New ad networks are popping up all the time. Some of them have earned a negative reputation as providers who deliver poor quality traffic. Unfortunately, these networks have not operated with advertisers’ best interests in mind, and as a result, Tier 2 networks in general have received a bad rap. It’s important to remember, however, that not all networks are created equal. Before initiating a partnership with a Tier 2 network, you need to ensure they can deliver the quality traffic you are seeking. Here’s a helpful checklist of issues to address while you are vetting search networks, along with some specific questions to ask to help determine if the network is a fit to help you reach your PPC campaign goals:
1. Experience – it’s important to work with a tried-and-tested network with a proven track record.
How long have you been in business?
Can you share client case studies and/or testimonials as validation of your achievements?
2. 3rd Party Partnerships – some networks employ partnerships with 3rd parties to help ensure click quality and safeguard against invalid traffic. For instance, Anchor Intelligence and Click Forensics are two traffic quality solution companies that many networks work with to serve as a kind of check and balance to their internal traffic controls.
Do you have any 3rd party traffic quality partnerships in place?
How do you determine how to filter invalid traffic?
3. Targeting and Tracking Capabilities – you need to assess whether the tier 2 network you are evaluating operates on a platform with the necessary capabilities/abilities to meet your targeting needs.
Do you offer any/all of the following?
4. Customer Service – make sure the network you are considering has the customer support to help you optimize your campaigns and reach your goals.
Will I have a dedicated account manager?
Who will be held accountable for helping me ensure my campaigns are running smoothly?
Asking these basic questions are the first step towards broadening your PPC campaigns to include valued and trusted tier 2 networks. Leverage these questions as a starting point when looking to expand your reach beyond your existing PPC campaigns with complementary campaigns on Tier 2 networks. Let us know if the comment section if you have any questions, or feel we’ve left anything pertinent off our list.
Kaley Dobson is the Marketing Manager at LookSmart
1. Test your creative. Even great online media placement can produce poor results if your messaging is off. So before you go big, run split tests of different creative units to find the winner.
