Should I Create Site Links Per Campaign or Per Ad Group?

Short Answer: You should create site links per ad group rather than per campaign or account. This approach prevents confusion, such as displaying a link for one city when advertising in another city.

Full Explanation

Creating site links at the ad group level is essential for maintaining relevance and clarity in your advertisements. When site links are set at the campaign or account level, there is a risk that links tailored for one specific target—like a city or locality—will appear in ads meant for different locations or audiences. This can confuse potential customers and reduce the effectiveness of your ads.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Identify your ad groups: Organize your campaigns by specific themes, locations, or products.
Create site links for each ad group: Tailor links that are relevant and specific to the audience targeted by that ad group.
Apply site links within ad groups: Avoid setting site links at the broader campaign or account levels where relevance can be diluted.
Review for consistency: Make sure each ad group’s site links reflect the targeted content or location to avoid misplaced or confusing links.

Real Examples

If you run campaigns targeting different cities, creating site links at the ad group level ensures that the link directing users to services or offers in City A will only appear in ads aimed at City A, not in ads targeted for City B. This precision helps users find relevant information quickly and improves overall ad performance.

Common Mistakes

Creating site links only once at the campaign or account level without considering ad group differences.
Mixing site links for different cities or audiences, leading to irrelevant or confusing links appearing.
Failing to customize site links specific to the ad group’s focus area or theme.

FAQs

Q: Why not create site links at the campaign level instead?
A: Because creating them at the campaign level can cause irrelevant links to show across different ad groups, reducing targeting accuracy.

Q: Can I create site links at the account level?
A: It’s not recommended since account-level site links lack the specificity needed for effective ad targeting and can cause confusion by mixing locations or themes.

Key Takeaways

Create site links per ad group to maintain relevancy and clarity.
Avoid setting site links broadly at the campaign or account level to prevent confusion.
Tailor your site links to match the specific target of each ad group, such as different cities.