Why Use the AdWords API

Agenda

● What is the AdWords API?

● How to use it

● Alternative solutions

● Sample use cases

What is the AdWords API?

Web API

● API = Application Programming Interface

● A way for computers or programs to talk to each

other over the internet

● Just as a UI (User Interface) enables

users to interact with software, an API

enables another piece of software to

do the same

How does this apply to AdWords?

AdWords AdWords UI

API

AdWords API

AdWords Application User

For example: AwReporting

AdWords AdWords UI

API

AdWords API

Customer Application UserAw-reporting

What can AdWords API do?

● Almost everything that the website can do!

● It allows users to apply their own business logic and data to develop tools that make informed changes at scale to their AdWords accounts.

○ Flexible level of automation

○ Step-by-step approach

○ Integrate with other systems

Benefits of using AdWords API

● Reduce costs

○ Automate tedious manual operations

○ One account manager can handle more accounts

● Increase revenue

○ Use tool to do monitoring / alerting

○ Find and fix problems more efficiently

How to use it

Before working on AdWords API...

● Get developer token○ Sign AdWords API Terms and Conditions

○ Submit application form

○ Provide supporting docs throughout review

○ Upgrade access level if needed

○ Adhere to RMF

■ Not applicable for internal tools!

Implementing an API tool

● Design considerations○ Security○ Data collection○ Rate limit handling

● Test account○ Dry-run on testing environment○ Work with dev token that is pending approval○ Some limitations implied

Implementing an API tool (Cont.)

● Development○ Refer to documentation

○ Make use of client libraries

○ Get technical support when in trouble

○ Must keep API tool updated

■ AdWords API releases on schedule

Alternative solutions

Manual account management

● Fine-grained optimization

● Experienced AM team

● High labor cost● Human errors● Not scalable

Platform providers

● Account volume

● Expensive● Low customization● Possible contract

complexities

● Good performance & optimization● Focus on sales, not software development● Scalable

AdWords scripts

● Not full automation● Limited integration● More resource limits

● Adequate technical capacity

● Some level of automation● Easy to setup and maintain● Scalable

Your Own AdWords API tool

● Full automation, sophisticated logic● Highly customizable● Strong competency in business● Scalable

● Dedicated development resources● Advanced technical capacity

● Investment in resource and time● Continuous maintenance

Sample use cases

Automatic reporting

Produce and dispatch customised account performance reports monthly to each of my 100,000 advertisers

AdWords Application

CRM

Report Template

API

E-mail System

1. Get customer’s information (name, email, AW CID)

2. Get account performance report for last month

3. Process report data & produce a snazzy PDF

4. Send the PDF to the advertiser

Monitoring and alerting

Download daily adwords/reporting data, and fire alerts based on pre-defined conditions.

● Accounts running out of budget soon

● Accounts with low budget utilization

● Campaigns whose CTRs suddenly drop

● Underperforming keywords (high CPC but low CTR)

● Underperforming ads with low impressions

● Disapproved creatives

Ad text bulk creation and upload

Integration with inventory system

Dynamically integrate your online storeʼs inventory database with your AdWords campaigns

● Generate ads, creative text, and keywords for new products

● Turn off campaigns for products that are out of stock

● Adjust bids according to stock level (or other data sources)

● Manage account budget according to inventory

Automatic optimization

The tool can automatically optimize based on performance reporting, keywords suggestion and traffic estimation.

Managing conversions

● Conversion tracking

○ Advertisers care more about conversions than clicks

○ Conversions could be anything

● Offline conversions upload

○ Online ad click may indirectly lead to offline conversion

○ Need to associate clicks with offline conversions

○ Track offline conversions via GCLID

So...

● What is the AdWords API?

● How to use it

● Alternative solutions

● Sample use cases

Resources● AdWords API dev site

● Blog

● Forum

● Email group