by Chris Corak, Senior Media Planner at Sitewire.
This is part 2 of 2 in a series by Chris Corak that covers a sound process for setting up a PPC campaign. See steps 1-5 here.
6. Be On the Lookout – Be aware of new features to PPC advertising platforms that will affect your strategy. The world of PPC advertising has changed dramatically in the past year alone. PPC engines (most notably Google) have been rolling out new features within their interfaces on a regular basis. It is imperative that marketers stay as up to date as possible during these times. New features that may affect the PPC strategy of your client’s campaign:
Link Google Local Business Center account to Google AdWords account
Link Google Merchant Center account to Google AdWords account
Click to call mobile phone extensions. Google Remarketing and much more
7. Keyword Selection - There are several tools out there to aid marketers in keyword research, but why not hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, Google. While different sources are great to ensure that all bases are covered and to confirm ideas, the Google Keyword Tool provides the most insight and is derived from the largest search database. While the tool is not perfect, it is the most reliable and statistically significant tool to which we have access.
In addition to the Google Keyword Tool, analytics can provide great insight to marketers. Assuming the client has functioning analytics already, marketers can evaluate how the client is currently being found via natural/organic search. In addition to natural search, marketers can evaluate keywords used within onsite search (searches conducted internally / within the site). Studying analytics will aid marketers in realizing which subject matter and keywords are most popular within the site as well as which generate the most conversions.
Lastly, be aware of different match types. If you have established a very comprehensive long tail keyword strategy, you are less likely to need ‘Broad’ match. In this case study the differences between Phrase and Exact. If your keyword list is not very extensive, rely more heavily on Broad match. Note that using Broad match will require the marketer to develop a more comprehensive Negative keyword list.
Pro Tip: Organize keywords as the research is conducted (according the campaign organization defined in step #5). Organizing in groups as you go will save you a lot of sorting time later.
Another Tip: If applicable to your campaign, make use of the ‘Keyword Multiplier’ tool within Google AdWords Editor. Select ‘Tools’ from the top menu bar, ‘Keyword Opportunities’ and then select the ‘Keyword multiplier’ tab. The tool can be applied to several different types of campaigns, one being location-based keywords. Use the tool to generate a keyword list of all possible keyword variations (city, city/state, city/sate abbreviations…). The tool can aid in developing significant long tail keywords.
8. Landing Page Selection – The landing page(s) targeted within a campaign are one of the most critical components to a PPC program, if not the most critical. Drive users to the most relevant page to their search. If the consumer is searching for a specific product, land them on the page for that specific product. If the consumer is seeking more general information (higher in the conversion funnel), point the user to a page that speaks to their general needs. Similar to ad copy, it will help user experience as well as Quality Score if the landing page references the keyword search. If the page is irrelevant to the users search, the user will back out and Google will deliver a low Quality Score.
Always be testing landing page variations. Altering a landing page can generate dramatic change in results within a PPC campaign. If you are just starting out with testing, keep it simple and do not test too many variables at once. Please reference the following article for specifics on PPC Landing Page Optimization, How to Get Started.
9. Create Ad Copy – At this point your Ad Groups and Keywords have been well established as well as adequately separated by subject matter. Ensure that the ad copy is as relevant to the keywords as possible. Using the same terminology within the ad and keyword will not only promote a better user experience but will positively affect the click-through-rate of your ads which in turn will lead to positive Quality Scores. Ideally, the marketer will run more than one ad per Ad Group (three is a great place to start). Always be testing, including testing ad copy. The subject of different testing methods could fill article by itself, so to put it simply, do not test more variables than you can track. For detailed information, please reference the article Effective PPC Ad Copy 101, Part 1 and 2.
Pro Tip: Before diving in and writing ad copy for ALL Ad Groups, start with a small sample size. Run the small sample by the client for approval. Getting client approval at this point can save you a lot of editing time later.
10. Upload and Test – While working through the upload process, be sure to use the publishers desktop tools. Google offers AdWords Editor as a desktop tool. If you are not already, become an AdWords Editor ninja and save your sanity later.
– AdWords Editor Tip: Do not rely on AdWords Editor for Campaign Settings. The tool is not capable of detailed geo targeting, mobile targeting settings and so on. Complete Campaign Settings within the AdWords browser interface.
Microsoft AdCenter also provides its own desktop tool. The tool is a good option compared to uploading within the engine browser interface, but is not as solid of a tool as AdWords Editor.
Yahoo recently released its own desktop tool, available to most advertisers Yahoo Search Marketing Desktop. The tool is not perfect yet, but has been making continuous improvements.
Test – Once the campaigns are live, be sure to test functionality and conversion tracking. Take the time to find a problem now and it will save you a lot of headache and client heartache later. In this step you may find that the client has not properly implemented engine conversion codes or that the PPC campaign is not tracking properly in analytics.
Monitor & Manage – Closely monitor the campaign once set live. More adjustments are needed in the initial stages of a campaign than at later points in time.
– Do not forget to run ‘Search Query Reports’ in Google AdWords to establish comprehensive Negative keyword lists.
– Allocate budget towards the best performing campaigns.
– Test, Test, Test and TEST!
