Tag: Google AdWords

I manage many AdWords accounts across a diverse selection of verticals and wanted to share with you an insight that I am finding out appears to be true for many of our clients.

Mobile is a very important part of the lead generation equation; even if you are not seeing strong lead generation coming directly from mobile do not discount its importance.

Here’s one test I did recently…

I moved a client totally out of mobile using a -100% bid as their Google Analytics traffic stated that only 3.0% of their visitors were coming in from a mobile device. This client runs a Yahoo store and is using one of Yahoo’s generated mobile websites.

Immediately we saw a 12% drop in overall conversions, a 33.87% drop in cost, a 35.38% drop in clicks, and 27.17% increase in cost per conversion.

What I am finding out is that for many clients mobile activity, when stopped completely, causes a drop in even desktop conversions.

So although mobile is valuable for your overall lead generation strategy controlling the bid is very important.

Google recommends using this formula to assign the correct bid for mobile to achieve the best return on ad spend.

(Mobile conversion rate divided by the desktop conversion rate) – 1.  This give you the percentage to be up or down in your bid.

I personally review all accounts every 30 days and when I am in the account on a weekly basis review the setting based on an upward or downward trend in mobile conversions to tweak the bid.

Mobile bidding is certainly not a set and forget setting. Your success or lack of success in this important segment will impact your overall program’s conversions.

If you have an online store, you’ll want to be using Google AdWords Google Shopping ads because Google shows pictures of your products mixed in with the organic search results. Does that mean if you are using Google Shopping you should not be using regular AdWords – no absolutely not!

For best performance you should use Google AdWords Shopping Ads PLUS regular Google AdWords.

Here’s why:

1. Google Shopping ads will show for very specific search queries and in some instances, but not as frequently as you might wish, on related search queries.
2. What if an end user does not know the brand or model number of your products? A regular Google AdWords PPC program, with remarketing, and even a dynamic search ad program will complete online coverage for you. This gives you the best of all worlds and allows for greatest ad visibility.
3. Cost per click (keyword targeted AdWords) may actually cost less than costs in Google Shopping. If you see your cost per click continuing to escalate in Google Shopping try adding a keyword specific campaign to your advertising mix to expand cost effective opportunities and ramp back your cost per click settings in Google Shopping.
4. Even if you don’t want to move into regular AdWords pay per click advertising on keywords, make sure you are at the minimum using remarketing and dynamic search ads in conjunction with your Google Shopping program. This will give you greater market penetration.

I love remarketing for customers, but typically remarketing is used in the AdWords Display network. Google reps, and Bing reps for that matter too, are now pushing remarketing for search.

What exactly does that mean and how does it work?

Well, both Google and Bing encourage account managers to use remarketing lists co-mingled with regular search advertising campaigns. And to bid only with a + bid modifier to increase the bid to people who have already been on your website.

When remarketing for search first came out, it appeared to me to be just another cash grab by Big G and Big B, but the complexion of online pay per click has been changing and with more and more competition for your potential buyers’ attention, targeting someone to boost your ads position who has already been on your website, may be just the special magic you need to get them to come back and finish up their shopping cart transaction.

If you “target and bid” for that market, you can even create custom ads with a coupon code to help close the sale even faster versus just bid for that audience.

With organic placements on both search engines being pushed farther and farther down the page, getting serious about leveraging any online exposure to generate a sale makes perfect sense.

If you are not sure how to get started with Google AdWords or Bing Ads, make sure to check out our ratings and pricing. We’re Google Partners and a Bing Ads Certified Company. You’ll be in good hands when you work with Fredericksburg, Virginia based McCord Web Services.