Autotargeting
Autotargeting is an ad serving technology that is not based on keywords. It analyzes data in the ad and on the landing page and determines whether the ad matches the search query, user interests, or website content. Using autotargeting, you can attract additional targeted traffic by serving ads to an audience not easily reached through keywords.
How it works
For serving in search, autotargeting in real-time selects the ads that best match the user's query in terms of title, text, and landing page. Many factors are considered when selecting ads, including possible synonyms, word forms, related subjects, and negative keywords of the campaign and ad group.
For example, an ad with a text about space travel that leads to in-space.ru
may be served when someone searches for tours to Mars.
Autotargeting runs in parallel with keywords and has the same priority with them. Statistics for autotargeting impressions are calculated separately.
- Why do I enable autotargeting
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Autotargeting doesn't rely on specific wording, but shows your ads for queries that have very similar meaning to the subject of your ad. It lets you cover a large number of long-tail keywords that are difficult to predict when creating your keyword list, because many of these are unique search queries.
To select ads for ad networks, autotargeting first analyzes known data about user interests. If this information is insufficient (for example, the user has been surfing the web from a new computer or recently deleted cookies), the technology focuses on the subject of the site.
For example, an ad about tours to Mars might be served to a user interested in outer space. If nothing is known about a user, they will see the same ad on a page with a similar subject.
- Why do I enable autotargeting
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Keywords in ad networks let you target only those users that have clearly shown interest in the subject set by these keywords. Autotargeting does not rely on specific wording and lets you serve your ads to users that were interested in related topics or similar products. With autotargeting enabled, you can expand your impression audience with no need to manually select a large number of keywords.
Setting up autotargeting in search results
- Query categories
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In the settings, you can choose a specific query category to enable autotargeting for or leave all categories enabled:
- Targeted queries: The ad perfectly meets the user queries. For example, for the advertiser
in-space.ru
running the “Space travel” ad, the targeted query would be buy a space tour. Narrow queries: The ad is broader than the user query. For example, for the advertiser
in-space.ru
running the “Space travel” ad, a narrow query would be buy a romantic space tour.Previously, these fell under targeted queries. Because of this, existing campaigns with configured targeted queries now include both the narrow and targeted categories. You can change this if necessary.
- Broad queries: Queries showing interest in a product exemplified by the ad. For example, choose a tour.
- Alternative queries: The user is looking for a product that can be replaced by the advertised product. The ad might also meet the query in this case. For example, buy an underwater tour.
- Related queries: Queries for products that might interest the user in relation to the advertised product or service. For example, buy a spacesuit.
If you add Text & Image ads to the group, you can see examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting for each category.
You can select query categories in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or the Yandex Direct API. You can only configure narrow queries in Yandex Direct.
- Brand mentions in Yandex Search queries
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These settings are available for Text & Image ads and Unified performance campaigns. Here you can select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries. Or you can combine categories with mentions of not just your own brand but also a competitor brand.
To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.
Brand queries are queries where the advertiser ranks first in organic search results or is the manufacturer. For example, if you launch ads for your “Good ads” service that helps configure Yandex Direct, then the query Good ads is a brand query for your campaign, while the query Yandex Direct isn't.
Examples of autotargeting queries in different categories will vary depending on the brand mention settings.
You can select the updated query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions. Direct Commander and the Yandex Direct API will introduce the updates later.
- Files with query examples
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If your group contains ads, you can see examples of queries for your Text & Image ads in the XLSX file found to the right of the category settings. The file is generated from your ad texts, titles, links, brand mention settings, and negative keywords. It contains examples of queries for each category. Refer to these examples to choose the right category and add more negative keywords if necessary.
If necessary, you can tweak your settings and download an updated version of the file. You don't have to save your changes to the group for the file to be updated.
Keep in mind that any narrowing of targetings, including disabling autotargeting categories, decreases your coverage and might lower the effectiveness of your campaign. Disable a category only if it's inefficient. For example, if it exceeds the average price per install or brings non-targeted clicks.
Learn more about query categories.
How to set up autotargeting in a campaign
Autotargeting is available for the following campaign types on search and in ad networks:
- Under Define audience, select Manual settings for the Audience parameter.
- Select the Targeting categories for which you want to display ads.
- Save your changes.
- Under Define audience, select Advanced audience settings.
- Select the Targeting categories for which you want to display ads.
- Save your changes.
- Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
- Select the groups that you want to edit.
- Click.
- Enable the Autotargeting option in each ad group.
- To enable autotargeting in search results, select the query categories to apply it to.
If ads are added to the group, examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting are shown for categories.
Under Brand mention in Yandex Search queries, select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries.
To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.
Save your changes.
- Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
- Select the groups that you want to edit.
- Click.
- For each group under Query categories, select the groups for which you want to show ads in search results. You must select at least one category.
- Save your changes.
- Select the campaigns that host the desired groups.
- Select the groups that you want to edit.
- Click.
- Enable the Autotargeting option in each ad group.
- To enable autotargeting in search results, select the query categories to apply it to.
If ads are added to the group, examples of queries that would trigger autotargeting are shown for categories.
Under Brand mention in Yandex Search queries, select the type of queries to serve your ads for. These can be queries mentioning your brand, mentioning a competitor brand, or not mentioning any brands. For example, you can use autotargeting in separate campaigns for brand search queries.
To serve ads without filtering by brand, enable all options.
Save your changes.
When setting up site ads in the Campaign Wizard, autotargeting is enabled by default. You can manage autotargeting categories, but you can't disable impressions for targeted queries.
To select autotargeting categories:
When setting up app ads in the Campaign Wizard, autotargeting is enabled by default. You can manage autotargeting categories, but you can't disable impressions for targeted queries.
To select autotargeting categories:
In the expert mode, you can only edit campaigns created before September 1, 2022. You can't create new campaigns there.
We recommend adding autotargeting to all ad groups along with keywords. When you create a new ad group, autotargeting is enabled by default. To enable autotargeting for your existing groups:
Autotargeting is a mandatory condition for placement in search results or in both search results and ad networks. You must select at least one query category for each ad group. When you switch placement from Yandex Advertising Network to Yandex Search, autotargeting is automatically enabled for all query categories in each group. We recommend double-checking the settings when you change the placement location. You can only disable autotargeting for campaigns served in ad networks.
You can also enable autotargeting on the campaign page or on the Bids and keywords tab.
You can select query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or Yandex Direct API.
Autotargeting for dynamic ads is configured at the group level, on the campaign page, or on the Bids and keywords tab. When you create a new ad group, autotargeting is enabled by default. To enable autotargeting for your existing groups:
For campaigns created after September 28, 2023, autotargeting is a mandatory condition for placement in search results or in both search results and ad networks. You must select at least one query category for each ad group. When you switch placement from Yandex Advertising Network to Yandex Search, autotargeting is automatically enabled for all query categories in each group. We recommend double-checking the settings when you change the placement location. You can only disable autotargeting for campaigns served in ad networks.
To enable autotargeting in your active campaigns:
You can also enable autotargeting on the campaign page or on the Bids and keywords tab.
You can select query categories and brand mention settings in multiple ad groups using bulk actions, Direct Commander, or Yandex Direct API. You can only configure narrow queries in Yandex Direct.
Managing bids in a manual strategy
If you use a manual strategy, then set a bid. If you use separate bid management, set individual bids for autotargeting on search and in ad networks.
For autotargeting in search results, automatic bids are enabled by default. The automatic bid is calculated as the group's weighted average bid per click before any adjustments:
Bid = (Bid1 × Clicks1 + Bid2 × Clicks2 + ... + Bid(n) × Clicks(n)) / (Clicks1 + Clicks2 + ... + Clicks(n)), where
- Bid is the bid for the keyword.
- Clicks is the number of clicks.
- Let's say a group has two keywords:
The automatic bid can't exceed the maximum bid for any keyword in the group. This value is constantly updated, because it's determined not only by the bids themselves, but also by the number of clicks for each keyword in the group.
To set a bid manually:
- In the campaign list, select the campaigns and switch to the Bids and keywords tab.
- In the
--autotargeting
line, click theicon next to the bid value.
- Switch to “Manual bid”, enter your bid, and click Apply.
You can also change the bid using the Bid Wizard, Direct Commander, or the Yandex Direct API.
As with bids for keywords, all adjustments configured at the campaign or group level also apply to the automatic bids.
We recommend setting the autotargeting bid at about the same level as the keyword bid.
What to do after you enable autotargeting
After autotargeting is enabled, ad serving starts based on the campaign and ad group settings. To achieve the best results, the system conducts a detailed set of calculations that are used to optimize your settings regularly. This is why we recommend that you leave autotargeting turned on for a few weeks.- Report Wizard
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Add the Impression criteria cross-section and the Impressions, Conversion (%), Goal cost, and Conversions columns. This shows you the total impression statistics. Note the Impression criteria column: if an ad was served through autotargeting, the column contains an icon.
Build a report using the Targeting categories cross section and the same columns (Impressions, Conversion rate (%), Goal cost, Conversions). You'll see statistics of impressions for the keywords selected in all categories.
To get the data for each query category, add to the report the Targeting categories filter criteria, and select the categories you need.
Compare conversions and goal cost for keywords and autotargeting in different categories. If the goal cost for autotargeting is too high, reduce the bid for it.
- Search queries
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Add the Impression criteria cross-section and the Impressions, Conversion (%), Goal cost, and Conversions columns. You will see which search queries triggered your ads. Note the Impression criteria column: if an ad was served through autotargeting, the column contains an icon.
Build a report using the Targeting categories cross section and the same columns (Impressions, Conversion rate (%), Goal cost, Conversions). You'll see statistics of impressions for the keywords selected in all categories.
To get the data for each query category, add to the report the Targeting categories filter criteria, and select the categories you need.
For obviously irrelevant search queries selected by autotargeting, we recommend disabling the category resulting in such queries, or find out negative keywords.