lessons from holidays past: maximize your q4 paid search campaigns
TRANSCRIPT
The 2016
Annual Q4 PPC Virtual Summit
H o w P P C Ad v e r t i s e r s C a n P re p a re f o r t h e U p c o m i n g H o l i d a y S h o p p i n g S e a s o n
Q4 Summit Layout
Day 1 Owning the Q4 Google Shopping Search Results
Day 2 Lesson from Holidays Past: Maximize Your Q4 Paid Search Campaigns
Day 3 Making Better Marketing Decisions Using Campaign Attribution Models
Event Logistics
• Submit Questions In the Chat Box to the Right
• Session Recording Will Be Sent 9/2/16
• More Resources In the Handouts Section to the
Right
• Poll Questions Throughout Presentation
Q4 Summit Event Coordinator
Nick CotterMarketing Operations Coordinator
Maximize Q4 Paid Search Campaigns with Lessons from Holidays PastDan Navarro
Director, Account Management
AdGooroo
5
GLOBAL LEADER IN PAID SEARCH INTELLIGENCE SINCE 2004
About AdGooroo
• Measuring text ad & product listing ads on desktop & mobile search
• World’s largest database of Search Marketing data• 50 Countries • 14 Search engines• 2 Million+ advertisers
• 4,000+ users worldwide
• Part of Kantar Media, the largest advertising intelligence company in the world
6
► Reviewing previous Holiday Season to maximize this year’s paid search holiday campaigns
• Assessing your prior year performance• Assessing what your competition did
► Analysis of trends in key metrics: competition, spend, CPC, CTR, impressions and click volume
► How to flight your budget
► Bidding on holiday-specific keywords
► A/B Testing• Copy• Ad Extensions• Landing Pages
Agenda
What Didn’t Change…?What Changed Since Last YearTrying to create an even playing field
• Google dropped right rail ads
• Branded CPC’s going up
• Google showing more ad extensions the higher in position you are
• Google breaking out capability to bid by device
• Expanded text ads (100% rollout on 10/26)
• Keyword planner changes
*Most recent news as of this morning (8/31/2016)
• Account level sitelinks
Identify High Level Trends
IDENTIFY TRENDING PATTERNSComparing YoY Seasonality
• What caused the dramatic fluctuation• How will it affect the 2016 Holiday season
DESKTOP TRENDSDaily Changes in Competition
• Identifying times during the Holiday season where competition comes in and out of the market
• Understanding your competition versus flash sites• Blackfridaydiscount.net
MOBILE TRENDSDaily Changes in Competition
• How does the mobile landscape differ from desktop• Less advertisers, but bigger players• Countering strategies between competition
• Zulily.com• Macys.com
How to Gain Efficiencies
Identify Trending Patterns
• While CPC’s do not vary, CTR sees just over a full percentage point difference
• Where did you fall in this mix?
Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16$0.56
$0.58
$0.60
$0.62
$0.64
$0.66
$0.68
$0.70
6.00%
6.50%
7.00%
7.50%
8.00%
Apparel & Fashion
CPC CTR
?
Identify Trending Patterns
• The jewelry category saw a 25% increase in CPC, while CTR fluctuated just under a percentage point
• Where did you fall in this mix?
Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16$1.15
$1.20
$1.25
$1.30
$1.35
$1.40
$1.45
4.50%
4.70%
4.90%
5.10%
5.30%
5.50%
5.70%
5.90%
6.10%
Jewelry
CPC CTR
?
Markets Differ in Competition
• Seattle, WA – 200 Unique Advertisers• New York, NY – 239 Unique Advertisers• Washington, DC – 207 Unique Advertisers
Markets Differ in CPC’s
• Seattle, WA – 200 Unique Advertisers
• New York, NY – 239 Unique Advertisers
• Washington, DC – 207 Unique Advertisers
- $2.41 Average CPC- $2.74 Average CPC- $3.39 Average CPC
Identify Trends During Peak Periods
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 010000
11000
12000
13000
14000
15000
16000
17000
18000
19000
20000
1.68
1.7
1.72
1.74
1.76
1.78
1.8
1.82
#REF! #REF!
Black Friday
Cyber MondayGreen Monday
What did the market look like through each of the three peak days
FOR DESKTOP BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAYDiffering Strategies Among Competitors
• Overstock.com ran ONLY during the weeks of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
• Bestblackfriday.com started strong, gradually pulling with each week that neared Black Friday
• How would you adjust knowing this?
Black Friday Started Earlier Last Year
• There was historically a relatively small window to push on Black Friday terms
• If historical trends stay true, the window may start growing
Cyber Monday Started Week of Nov. 1
• Cyber Monday may follow a similar pattern to Black Friday• We may start seeing the level of competition grow earlier in
October
How Did I Compare to My Competition?
9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Desktop Spend & Click Patterns
Target
Kohl’s
9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Mobile Spend & Click Patterns
Target
Kohl’s
9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Desktop CTR & CPC Patterns
Target
Kohl’s
9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Mobile CTR & CPC Patterns
Target
Kohl’s
WHAT IS MY COMPETITION SAYING?Holiday Ad Copy Strategy
• Direct Black Friday callouts • Optimize display URL
• Build awareness on sale• Spoke to other benefits, i.e.
“Price Match Guarantee”• Additional incentive with using
card
• Drawing on increasing subscriptions
• Speaking to convenience on pick-up
• Utilizing location and call extension
• Similar to prior, but different at the same time
• Speaking to holiday, subscription and creating sense of urgency
ANALYZE PRIOR YEAR CHAMPIONSHoliday Ad Copy Strategy
• Multiple URL mentions• Spoke to holiday• Free shipping incentive
• Creating sense of urgency• Offering dual incentive• Utilizing Google Ratings
• Optimizing display URL• Creating sense of urgency
with, “Coming Soon”
• Testing different language• Reduced dollar amount for
free shipping• Dual ad extensions
Take Your Strategy to AdWords
BREAKING OUT “HOLIDAY” KEYWORDS FROM GENERAL KEYWORDSHoliday Campaign Strategy
Holiday Generic
Black Friday
Cyber Monday
Green Monday
Men’s Dress Shirts
Men’s Button Down
Black Friday Men’s Button
Down
Cyber Monday Men’s Button
Down
Green Monday Men’s Button Down
Campaigns
Ad Groups
BREAKING OUT “HOLIDAY” KEYWORD STRATEGYHoliday Keyword Strategy
Ad Groups Ad GroupsKeywords
Top Funnel “High
Traffic”
Mid Funnel
Bottom FunnelGreen
Monday Men’s Button Down
Black Friday Men’s Button
Down
Cyber Monday Men’s Button
Down
Men’s Button Down Black Friday
Cyber Monday
Green Monday
CONSTANT A/B TESTINGHoliday Ad Copy Strategy
Kohls Black Friday SaleKohls.com/BlackFridayDon't Miss out on top Black FridayDeals. Plus Get an Extra 15%
Kohls Cyber Monday SaleKohls.com/CyberMondayDon't Miss out on top Cyber MondayDeals. Plus Get an Extra 15%
Kohls® Official SaleKohls.com/BlackFridayGet an Extra 15% with YourBlack Friday purchase.
Kohls ® Cyber Monday SaleKohls.com/CyberMondayShop our Cyber Monday SalesSpecial Deals on 11/28!
• Test…• Variations do not have to be drastic• Always keep one “Champion” in each ad group• CTR will be the easiest indicator on whether your copy is working• Asses against your competition
• What are they saying?• What do their efficiency KPI’s look like
• When you are done, test some more
How to Flight Your Budget
KNOW WHERE & WHEN TO PUSHAdvanced Ad Scheduling “Budget Flight”
Build a Supporting Google Shopping Campaign
NOTICING THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES
Optimizing Product Groups
PRODUCT GROUPS ARE KEY
Set Up Your Campaigns for Success
• Using Product Groups• All Shopping Campaigns will have a default Product Group named “All
Products”• Think of this as your safety net• Use Product Groups to organize your feed
• Prioritizing Google Shopping campaigns to run at an optimal level• High• Medium• Low
• Useful when a specific product is in multiple campaigns• i.e. Standard Group vs. Holiday Group
Tips• Make your Holiday groups as specific as possible• Push bids on high priority Product Groups
KNOW YOUR MOST IMPORTANT GROUPS AT ANY GIVEN TIME
Optimizing Product Groups
“All Products” Product Group(Low
Priority)
Product Group 1(Mediu
m Priority)
Product Group 2HOLIDAY (High
Priority)
Product Group 3 (Mediu
m Priority)
Summary
Execute
Plan
• Analyze prior year
• Identify larger shifts
• How did you perform overall
• Plan by• Quarter• Month• Week• Target Days
• Once execution is complete
• Analyze• Make
adjustments• Test• Re-test
Search Optimization Goes Full Cycle
Research/Optimize Implement
Assess/Repeat
Thank You
www.adgooroo.com
312-725-1878
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