

Paying Per Action instead of Per Click in Google Adwords - hermitcrab
http://successfulsoftware.net/2009/07/07/a-test-of-cost-per-action-cpa-vs-cost-per-click-cpc-in-google-adwords/
A test comparing real world results of Cost Per Action (CPA) vs Cost Per Click (CPC) in Google Adwords.
======
patio11
I have the utmost respect for Andy, and had exactly the opposite experience
with Conversion Optimizer: it pretty handily destroyed my own attempts to
manage the account.

One interesting thing to note is that Andy tracks conversions via purchases. I
have always done it via downloads: contra "I think it is unsafe to assume the
number of downloads correlates closely to the number of sales." it has been my
experience that those numbers track each other like a pair of identical twins
dancing salsa.

You can see my numbers here from waaaay back in 2007 here. They conclusion
hasn't grossly changed in $10,000 I've spent on AdWords since that blog post.

[http://www.kalzumeus.com/2007/11/10/conversion-optimizer-
adw...](http://www.kalzumeus.com/2007/11/10/conversion-optimizer-adwords-done-
right/)

Possible conflict of interest note: Google did a case study with me about this
product.

[http://www.google.com/adwords/conversionoptimizer/bingocard....](http://www.google.com/adwords/conversionoptimizer/bingocard.html)

I'm not sure from Andy's blog post whether he gets most of his traffic from
AdWords on search or on the content network, although if I recall right it is
search. I, somewhat surprisingly, do much better on the content network,
although prior to using the Conversion Optimizer I thought it was a hive of
scum and villainy. (I still think it is a hive of scum and villainy, come to
think of it, but CO ensures that it isn't my pocket being picked and that is
good enough for me.)

