you sell bicycles for street use and know that people also looks for mountain bikes for trekking purposes. Then, you can also select trekking and camping subtopics to show your ads on those pages to reach wider audience.
• You would like to ramp-up your ad delivery, or your CPA goal is flexible.
• You have a flexible campaign budget.
• You want to prevent your ads from appearing on pages with specific topic that aren’t doing well or are unrelated to your business.

Topic targeting vs Interest targeting

As we have studied earlier, topic targeting used to place ads on pages that are more relevant to overall “topic”. Interest targeting allows you to reach people who have particular interests, regardless of the ads you are serving them is relevant to the page they are currently looking for. In simple terms, interest target users while topic target relevant sites.

• Topic targeting: On Google display network, you have power to target placements by topic. In this, Google will examine the content of each pages & assign it an appropriate topic. While creating up your campaign, you select various topics from pre-existing list, likewise fitness, entertainment, education and many more. Then, Google will start showing your ads on different quality sites related to those selected topics. Thus, you can review your campaign statistics topic wise, helping you to adjust maximum CPC according to their performance. Topic targeting is a good way to grab more exposure on Google display network without targeting these sites one-by-one.

• Interest targeting: You also have capability to target placements by user’s interest. In interest categories, you are targeting group of audience whose online behavior shows that they share common interest, like, education or fitness. Once you have assigned the categories you are interested in targeting, you can show them relevant ads whenever & wherever they’re online. Users don’t have necessarily to look for pages that are related to your ads, due to availability of cookies information being shared by Google placing them in specific interest group. Just like topic targeting, you can also dig deeper to more specific results.

Targeting users through Google display network is not so much user friendly as in case of some well profound social networking sites. If leveraged in sophisticated way, then it will help you enhance conversions improving overall campaign performance.

How does Google Ads targeting work?

Google Ads provides several content and audience targeting tools to narrow down who sees your campaigns. You can connect with people based on where they live, what they like, what they’re shopping for, which sites they visit, and other factors.

Google Ads doesn’t limit you to one type of targeting. Instead, you can build your ideal audience by layering different targeting options at the campaign or ad group level.

How Much Does Topic Targeting Cost?

Pricing works the same way for topic targeting as other placement-targeted ads. You select a maximum amount you're willing to pay each time your ad appears. Adwords will display your ad on pages with relevant content where you can win a position based on your max bid. Popular topics with a high maximum bid have potential to appear on thousands of web pages.