Unveiling the Future of PPC: Insights from Melissa Mackey's Webinar on "Better PPC in 2024"
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential to ensuring your Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns are not only effective but also optimized for success. Recently, we attended a webinar titled "Better PPC in 2024: How to Avoid Modern Pitfalls and Wasted Spend” hosted by Melissa Mackey, the Director of Paid Search at Compound Growth Marketing. In this session, Melissa delved into the nuances of Google Ads and shared invaluable insights on avoiding common pitfalls while maximizing your PPC budget. Let's explore some key takeaways from the webinar.
Strategic Goal Setting in Google Ads
Melissa highlighted the importance of goal setting in Google Ads, emphasizing that goals can be established at both the campaign and account levels. However, she cautioned marketers to be judicious in their approach, as different campaigns may have varying objectives. It's critical to tailor your goals to the specific needs of each campaign, ensuring that they align with your overall business objectives. For more in-depth strategies on optimizing Google Ads, Melissa referred attendees to an insightful article on Search Engine Land (see footnote).
Default Settings: Smart Bidding and Audiences
The discussion touched upon default settings that should be avoided at all costs. Melissa warned against using broad match without audiences or smart bidding, asserting that this combination is detrimental to campaign performance. Instead, she advocated for the integration of smart bidding with broad match and the inclusion of relevant audiences to enhance targeting precision.
Search Partners and Display Network Strategy
Melissa stressed the importance of testing the enabling of Search Partners and advised against running the Display Network alongside Search campaigns. She recommended creating separate campaigns for Search and Display to maintain better control over targeting and budget allocation.
Location Targeting Precision
Addressing location targeting, Melissa demonstrated the potential pitfalls of overlooking the "people interested in" option within the targeting method. She emphasized the need to ensure that location targeting is set to "people in or around this location" for accurate and effective campaign targeting.
Conversion Counting Clarity
The webinar delved into the intricacies of conversion tracking. Melissa encouraged marketers to define primary and secondary conversions and to scrutinize which conversions are linked to specific goals. This meticulous approach ensures that marketers are measuring the metrics that truly matter to their business objectives.
Hidden Settings and Customization
Melissa shed light on hidden settings, such as automated extensions, and their varying effectiveness based on business types. While automated extensions may work well for e-commerce, she advised B2B marketers to consider turning them off. The discussion also touched on the importance of fine-tuning settings, like expanded audiences, at both the ad group and campaign levels to align with your specific campaign goals.
Competitor Campaign Precision
For those venturing into competitor campaigns, Melissa stressed the importance of meticulous URL management. Ensuring that URLs are accurate and well-aligned with the campaign's goals is crucial for success in this niche area of PPC.
Conclusion
Melissa Mackey's webinar on "Better PPC in 2024" provided a comprehensive guide to navigating the intricacies of Google Ads and avoiding common pitfalls. By implementing these tips, marketers can enhance the precision and effectiveness of their PPC campaigns, ensuring a more strategic allocation of budgets and, ultimately, better results in the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising. Lastly, Melissa emphasized the importance of auditing your account regularly to ensure the most successful campaigns; see her audit checklist below.
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Advanced Strategies for Optimizing Google Ads ↩
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