Known as "dayparting" in the industry, Google's ad scheduling will let advertisers control the days and times that AdWords campaigns appear, so that they can target specific markets or place more budget during times when the ads appear to be more effective.
Google is the first of the major search engines in the UK to introduce the service, although MSN is understood to have a similar offer ready to launch.
Amanda Jones, head of search at I-Level, said although she was wary of the hype surrounding such new developments, it would be a useful tool for companies wanting to manage their traffic flows so that response comes at suitable times, such as during business hours, and even to reduce traffic at times when their own sites are straining. "It will help some advertisers manage their traffic flows, but because of the nature of pay-per-click advertising, dayparting is less relevant," she explained.
Google said the development would allow for more sophisticated planning techniques to be employed in search marketing, so that advertisers can track behavioural cycles and manage their campaigns in real time for more effectiveness.
However, Nick Hynes, CEO of TheSearchWorks, said Google was playing catch-up with the tools that are already offered as a standard search management tool by agencies.
"Google is bringing this feature to its own interface, and the people who use it will tend to be SMEs.
"The big corporates use search management tools because they need something that is very efficient to get the best return on investment, without requiring them to employ 100 people to manage it," said Hynes.
Google said campaigns could run from as little as 15 minutes a week, up to all day, every day. They can also run and pause several times each day. It will not raise or lower the AdWords budget, because the system is programmed to try and reach the advertiser's usual daily budget in whatever number of hours the ad runs each day. The service is being introduced globally.
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