If you split test your Adwords ads (or MSN/Yahoo ads, etc), you are only getting half the information you need to determine which ad is bringing you the most bang for your buck.

Normally, people choose a winning ad with split tests based upon the highest click thru rate over a given period of time. But the highest clicked ad may not be the ad that drives the most sales.

In fact, it can be very common that an ad with a lower CTR be the ad that is driving the majority of conversions. There are a number of factors that might be at play here, including: Read the rest of this entry