The AdWords Search Partner Network has been somewhat of a mystery to the owners of most AdWords accounts I’ve audited this year.

It’s been conventional wisdom that it’s worth separating Search Partners from Google (and separating both from Content/Adsense) … but as a matter of practice we find probably less than 5% of accounts are ever structured this way. (It’s a shame because you can usually find 10% to 20% savings)

Recently, Google’s evolution of the Search Partner network to include shopping feeds, and newer large properties has changed the game. Furthermore, it appears their fuzzy logic algorithms are sometimes causing some “bleed” between networks when one uses the standard separation method (setting one campaign to “Google” only, and another duplicate as “Google + Search”, … but bidding one penny lower on Search).

One very astute listener to our recent free MP3 “Maximum AdWords Results in Minimum Time” suggested to me that the concept of separating the two networks AT ALL was “out of date” due to the “bleed” between campaigns.  This concerned me, because it contrasted with the continued advice I’d been giving to make the separation.

So I put the RocketClicks.com team to the task of digging deep into dozens of reports to find out the answer.

If you want to know, you’ll just have to listen, and you might find a half dozen or so other “Mysteries of the Search Partner Network Revealed”.  (Rob, the low-key but brilliant gentleman interviewed, heads up our entire PPC  management department)

Enjoy!