Using ads services with new Google Account security features

We recently announced an advanced opt-in 2-step verification process to help make your Google Accounts significantly more secure. 2-step verification adds an extra layer of security to your Google Account by requiring unique “verification codes” in addition to your username and password at sign-in. This means that if your password is stolen, you still have an extra line of defense against a potential hijacker.

If you opt to use 2-step verification, when you log into your Google AdWords account, you’ll enter a code obtained through your phone in addition to your usual password when you sign in.

If your Google Account is associated with other Google products, such as the AdWords API or AdWords Editor, you may need to enter an application-specific password instead of your regular account password when you sign in to these specific services. This is because certain applications aren’t designed to prompt for a code in addition to a password.

To create an application-specific password, click on "Authorizing applications & sites" on your Account Settings page.

Under the application-specific passwords section, provide a name for the application you wish to generate a password for, for example “AdWords Editor - Desktop”.

Here’s what the generated password looks like:

To learn more about application-specific passwords, visit the Google Accounts Help Center and AdWords Editor Help Center. Please visit the Official Google Blog for the complete announcement.

Posted by Katie Wasilenko, Agency Team

AdWords Editor 8.0.1 for Windows and Mac

In order to make it easier for you to manage your account and take advantage of location extensions, we’re releasing a new version of AdWords Editor, 8.0.1, for Windows and Mac.

AdWords Editor 8.0.1 now supports location extensions, our new and improved way to run local ads. To support this change, we've transitioned the local business ads in your AdWords account to ads that are compatible with location extensions, added the Extensions tab in the AdWords Editor interface, and removed the Local Business Ads tab. This new Extensions tab should help make it easy for you to create and manage your location extensions. Learn more.

To help you focus on just what you need when you’re managing your AdWords account, AdWords Editor 8.0.1 also introduces collapsible and expandable panels, progress bars for tasks that can take some time, improved adding of My Client Center accounts, simplified exception requests, and more helpful error messages.

To learn more about all of the new features in version 8.0.1, such as support for campaigns using target CPA and enhanced CPC bidding options, read the release notes.

If you're already using AdWords Editor, you'll be prompted to upgrade automatically, as soon as it's available for you. After you install the new version, you’ll need to download your account again. To preserve your comments and unposted changes, select the 'Backup then Upgrade' option in the automatic upgrade prompt, then import the backup file after downloading the account. We’re launching version 8.0.1 to all users over the course of the next few weeks, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right away.

If you’re not using AdWords Editor, you can visit our website to download it. Find more information and answers to your AdWords Editor questions in our Help Center.

Originally posted to the Inside AdWords Blog.

Posted by Jason Shafton, Product Marketing Manager

AdWords Editor video tip: Campaign downloads

You're about to run to a meeting but you urgently need to update the tracking URLs for one ad group in your largest client account. Do you make the changes or get to the meeting on time? The answer is both, now that you can bypass downloading the entire account into AdWords Editor.

When relatively minor changes become daunting when faced with a large client account, just quickly download the campaigns you need to work on. The video below is your step-by-step guide to downloading specific campaigns.



And for more AdWords Editor help, check out the videos on importing a CSV file, copying and pasting within an account, exporting a spreadsheet, and posting changes.

Posted by Bill Yancey, Agency Team

AdWords Editor 7.5.1 for Windows and Mac

We just released a new version of AdWords Editor with a few exciting updates.

Increase efficiency with CSV import
Many agencies have requested the ability to import CSV files in AdWords Editor, so we're happy to announce this new feature. If you make changes to your client's account in a spreadsheet or a custom application, you can now import your spreadsheet directly into AdWords Editor, then post your new or edited items. Learn more

Save time by downloading or updating selected campaigns
Have you ever waited a long time for your client's account to download, when all you want to do is work with one or two campaigns? Now you can just download the campaign (or campaigns) that you want to edit, leaving the rest of the account alone. You may also choose to download or update only active campaigns (or only paused campaigns). Learn more

Make the most of Keyword Opportunities
We've made a few changes to the Keyword Opportunities tool that should make it easier to manage your client's keyword data. On the "Search-based keywords" tab (the AdWords Editor version of the Search-based Keyword Tool) you can now view and organize new keywords by topical category, letting you zero in quickly on the keywords that are most relevant to the account. Also, when you export or copy keywords, the Keyword Opportunities columns (such as Volume and Competition) are now included. As another response to agencies' requests, you can now add terms to your account as either keywords, negative keywords, or campaign negative keywords. Learn more

To learn more about what's in version 7.5.1, such as multiple column sorting and new conversion columns, please visit the release notes.

If you're already using AdWords Editor, you'll be prompted to upgrade automatically. This update won't require you to re-download your accounts, and it won't affect your comments and unposted changes. In the auto-update prompt, choose the 'Update without Backup' option; after you upgrade, your accounts will already be in the new version.

If you're not already using AdWords Editor, you can visit our website and click 'Download AdWords Editor.'

To learn more about the benefits of using AdWords Editor to manage clients' ad campaigns offline, please refer to these frequently asked questions, or visit the Help Center for comprehensive instructions and tips.

In addition, there will be a webinar for our agency partners on Friday, June 5, 2009 at 11 am PST / 1pm CST / 2pm EST:

Event number: 576 383 259
Event password: awe
Registration password: agency1
Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada) 866-469-3239
Click here to register.

Posted by Adam Wooley, Product Marketing

AdWords Editor v7.0

It's update time again! We've released version 7.0 of AdWords Editor for Windows and Mac, and have included some sought-after metrics. This release of AdWords Editor includes data for first page bid estimates and keyword Quality Score. Version 7.0 also offers optional usage tracking to send anonymous statistics to Google and help us improve AdWords Editor. You can learn more about these and other new features in the release notes.

As always, we want to remind you to save comments and unposted changes by backing up your work before you upgrade. Then, after you've installed the new version, you can download your account and import the backup file.

Posted by Kerrie Lenhart, Product Specialist

AdWords Editor 6.5

As you may have heard, we just released version 6.5 of AdWords Editor, our free online account management tool. If you're already using AdWords Editor, you will be prompted to upgrade automatically. If you're new to AdWords Editor, you can download the latest version here.

To keep you up to date, we've compiled a sneak peek into some of the new features you can expect with version 6.5:

• Horizontal scrolling in the data view and auto-sizing columns.
  
  
• Calendar picker for performance statistics and campaign end dates.
  
  
• New Keyword Opportunities tool to help you find new, relevant keywords for your campaigns. Use the expansion feature to generate keyword ideas from words or phrases, or the multiplier feature to combine lists of terms to create new keywords.

For full details of these and other new features, please see the release notes. And if you have questions about the benefits or functionality of AdWords Editor, have a look at our frequently asked questions and our Help Center.

Posted by Kerrie Lenhart, Product Specialist

Fall's Industry Newsletters

The latest AdWords Industry Newsletters have hit the streets and are ready to help you and your clients make the most of your AdWords advertising. If you have clients in the Entertainment, Tech B2B, or Auto verticals, check out the highlights below for a taste of what you'll find inside.

• Entertainment & Media: Learn easy editing tips with AdWords Editor.
• Tech B2B: Take advantage of a free YouTube channel to reach new audiences for your business.
• Auto: Expand your reach in three different ways with Google Maps.

More topics await inside each newsletter, so be sure to browse through any that are relevant to you. And if you'd like to subscribe to any of the newsletters, please drop us a line at awnewsletter-feedback@google.com.

Posted by Cathy Bishop, Creative Team

AdWords Editor guide

We've recently created the AdWords Editor guide to give you an at-a-glance look at the features and functions available in the latest version of our free account management tool. Whether you're looking for a quick overview of the product or want a cheat sheet of keyboard shortcuts, download the PDF guide and use it when you're ready to start managing your clients' campaigns online.

Posted by Lindsey Wall, Agency Team

Optimizing in AdWords Editor webinar

The AdWords Editor Team will be hosting an 'Optimizing in AdWords Editor' webinar on Thursday, September 11 at 10am PDT. The session will cover AdWords Editor tips and tricks related to the following topics:

• ROI best practices
  
• Improving and maintaining account health
  
• Using different ad formats

This webinar is geared towards AdWords Editor power users or those who have attended our Advanced Editor Webinar. You can register here, or join the session at its start time by using the 'Join Event Now' entry field on the same page.

Posted by Lindsey Wall, Agency Team and Kerrie Lenhart, Product Team

Quick and easy ad group creation

Keyword lists can be like people: some are highly organized; some are not. An organized account is easier to manage and target effectively, so the next time you find yourself faced with a long list of disparate keywords that need to be broken into different ad groups, try using the Keyword Grouper tool in AdWords Editor.


You'll find the Keyword Grouper tool located in the Tools menu of AdWords Editor. To use it, select the keywords in a campaign that you wish to organize, and the tool will generate common themes based on those keywords. AdWords Editor will then give you the option to create new ad groups from those themes, and will move the corresponding keywords into the new ad groups. You'll be able to see the proposed ad groups before you save any changes, so test it out for yourself.

Visit our Help Center for more tips on organizing your account and AdWords Editor's features and functionality.

Posted by Bill Yancey, Agency Team

How to care for a large keyword list

Companies that offer many different products or services have one thing in common - the potential for large keywords lists. If your clients fit this description, here are a few tips on how to manage a keyword list when you find it's getting, well, too hard to manage.

First: Focus on the big players

To break down a massive keyword list into more manageable pieces, consider starting with the keywords that receive the most traffic or represent your client's most popular products. Create ad groups with customized ad text for these top keywords, rather than writing specific ads for every product your client offers.

For example, let's say your client sells DVDs. You can create ad groups for the top ten movie titles per genre and write specific ads relating to those keywords.

Second: Organize the rest

What about the rest of the keywords that are more obscure or aren't as popular? Here are some options to effectively manage those:

• If you have keywords that are very specific, such as product model numbers or small-town names, group them together and use keyword insertion in the ad text. Remember to continue to organize your keywords into ad groups with closely-knit themes so that your ad text is as relevant as possible.
  

• Use AdWords Editor when making large-scale changes to your clients' accounts. By importing account statistics directly into AdWords Editor, you can easily make changes based on account performance. For example, you can locate and delete keywords that haven't received any traffic in the past.
  

Lastly, be sure to test various approaches to keyword management to find the optimal method for you. For more tips on managing your keyword lists, visit our Help Center.

Posted by Sarah Hobbs, Optimization Specialist, Agency Team

AdWords Editor webinar on Google Business Channel

If you weren't able to attend our webinar on June 10 about AdWords Editor - our free application for managing and making bulk changes to your ad campaigns - not to worry. You can watch the recorded version that's now available on the Google Business Channel. The hour-long webinar session is geared towards experienced users of AdWords Editor, as it covers the new features available in version 6.0 as well as advanced use cases for the tool. Check it out if you want to brush up on your knowledge or want to get more acquainted with version 6.0.

Posted by Cathy Bishop, Creative Team

AdWords Editor 6.0: Get the scoop

Posted by Kerrie Lenhart, Product Specialist Team

Version 6.0 of AdWords Editor launched today and we wanted to make sure you're up to date on the changes. Check the release notes for the full details, but here's a quick summary and some important reminders:

New bulk editing tools: Spell check, append text, and drag and drop ad groups within the tree view.


Account statistics features: Export performance statistics to CSV, update minimum CPC bids, and experience improved downloading of account performance data.


Compatibility with AdWords features: Version 6.0 now supports CPC placement targeting and certain functions with Conversion Optimizer campaigns.

Remember to export an archive of your account before you upgrade in order to preserve comments and unposted changes. After you've installed version 6.0, download your account and then import the archive file.

If you'd like more information on the changes, be sure to attend our advanced AdWords Editor webinar on June 10 for full details on version 6.0, and join the AdWords Editor forum to stay up to date on future announcements.

Tech B2C Industry Newsletter

Posted by Ashley Kibler, Creative Team

Do your clients sell software, consumer electronics, digital content, or telecommunications products or services? If so, the latest issue of the AdWords Tech B2C Industry Newsletter is for you.

You'll find tips on selling gifts for Dads and Grads, and an overview of how Google Audio Ads can work for your Tech B2C clients. Mischa, one of our optimization specialists, shares his advice on maintaining a tidy keyword list using AdWords Editor. We also feature a joint study from Google and comScore, which focuses on people who purchased TVs, computers, and digital cameras to reveal how online resources and search affect purchase decisions (see sample below).


If you'd like to receive this newsletter in the future, let us know by sending an email to techb2c-newsletter@google.com.

AdWords Editor advanced webinar

Posted by Laura Hood, Creative Team

If you use AdWords Editor, you may have already attended one of our introductory webinars on its basic uses. Our AdWords Editor team is now offering an advanced training for users who have experience with the application. We hope you can attend, so please register here to join us on Tuesday, June 10th from 10:30 to 11:30am PDT.

The little MCC login that could

Posted by Will Crew, Agency Team

The My Client Center (MCC) makes it easier for agencies to manage multiple AdWords accounts through a centralized dashboard with one login - a Grand Central Station of sorts. In addition to AdWords, you can also use your MCC login to make life easier with the products below. Hopefully these tips will save you some time:

• AdWords Editor: Instead of keeping login emails and passwords for your client accounts on a spreadsheet, you can use your MCC login to download all your child accounts into AdWords Editor. Learn how.
  
  
• Google Analytics: It's easy to switch between multiple child accounts by using the drop down menu within the Analytics interface. Simply ensure that your MCC login is added to all your client Analytics accounts as an administrator. This way you'll have seamless access to each client account through the AdWords interface. Learn how.
  

More AdWords Editor tools for your belt

Posted by Kerrie Lenhart, Product Specialist Team

Working under the hood of your clients' accounts has likely gotten you familiar with AdWords Editor and its capabilities, but we have two new resources to help your Editor skills stay sharp:

• AdWords Editor Forum: New announcement-only Google Group with product news and tips straight from the AdWords Editor team. Subscribe to get updates in your inbox.
  
  
• AdWords Editor feature matrix: Handy, one-page reference guide with a list of supported features and links to more information.

AdWords Editor tip: Copying into a spreadsheet

Posted by Bill Yancey, AdWords Agency Team

One of AdWords Editor's lesser known features is the ability to copy directly out of the data grid and paste into your spreadsheet program of choice. This way, you can pull the contents of a particular tab of Editor and modify the data to your heart's content. You can then post your changes directly back into Editor using the 'Make Multiple Changes' dialog box. The data will also automatically be in the correct format so there's no need to delete or move columns around. The instructions below are for Windows machines. Happy spreadsheeting!

1. Compile the information you need in a tab (you can use Advanced Search to help)
2. Hit Ctrl+A to highlight all of the information in the tab
3. Hit Ctrl+C to copy all of the highlighted data
4. Open the spreadsheet application of your choice
5. Hit Ctrl+V to paste the data into your spreadsheet
6. Make your changes
7. Copy and paste back into the 'Make Multiple Changes' dialog on the relevant tab
8. Post your changes
9. Go do something with all the time you saved (coffee, walk, call your Mom, etc.)

AdWords Editor Webinar: March 20

Posted by Mollie Klurfeld, AdWords Editor Specialist

Hi agency blog readers. I'll be hosting an introductory webinar for AdWords Editor on March 20 at 11am PDT. I'll be covering tips related to these topics:

• Adding campaigns, ad groups, ad text, and keywords
• Editing ads and keywords
• Copying/moving ad groups and keywords
• Finding/replacing ad text
• Locating duplicate keywords
• Advanced bid and URL changes

You might want to share this with your new account mangers to help them learn the basics. Experts are also welcome to attend for a little tune-up. You can register here, or join the session right before it begins by using the 'Join Event Now' entry field on that same page.