Tablet Targeting in v201101

Last month the device targeting options in AdWords were expanded to include new settings for tablets.  Previously tablets had counted as mobile devices, with the iPad listed as one such device.  The AdWords API worked the same way, using the PlatformTarget HIGH_END_MOBILE for both mobile devices and tablets and the MobilePlatformTarget "iPad" for the iPad specifically.  Representing these new tablet settings in the current v201101 version of the API is tricky, and in this blog post we’ll cover the behavior you can expect.

The first thing to note is that there is no PlatformTarget that represents tablets, since enum values can’t be added to an existing version.  You can look at the MobilePlatformTargets returned to get a better idea of what’s being targeted, but be aware that the meaning of some of the values have changed.  Specifically, the value "iPad" now represents any tablet, and the value "iPhone" represents any iOS device.

The tables below show the PlatformTargets and MobilePlatformTargets returned for every combination of device and operating system that can be set in the UI.

	Computers	Mobile	Tablets
Android	DESKTOP (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE Android	HIGH_END_MOBILE Android, iPad
iOS	DESKTOP (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE iPhone	HIGH_END_MOBILE iPhone, iPad
webOS	DESKTOP (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE Palm	HIGH_END_MOBILE Palm, iPad
All	DESKTOP (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE iPad

	Computers & Mobile	Computers & Tablets	Mobile & Tablets	All
Android	(None) Android	DESKTOP Android, iPad	HIGH_END_MOBILE Android, iPad	(None) Android, iPad
iOS	(None) iPhone	DESKTOP iPhone, iPad	HIGH_END_MOBILE iPhone, iPad	(None) iPhone, iPad
webOS	(None) Palm	DESKTOP Palm, iPad	HIGH_END_MOBILE Palm, iPad	(None) Palm, iPad
All	(None) (None)	DESKTOP (None)	HIGH_END_MOBILE (None)	(None) (None)

As you can see there are certain states in the UI that appear identical in the API. This is unfortunate behavior that is due to the limited values available in the current version of the API.  Specifically, it’s not possible to distinguish:

1. Tablets vs. Mobile & Tablets
2. Mobile with all operating systems vs. Mobile & Tablets with all operating systems
3. Computers vs. Computers & Tablets with all operating systems
4. Computer & Mobile with all operating systems vs. All devices with all operating systems

Likewise, using these values in a mutate request may inadvertently change the targeting options of the campaign since the system will always apply the broadest targeting that matches the input.  For example, let’s say you have a campaign that was configured in the AdWords web interface to target just Android tablets.  If you called CampaignTargetService.get() you would get back the PlatformTarget "HIGH_END_MOBILE" and the MobilePlatformTargets "Android" and "iPad".  If you then call CampaignTargetService.mutate()using those same values, the campaign will be updated to target both tablets and mobile devices that run Android.

What this means is that there are certain targeting combinations that can’t be determined or applied accurately in the v201101 version of the API.  In the next version of the API we plan to update these target types to support the new tablet settings, which will make reading and writing these combinations much simpler.  As always, if you have any questions about this topic you can reach us on the AdWords API forum.

- Eric Koleda, AdWords API Team

Location targeting update in AdWords

In February, we launched city targeting in additional 17 countries, and our goal is to make location targeting more accurate, easy to use, and flexible. As part of planning for future improvements, we’re making several changes to the AdWords location targeting capabilities that will affect the way you operate with the API. These changes will start occurring after July 8, 2011 and include:

• Changes to existing available locations: Due to changes in real-world geography or the existence of duplicate or overlapping location targets, we’re removing certain location targets in countries such as Japan, Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands, among others. For example, in 2010, six provinces were abolished in Finland, and while you’ll no longer be able to target these provinces, you can continue targeting cities in Finland. You won’t be able to target these provinces through the API and UI, but you’ll be able to continue targeting cities in Finland. After the changes take effect, you won't be able to add the locations that are listed here to new campaigns. If you're currently targeting any of these locations in your existing campaigns, you should migrate them to the recommended targets in the list. Otherwise, we'll migrate them automatically. Please review the list carefully since some of these changes will result in migration to larger locations. After this change takes place, if you try to use any of these locations you’ll receive a TargetError.TARGETING_NOT_SUPPORTED from the API.

• Sunset of PolygonTarget: You will no longer be able to add PolygonTargets through the API. You’ll still be able to retrieve and delete existing ones in your current campaigns. Any existing polygon target will continue to be used until the end of 2011. After that, all polygon targets that are still present in your AdWords campaigns will be migrated to other GeoTargets such as a city close to your polygon target or to specific ProximityTargets. We encourage you to replace your polygon targets to city, metro, province, country or proximity targets or we will migrate them automatically at end of 2011.

• Removal of allowServiceOfAddress in ProximityTargets: In some countries, you have the option to use the address in a ProximityTarget to show with your ads by setting allowServiceOfAddress. This field will no longer be available in future API releases and ignored when used in current versions. If you want to display your business address or phone number, you will need to use AdWords location extensions.

These changes will take place after July 8, 2011 and we recommend you adjusting your applications before. We also recommend that you adjust the location targeting settings of your campaigns immediately with the available alternatives.

  David Torres, AdWords API Team

New Regions and Cities Now Available for Targeting

This week, we’ve expanded city-level location targeting to more countries. Starting today and over the coming weeks, we will be introducing new cities and regions in the following countries for targeting via the AdWords API.

Argentina (regions only)
Austria
Brazil
China (coming soon)
Colombia
Czech Republic
Finland (coming soon)
Hungary (coming soon)
Malaysia
Mexico
Morocco
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Poland
South Korea
Switzerland
Ukraine

You can see the full list of new cities and regions that are supported now in the API Reference Guide. In order to target these locations, be sure to update your application so the new locations are available in your user interface.

As always, please post any questions to the AdWords API Forum.

Posted by Katie Wasilenko, AdWords API Team

Discover v2010 - Campaign Targeting

AdWords supports several campaign targeting options to ensure that your ads are shown only to the target audience you choose. As a developer, you can use the CampaignTargetService of AdWords API to set your campaign targets programmatically. This blog summarizes the various targeting options available through CampaignTargetService and how you can use them in your application.

Ad Schedule Target

AdScheduleTarget allows you to specify the dates and times at which your ads will be displayed. For example, the following C# code snippet targets your ads to run only on Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM to 5 PM.

List targets = new List();
DayOfWeek[] days = {
  DayOfWeek.MONDAY,
  DayOfWeek.TUESDAY,
  DayOfWeek.WEDNESDAY,
  DayOfWeek.THURSDAY,
  DayOfWeek.FRIDAY
};
 
for (int i = 0; i < days.Length; i++) {
  AdScheduleTarget target = new AdScheduleTarget();
  target.dayOfWeek = days[i];
  target.startHour = 9;
  target.startMinute = MinuteOfHour.ZERO;
  target.endHour = 17;
  target.endMinute = MinuteOfHour.ZERO;
  target.bidMultiplier = 1.0;
  targets.Add(target);
}
AdScheduleTargetList scheduleTargetList = new AdScheduleTargetList();
scheduleTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
scheduleTargetList.targets = targets.ToArray();
   
// Create ad schedule target set operation.
CampaignTargetOperation scheduleTargetOperation = 
    new CampaignTargetOperation();
scheduleTargetOperation.@operator = Operator.SET;
scheduleTargetOperation.operand = scheduleTargetList;
 
CampaignTargetReturnValue retVal = campaignTargetService.mutate(
    new CampaignTargetOperation[] { scheduleTargetOperation });

If you create an empty AdScheduleTargetList, then your ads are served all the time. You can also specify a bidMultiplier (a double value between 0.1 and 10) to adjust your bid during a given ad schedule.

Demographic Targeting

DemographicTarget allows you to specify the gender and age group of your ad’s audience. The following code snippet targets your ad to females of the age range 18 to 24.

AgeTarget ageTarget = new AgeTarget();
ageTarget.age = AgeTargetAge.AGE_18_24;
GenderTarget genderTarget = new GenderTarget();
genderTarget.gender = GenderTargetGender.FEMALE;
 
DemographicTargetList demographicTargetList = new DemographicTargetList();
demographicTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
demographicTargetList.targets = new DemographicTarget[] { ageTarget,
    genderTarget };

If you create an empty DemographicTargetList, then your ads are served to audience of all demographics. You can also specify a bidModifier (0 to 500) to modify the bids for a specific demographic target as an addition percentage. The new bid will be (1 + 0.01 * bidModifier) * bid.

Geographic Targeting

GeoTarget allows you to specify the geographic regions to target or exclude for showing your ads. For example, the following code snippet targets your ad to run only in US, but excludes New York city.

CountryTarget countryTarget = new CountryTarget();
countryTarget.countryCode = "US";
CityTarget cityTarget = new CityTarget();
cityTarget.cityName = "New York";
cityTarget.countryCode = "US";
cityTarget.excluded = true;
 
GeoTargetList geoTargetList = new GeoTargetList();
geoTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
geoTargetList.targets = new GeoTarget[] { countryTarget, cityTarget };

If you create an empty GeoTargetList, then your ads are served in all geographic regions. The list of all supported geotargeting options and their codes are available here.

Language targeting

LanguageTarget allows you to target your ads for audiences that speaks a particular language. The following code snippet targets your ads only to Chinese (Simplified) and English speaking audiences.

LanguageTarget langTarget1 = new LanguageTarget();
langTarget1.languageCode = "en";
LanguageTarget langTarget2 = new LanguageTarget();
langTarget2.languageCode = "zh_CN";
 
// Create language targets.
LanguageTargetList langTargetList = new LanguageTargetList();
langTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
langTargetList.targets = new LanguageTarget[] { langTarget1, langTarget2 };

If you create an empty LanguageTargetList, then all languages are targeted. The list of all supported language targets and their codes are available here.

Mobile Targeting

MobileTarget allows you to target your ads for one or more mobile carriers or platforms. For example, the following code snippet targets your ads to show only on Android device, and on TMobile(US) carrier.

// Target devices - Android.
MobilePlatformTarget mobilePlatformTarget1 = new MobilePlatformTarget();
mobilePlatformTarget1.platformName = "Android";
 
// Target Carriers - T-Mobile US.
MobileCarrierTarget mobileCarrierTarget1 = new MobileCarrierTarget();
mobileCarrierTarget1.carrierName = "T-Mobile";
mobileCarrierTarget1.countryCode = "US";
 
MobileTargetList mobileTargetList = new MobileTargetList();
mobileTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
mobileTargetList.targets = new MobileTarget[] { mobilePlatformTarget1,
    mobileCarrierTarget1 };

If you create an empty MobileTargetList, then all mobile devices and mobile networks are targeted. The list of all supported mobile devices and networks are available here and here.

Network Targets

NetworkTarget allows you to target your ads for one networks (e.g. Google Search Network, Google Display Network, etc.). For example, the following code snippet targets your ads to show only on Google Search and Search Partners.

// Specifying GOOGLE_SEARCH is necessary if you want to target SEARCH_NETWORK.
NetworkTarget networkTarget1 = new NetworkTarget();
networkTarget1.networkCoverageType = NetworkCoverageType.GOOGLE_SEARCH;
NetworkTarget networkTarget2 = new NetworkTarget();
networkTarget2.networkCoverageType = NetworkCoverageType.SEARCH_NETWORK;
 
// Create network targets.
NetworkTargetList networkTargetList = new NetworkTargetList();
networkTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
networkTargetList.targets = new NetworkTarget[] {
    networkTarget1, networkTarget2 };

Unlike other targets, if you create an empty NetworkTargetList, then your ads won’t be served to any network.

Platform Targets

PlatformTarget allows you to specify the type of device platform (Desktop and High End Mobile) to target your ads for. The following code snippets targets your ads to run only on high end mobile devices.

PlatformTarget platformTarget = new PlatformTarget();
platformTarget.platformType = PlatformType.HIGH_END_MOBILE;
 
// Create platform targets.
PlatformTargetList platformTargetList = new PlatformTargetList();
platformTargetList.campaignId = campaignId;
platformTargetList.targets = new PlatformTarget[] { platformTarget };

As always, please post any questions to the AdWords API Forum.

-- Anash P. Oommen, AdWords API Team