When a new search advertising campaign launches on MatchCraft’s AdVantage platform, our campaign managers typically review the initial setup and then let it run undisturbed for 3-4 weeks to let the system gather data before the next round of optimizations.
They check in on new campaigns after 30 days to figure out where they should tweak. But what exactly are they looking at? Here’s what Priscilla Soriano, MatchCraft’s Director of Campaign Management, considers at the 30-day mark.
1. Optimize Ad Copy
Now that we’ve collected a month’s worth of data, we can start making decisions about which ad copy variations are working and which are not. For each ad group, I generally replace one specific part of the ad with a new message and leave everything else the same. For example, if the call to action is “Visit Us Today” I may replace it with “Call Now For A Quote”.
2. Check Performance Across Device Types
Run a report segmented by device. How are your metrics for mobile looking compared with desktop? It’s important to be in position 1 or 2 for mobile because the screen is so small compared with desktop. If mobile performance seems poor, take a look at the average position – you may get better results by adding a bid adjustment to make sure you’re getting into top spots. Also, when thinking about device types, be sure to consider the intent of the searcher. Someone searching on their mobile phone might have a different sense of urgency from someone searching from his or her desktop. Try to anticipate the user’s need and tailor your ads accordingly.
3. Improve Keywords
Run a search term report and sort by click or cost (in descending order) to find negatives to add. This will reduce irrelevant traffic and make the best use of the budget. This report is also valuable to find new keyword opportunities to add to your campaigns. If you didn’t do so during the initial setup, start building out an exact match campaign based on actual queries that you think are valuable. If you find any keywords with really low quality scores (3 or lower), delete them.
4. Add Call Tracking
If your campaign was not set up with call tracking in the beginning, now would be the time to take advantage of the additional insight that a call tracking solution provides.
5. Get Granular
If you started your campaign with fairly broad ad groups, start segmenting them into more tightly themed groups with very tailored ad copy. This will improve the overall user experience; boost click-through rates, quality scores and costs per call; and potentially reduce CPCs. Be sure your ads are pointing to the most relevant landing page possible to decrease bounce rate and increase the chances of a generating a lead or sale.
6. Check Budget Allocations
If you’re running all of the business categories under a single budget, you may be spending too much or too little for traffic that may have very different values to the advertiser. For example, a car dealer makes a much higher profit margin on the sale of a new or used car compared with a visit to the service department. Consider the differences in price points of the products or services offered on the website. When there is a substantial difference, allocate separate budgets to each to prevent cheaper (but lower value) traffic from absorbing all the media spend.