PPC Ad Creative: Follow the Rules, Dammit!
In PPC, always leave space for continued refinement and new discoveries, but don’t take this as carte blanche to deviate from million-dollar-proven rules, just for the sake of idle curiosity. Columnist Andrew Goodman explains. Disclaimer: the following rant is directed only at myself… and any other brilliant and creative being with flesh, bones, and blood […]
5 Ways PPC Can Make You A Smarter Marketer (Search Engine Land)
I’ve come to the conclusion that search marketing makes you super smart when you use it to its full potential. Obviously, one doesn’t get smart by being lazy, complacent or having campaigns run on autopilot.PPC smarts come from rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty with data, analysis, and data-driven decisions. In this […]
5 PPC Iterations You Ignore at Your Peril
Andrew Goodman shares five typical PPC tactics you can’t afford to ignore and suggestions on how you’ll have to iterate once you get them running. Monty Python dropped a cookie in 1979, so unfortunately, I have to give them 100% credit for the all-important nugget of wisdom, “Blessed are the cheesemakers.” A trade publication has […]
Is Your SEM Focus Too Conservative?
In the evolutionary struggle for business survival, it’s vital to adapt. “If all you do at work is hope to survive, your day can’t be much fun.” In the underappreciated “Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change,” Seth Godin expounds on the concept of the “winning formula” that companies typically […]
Your Company’s Looming Traffic Problem
A growth strategy trumps a narrow ranking strategy in a no-growth environment. Among a wide variety of insightful catchphrases you’ll hear from conversion optimization guru Bryan Eisenberg is: “You don’t have a traffic problem. You have a conversion problem!” I always cheer when I hear my friend say this, but he’s only about 52 percent […]
12 Hidden Pitfalls in PPC Campaign Automation
A completely automated approach to marketing will cause your analytical abilities and corporate capabilities to atrophy, so getting the mix right is important. In a previous column, I discussed how limiting your exposure to “small stressors” and trial-and-error testing can lead to corporate fragility. This can be what happens when you stop testing, and cede […]
Correcting Common Google AdWords Mistakes (Pubcon)
Currently, paid search comprises about 15 percent of ad spending for businesses in the U.S., and it will continue to grow. Campaign setting mistakes, keyword mistakes, ad copy mistakes and landing page mistakes are all areas where your PPC campaigns can likely be repaired and improved. Continue reading at Pubcon
7 Landing Page Tests You Can Run Tomorrow (Search Engine Land)
For many years, I’ve been participating in sessions/panels in which I critique PPC landing pages volunteered by audience members. As crowds go wild for this type of session, I’ve decided to use this space to focus on effective landing page elements and provide several examples thereof. Continue reading on Search Engine Land
Can Quality Score Be Gamed?
We can still prevail over competitors if we follow strong hunches about the vulnerabilities of Quality Score and the effects of the overall formula on rank and CPC. Like most complex games with many intelligent participants (such as financial markets, chess, and high-stakes poker), your first hunches about how to “get ahead of the pack” […]
2 Big Wins With Enhanced AdWords Campaigns
Yes, there are drawbacks to the loss of some granularity in Enhanced Campaigns, but right now, I’m finding more wins than losses. Your AdWords campaign is now spending about $50,000 a month. Not pocket change, but still modest. Google hasn’t treated you to Lobster Thermidor lately, or comped you Bublé tickets. You ask Ricky, your […]