Yesterday Google introduced a new split testing tool for paid search marketers that use AdWords to try — the AdWords Campaign Experiments (ACE) tool [see original announcement here].
Google’s below video explains how the only way of handling split tests in PPC marketing before was to conduct a “before and after analysis” where you would compare performance of one campaign to another.
The problem with this method was that even if your conversions increased you really wouldn’t know if that was because of the bid change or due to some other factor like a sudden increase in the demand for [the product/service you’re selling].
With ACE you can test one campaign against another simultaneously, “without having to apply the bid change to all auctions for which your ad could appear”. You leave the original campaign up, and also set up an “experimental bid” campaign, split testing between the two, and seeing which one makes more business sense to carry on. Besides this basic scenario, there are other ways you can use the ACE, and if you’re serious about your paid search marketing with Google, it’s time to start experimenting.
The tool is now in its beta phase, and to request your access to it you need fill out this form.