Into the blue...

One of the most frequently discussed topics over in the AdWords Help group revolves around getting top placement. Specifically, lots of advertisers wonder how they can have their ad appear "in the blue" above the search results.

Since the evidence suggests that many Inside AdWords readers also participate in the AdWords Help group, our blog seemed like the ideal place to answer the questions for lots of folks at once. So here goes:

Long ago, there did exist a program that allowed advertisers to guarantee the top spots on Google. But in the interest of leveling the playing field, AdWords stopped offering a way to buy these top placements. Today, all ads on Google.com are ranked based on their maximum cost-per-click (CPC) and Quality Score.

While there isn't a way to ensure top placement, there are certainly some best practices that may well help your ads rise to the top. Really, there are no secrets: these are the same best practices that affect the positioning (or ranking) of your AdWords ads wherever they appear, and they also happen to be the same best practices we wrote about just a few days ago.

At the bottom line, highly relevant keywords and ad text, a high CPC, and a strong CTR will result in a higher position for your ad and help you rise "into the blue."

Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew