Tracking is essential to the success of any per click affiliate campaign. In order to know what keywords are converting, you have to track down to the keyword level. This used to be a fairly complex thing to set up, but now its very simple. There are several options, both free and paid.
Free, built in systems
The easiest, fastest, and free way to setup keyword level tracking is use the tracking code built into the PPC service. Let’s use Adwords and Neverblue and an example.
1. In Adwords click the “Conversion Tracking” link at the top of your account, then click “Create New Action”. Enter your information and lead payout amount, then click “Save Action and Get Code”
2. Now go into your ad network, in this case Neverblue has a self serve tracking code placement tool. If your network doesn’t have a tool, your account manager can place it for you. These snippets of tracking code are commonly called a pixel. Go to tools, add Pixel. Enter the code from Google and hit submit.
That’s it, once this is installed you are tracking conversions at the keyword level. Now you can look at your Google reports, sort by conversions, and see which keywords are actually converting for you. By bidding higher for those keywords, and removing non converting keywords, your account will be eventually be highly optimized.
If you aren’t working with a network, this tracking code from Google would go on your ‘thank you’ or ‘success’ page after a conversion. Yahoo, MSN, and almost all PPC services have tracking code that can be installed.
3rd party tracking systems
The other easy option is to use a third party tracking system. The most popular and best example out there is Tracking 202. Wes Mahler and the guys at Tracking 202 are very involved in the industry and have great tools especially designed for affiliate marketing. Their new Tracking 202 Pro software integrates all your tracking results from all the PPC services and affiliate networks into one console. Once you set up their system, tracking converting keywords is a breeze.
PHP coded systems
Another option, if you are proficient in PHP, is to insert code into your landing pages that will pull the search term used and then echo the query into to the subid of your affiliate link. Your affiliate reports will show the keyword as your subid, which you can use to see which words converted. This is more difficult but can have its place if you are building a custom system for yourself. I used to use this extensively back in the early days, but with all the easy systems in place now, most people don’t go this route.
With all the options out there today, there is really know excuse to run a campaign without keyword level tracking. That data is just too valuable to miss. By setting up keyword tracking you have access to the holy grail of stats, the cost/conversion per keyword.
Chad, do you place google pixels on affiliate networks without getting slapped? I’m curious about that!
I don’t get slapped very often anymore because I don’t use thin affiliate sites, just sites with lots of content.
Thanks, that’s interesting. Do you mind sharing some details about the landing pages you send your visitors to? Are they more like a neutral article/review and you place banners linked to the offer around the article or do you have an obvious call to action within the copy text?
If you are willing to pay there’s also Conversion Prophet. It’s not cheap but I love it…
It has advanced split testing capabilities (multivariate testing), it has no problem pixel tracking across domains (affiliate domain -> merchant domain), it tracks conversions down to the keywords automatically, and it has an adjustable 3 step bounce rate indicator that can help you predict the success of a campaign with very few conversions.
It’s also self hosted and tracks in real time.
I’m not affiliated with them in any way by the way. It’s just a very good program that I feel is definitely worth considering. I’m not very experienced with the two you reviewed though Chad, but from my limited experience the differences I see are:
Google can not track across domains (affiliate domain -> merchant domain), and doesn’t show stats in real time.
Tracking202 has no split testing integrated (maybe that is changed now though), although I’m sure this is a great option to track your stuff with as well.
I use prosper202 and love it.you install on your own server and can have peace of mind just in case if you are paranoid that someone on the hosted tracking might spy your campaigns/keywords.
I agree prosper202 is a great self hosted free option for tracking.
[...] Chad over at CDF Networks goes into 3 good options for keyword conversion tracking complete with screen shots. Simple keyword conversion tracking [...]
Chad,
I need a help starting promoting for CPA networks.
I tried to get approved but got denied by Hydra, Clickbooth, Neverblueads.
I am very serious about promoting CPA due to which I have joined the very brilliant training programs from one of Owner of CPA network about how to drive the Quality Leads to CPA offers.
Can you help me in getting approved by Azoogleads?
Regards
Hamen Dave
Yes you can’t underestimate the importance of tracking keywords. If you are not tracking your campaigns, you are doing ppc with a blindfold on. PPC is all about testing and tracking. Both of those are an absolute must.
Yes, if you dont track then its like shooting a rat in a barn with a shotgun with the lights turned off. Lots of noise but a poor result. Overall, I would recommend Google analytics as the base point for your tracking, then work backwards through your affiliate tools and adwords, so that all of these report on themselves, which is valuable, but you have a single cross platform report to be strategic.
Good information about keyword conversion tracking. I am newbie in affiliate marketing. Thanks for information.
I’m a bit late to this thread but its very pertinent to me as i’m just starting out doing some PPC affiliate campaigns.
What if:
1) The affiliate network doesn’t allow tracking on the merchant site?
I was told by a a manager at an affiliate network they don’t allow pixel tracking as then there would be 10,000 pixels in the post-registration page.
Neverblue may allow it but many others don’t.
2) You don’t know PhP?
Also, how do you track keyword performance if you send to a pre-sell review site/ landing page. Sometimes the merchant won’t let you send directly to the site, and sometimes there are advantages to sending to a review site. Is there any technological solution to tracking the process from
Seach engine Ad >> Review Site >> Merchant
Thanks in advance