Contextual targeting myTarget allows you to display ads for user search queries. How this tool works and what you need to know to use it correctly.
Non-search queries and other myTarget contextual targeting options
The word “context” is strongly associated with advertising in Yandex and Google. Here ads are selected in the context of the search query to better reflect the user’s intent. However, this method of displaying is also possible on social networks.
Contextual targeting – a tool of the myTarget platform, which works similarly to advertising in search engines, but on the Mail.ru Group sites. Your potential customers often search for your product on classified sites or marketplaces. Knowing about their requests, it is easy to offer a suitable product on VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.
The tool has such useful features as: search period, negative keyword lists and import of keys from contextual platforms. Let’s figure out how to connect it to an advertising campaign.
Keyword list
Setting up contextual targeting begins with preparing a list of keywords. Go to myTarget and open the Audiences tab. In the left menu, find “Contextual Targeting” among the data sources.
There are three ways to create a list of keys:
- Manually
- Using a CSV file
- Import from contextual advertising
1 Manually
Enter keywords in the blank field on the screen.
You can copy them from any source, but don’t forget to separate them with a line break.
2 CSV file
To download the list from your computer, check the box next to “Upload file”.
In the CSV list, the header line should be highlighted containing:
- phrase (required field) – key phrase
- stop_phrases – negative keywords separated by commas
- price_coeff – rate coefficient for the phrase
- expires – the term of the phrase, after which targeting for it stops
- sub – text for dynamic insertion into the ad
Negative words can be entered directly into the key words, denoted by the symbol “-“. A detailed description of the requirements for a CSV file with keys can be found here. You can download the file template here.
3 Import List
First, you need to unload keywords from Yandex.Direct or Google Ads. In Direct, you will have to download the entire campaign for this. Open the required one and click “Upload to XLS / XLSX”.
It remains to specify the format and select whether the campaign will be stopped after export.
Start creating a campaign in myTarget and select Import from File above the list of targets.
Select “* .xlsx” and specify the period for accounting for search queries.
It is recommended to set it equal to the sales cycle of your product so that you no longer show ads to users who have not converted during this time. Click Upload File and select the exported .XLS on your computer.
Campaigns, lists and segments created on the basis of the uploaded file will become available in the myTarget account. They will be marked with the word “imported”. You can immediately edit a campaign from Yandex.Direct by updating settings and creatives. The campaign can also be recreated using only the list of keys.
Recently, Google Ads stopped supporting exporting selected words in myTarget-compatible format. However, they are still downloaded to .CSV in the Keywords tab of the left menu. Click “Download” and select the format you want.
Then bring it to the form described in the previous paragraph. After that, you can upload the file to contextual targeting in the same way.
Negative words
When importing keywords from Yandex.Direct, the corresponding negative keywords are already included in their composition. If you added queries manually or the .CSV file did not contain negative keywords, you must add them to the list yourself. Click Add Negative Phrases.
Enter up to 400 negative keywords in the field that opens, separated by commas. They will be applied to the entire list of keys. If you want each query to have its own negative keywords, it’s easier to use a .CSV upload.
Completing the setup
The new keyword list can replace the existing one. If you are creating the first list, skip this option.
Specify the search period for which period will be taken into account for impressions.
The default value for this parameter is 12 days. Thus, if a user last searched for your product 2 weeks ago, he will not see ads. myTarget recommends setting the following periods:
- 3 days – fast demand products, FMCG
- 7 days – beauty salons, clothing and accessories
- 14 days – expensive goods (electronics, interior items)
- 30 days – important acquisitions (real estate, transport)
Enter a title and click Add List. Do not uncheck the “Automatically create segment with list” checkbox to simplify setup.
Otherwise, you will need to open the “Segment List” in the left menu and create a new segment. Click “Add Audience Segments …” and select a new list under “Contextual Targeting”.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the segment setting.
Campaign launch
Create a campaign of any format with the desired goal and advertising link. In the “To” section, expand the detailed audience settings and in the “Segments” section, select a new segment.
To make advertising on myTarget bring you more income, connect to the free Click.ru automation service. With its tools, you can refine your audience targeting and join an affiliate program. For more information on how to get started earning ad rewards, see the link.
After launch
In myTarget, you can edit your keyword lists after they have been created. To change the list, click on its name in the “Contextual Targeting” section.
Click “Add phrase” and enter the desired keyword and negative keywords.
The list of common negative keywords can be edited at the bottom of the screen.
The changes will be applied to advertising campaigns where the list is used. The ability to edit keys allows you to optimize targeting based on statistics. Remember to remove ineffective phrases from your campaigns, this will save your budget.