Mastering Paid Search Automation
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The document outlines the importance of automation in paid search advertising, discussing its benefits, limitations, and recommended implementation strategies. It emphasizes the need for a balance between automation and human insight to drive long-term success, while cautioning against over-reliance on automated systems. Key takeaways include the necessity of active management and analysis to maximize the effectiveness of automation tools.
![Keyword Management
©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc.
Humans Machines
Slower processing
Have no clue
Restructure if needed
Understand intention
Judge meaning of words
Customize match types
Faster processing
Access keyword volume
Don’t restructure [well]
Understand data
Limited judgment
Don’t customizeIntuition
Emotion
Psychology
Persuasion
Design
Exception
Intent
Anticipation
Business
Mathematics
Data Mining
Repetition
Replication
Batch work
Efficiency
Accuracy
Reaction
Endurance](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/masteringpaidsearchautomationslideshare-150320122443-conversion-gate01/85/Mastering-Paid-Search-Automation-23-320.jpg)
Mastering Paid Search Automation
- 1. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc.
- 2. What You’ll Learn Today ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. 1. How to understand and analyze (for yourself) each automation feature’s benefits and limitations 2. How, when and where to effectively implement automation (where it does make sense) 3. How to find an ideal balance between human touch and automation for long-term success in paid search
- 3. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Get the recording: tinyurl.com/masteringautomation
- 4. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Understanding Automation
- 5. Understanding Automation ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Intuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance Humans Machines Paid Search Requires:
- 6. Feature Management Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Paid Search Workflow
- 7. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Feature Management Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis
- 8. Bidding ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Humans Machines Slower changes Error-prone Work 8/5 Inconsistent Anticipatory changes Insights learned Faster changes Always accurate Work 24/7 Consistent Reactionary changes No insights sharedIntuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 9. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Automated Bidding Pros • Great for quick ROI improvements • Makes decisions on wide range of data (times, days, devices, locations, conversion history) Cons • Unpredictable fluctuations (especially when target CPA changes) • Reactive only (late response to promos, holidays, conversion tracking script errors, etc.) Recommended use… Conversion Optimizer If you decide to use it…
- 10. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. 1,597 3,310 $13.18 $11.86 $0.00 $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 $35.00 $40.00 $45.00 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13 Jul-13 Aug-13 Sep-13 Oct-13 Nov-13 Dec-13 Jan-14 Feb-14 Mar-14 Apr-14 May-14 Jun-14 Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Jan-15 Conversions Cost per Conversion Conversion Optimizer +$2,129,428 $3,460,589* $3,742,388 YTD (*$4.4 MM) *= Y/Y estimate by 3/31/2015 +65.2% CO Turned Off 1 Year Later +107% Conversions -10% CPA Using CO 100% Not using CO, *= missing data +30% Client Case Study
- 11. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Enhanced CPC (eCPC) Automated Bidding Pros • Can improve conversion rates • Helps keep your ad showing above others on key terms • Can reduce spend on searches that are not likely to convert Cons • Less effective if used in top ad spots or terms that convert • Defaults to “on” position Recommended use… If you decide to use it…
- 12. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Enhanced CPC (eCPC)Client Case Study % of campaigns improved by eCPC Metric Client 1 Client 2 Spend (-) 53% 52% Clicks (+) 31% 3% Conv (+) 44% 75% CPA (-) 38% 42% Conv % (+) 49% 46% Client #1 eCPC Reg. Bid +/- Spend $62,172 $60,506 Clicks 161,455 161,732 Conversions 1,329 1,296 CPA $46.78 $46.69 0.20% Conv % 0.63% 0.61% 4.06% Client #2 ECPC on ECPC off +/- Spend $9,577 $138,748 Clicks 275,589 357,906 Conversions 1,533 5,172 CPA $6.25 $26.83 -76.71% Conv % 0.56% 1.45% -61.51% 53% 31% 44% 38% 49% 52% 3% 75% 42% 46% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Spend (-) Clicks (+) Conv (+) CPA (-) Conv % (+) % of Campaigns ImprovedClient 1 Client 2
- 13. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. • is much faster and more accurate than manual bidding • is only as good as the human that sets it up (bad rules = bad automation) • is not a substitution for active analysis, attention or other routine campaign optimizations • is a better short-term fix than a long-term strategy in most cases (can stifle growth and limit opportunities) • should help the advertiser gain insights, not hide them Takeaways for Automated Bidding Intuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance Bid automation…
- 14. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Feature Management Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis
- 15. Ad Testing ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Humans Machines Slower data analysis Can write ads Design well Understand language Insights learned Create relevant ad tests Faster data analysis Can’t write ads well Can’t design well Limited language skills No insights shared Can’t initiate ad testsIntuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 16. Ad Testing ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Ad Delivery Settings
- 17. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Ad Testing Pros • Automatically shows best converting ads more often Cons • Factors conversion rates only (not highest ROI) • Does not always work as expected (examples to follow) Recommended use… Ad Delivery: Optimize for Conversions Impression Share If you decide to use it…
- 18. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Ad Testing Ad Delivery: Optimize for Conversions 1 2 If these were your ads, which one would you like Google to show more often?
- 19. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Ad Testing Ad Delivery: Optimize for Conversions 1 2 How about these?
- 20. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Ad Testing Dynamic Keyword Insertion Pros • Can make ads more relevant • Usually higher CTR in tests Cons • Usually lower ROI, conversion rates • Illiterate or nonsensical ads can show if you’re not careful If you decide to use it…
- 21. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. • is recommended for mathematical applications of ad testing (finding test winners, showing winning ads more often, etc.) • is generally bad at creating meaningful, persuasive ad copy • produces very different end results when optimizing on conversion rate, CPA, profit and ROI (use the correct metric) • isn’t perfect and should be overseen and verified by humans • should help the advertiser gain insights (study winning and losing ads, and replicate successes elsewhere) Takeaways for Automated Ad Testing Ad automation … Intuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 22. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Feature Management Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis
- 23. Keyword Management ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Humans Machines Slower processing Have no clue Restructure if needed Understand intention Judge meaning of words Customize match types Faster processing Access keyword volume Don’t restructure [well] Understand data Limited judgment Don’t customizeIntuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 24. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Dynamic Search Ads Pros • Can help you show for more obscure keywords (that likely wont show up in keyword planner tool) • Very easy to set up Cons • Initial performance is often poor Recommended use… If you decide to use it… Keyword Management
- 25. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. $3,613 $7,071 $13,621 $24,068 $22,325 $156 $77 $121 $95 $87 $0 $30 $60 $90 $120 $150 $180 $- $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Revenue Cost per Conversion Dynamic Search AdsClient Case Study 1st Month +$70,698
- 26. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Feature Selection Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis
- 27. Reporting ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Humans Machines Slower data collection Handwritten visuals Understand trends Insights Analysis Planning Relationships Industry knowledge Flexible strategy Faster data collection Automatic visuals (charts) No trends No insights No analysis No planning No relationships No industry knowledge Fixed strategy Intuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 28. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Feature Selection Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis
- 29. Feature Management ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Humans Machines Can understand features Can initiate new features Assess risk/reward Can’t understand features Can’t initiate features Assess based on data Intuition Emotion Psychology Persuasion Design Exception Intent Anticipation Business Mathematics Data Mining Repetition Replication Batch work Efficiency Accuracy Reaction Endurance
- 30. Feature Management Bidding Ad Testing Keyword Management Reporting & Analysis ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Paid Search Workflow
- 31. What You’ve Learned Today ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. 1. Automation drives efficiency, human ingenuity drives success. Both must be present in every account. a. Too much automation can lead to uninformed managers (unless they understand why trends are happening) b. Too much of manual process can be an even bigger problem (leads to burnout, boredom and lost time/opportunity) 2. What we learn from automation can be just as valuable as the convenience. 3. Machines always work for humans (manage them, give them specific tasks, check up on them, hold them accountable to your business goals just like you would a human team member)
- 32. ©2015 ROI Revolution, Inc. Get the recording: tinyurl.com/masteringautomation
Editor's Notes
- #2: Welcome My name is Mark Curtis – Team Leader
- #10: What it does – Conversion Optimizer automatically adjusts your bids to get you as many profitable conversions as possible at or below your target cost per conversion. It does this by looking at a lot of different historical conversion data metrics and figuring out probability, then adjusting your bids accordingly. Recommended use: use only if… 1- Campaigns have an uncontrollably high CPA (that you can’t seem to fix) 2- Campaigns cannot be managed adequately (lack of time, expertise or resources) 3- You have a large amount of conversions (such as lead gen, downloads or other “soft conversions” that you track with conversion tracking) If you decide to use it: 1- Set separate CPA bids for campaigns with higher or lower profit or AOV 2- Aggressively test new ad creative to improve base conversion rates (this will help you grow the account) 3- Track “net ad revenue” (revenue – spend) to see if gains in efficiency outweigh potential losses in conversion volume (dollars in the bank should be the deciding factor) CASE STUDY NEXT defer to Mark
- #11: +107% conversions -10% CPA Expecting another 30% increase this year.
- #12: What it is - Enhanced CPC gives Google ability to increase your bids between +30% and -100% depending upon conversion probability. It looks at patterns in conversion data to figure out how much to increase or decrease your bids Pros & Cons Recommended use: 1- if you have limited time to spend running detailed reports and optimizing bids 2- if you are okay with higher CPCs (in general) If you decide to use it: 1- ask your google support team for a report showing eCPC performance!! 2- use it on campaigns that have higher conversion volumes, as they tend to see the biggest performance increases.
- #13: +107% conversions -10% CPA Larger campaigns did better than smaller campaigns in general.
- #17: Here are some automated ad rotation setting that everybody has access to. We’ll discuss one of them in detail that’s called “optimize for conversions.”
- #18: What it does – shows ads more frequently that have higher probability for converting. Recommended use: 1- Your account is too large to test ads regularly If you decide to use it: 1- Remember to pause losing ads (Google will show them less, but not pause them) 2- Learn from highest converting ads and replicate success in other campaigns and Bing 3- Check in on it and make sure it’s working (sometimes it chooses the wrong ads)
- #19: POLL!
- #20: POLL!
- #21: What it does – It helps advertisers by showing the matched keyword as the headline of the ad. This improves CTR by making the ad’s headline bold and more noticeable. If you decide to use it… Know your keyword list, think it through. Ideal for keywords of same product (SKUs, product name variations, sizes, colors, etc) that go to same landing page
- #25: What it does – Dynamic Search Ads allows you to choose a destination URL or a product category from your feed to target (instead of keywords). Google will then automatically create a headline for your ad that picks up all the relevant keywords that are NOT currently in your account, but are highly relevant to that page. Recommended Use: best used use if… 1- You have already built out search campaigns and are seeking incremental sales from traffic you may otherwise miss out on. This feature should NOT be a primary driver of your traffic. Try everything else first, then use this. 2- You have specific product categories or sections of your site that you want to explore (general site-wide targets tend to perform much more poorly than specific targets) If you decide to use it… 1- Revisit and analyze it AT LEAST daily when it first goes live and make necessary changes often. 2- Set tight budgets initially - This can a wild one that can get away from you if it’s not budget capped to a reasonable level. 3- Make additional targets from high traffic sections of your site. This will give you the ability to gain more control and improve performance.