So when do you stop testing two ads and declare a winner, in order to optimize your click through rates?

Here's a nifty free little tool that you can plug your numbers into, and it will tell you how much confidence you have in declaring a winner. Adwords has a default rotation, but sometimes decides way too soon which ad is the winner.

Adwords basically uses 1000 impressions, but I am not comfortable with that at all. I have had lots of ads I though were not so hot at 1000 impressions go way up in the click through rate, and some potential winners go way down. Most of the variance is plus or minus 3% CTR in my experience, but that can be HUGE depending on what market or industry you are working with. Here it is.....

When using this tool, keep in mind that you can't be LESS than 50% certain. If you know nothing at all about which ad is better, you are 50% certain, so if you use the tool and it says you are 60% certain, that is not really a great level of certainty!! My advice is look at the 85% range as an absolute minimum.

Ok, enough already, here is the tool:
http://www.splittester.com

Check it out when you are looking to "pull the plug" on one of your ads and determine a winner.

-To your adwords success,

-Steve

Steve Blom
Certified Google Adwords Professional

Adwords Training Video Author:

Blog:
http://marketingnewsblog.adwordstraining.org

Free Adwords video:
http://www.adwordstraining.org/video/free_adwords_tutorial_video.htm

Contact: steve@adwordstraining.org