Welcome to Cultivative’s weekly roundup for all things PPC from around the web—everything you need to know right now about PPC!
At Cultivative, we’re all about making your life easier. We’ve gathered the top PPC news and innovations from around the web and getting it into your hands. Check out what we found this past week.
Facebook lead gen ads: Instant forms vs. website conversions
By Andrea Vahl | Jun 21, 2023 | Search Engine Land

Andrea Vahhl provides guidance on using Facebook’s lead generation ads to get more business leads. She explains the difference between instant forms and website conversions and when to use each option. Instant forms allow users to submit their information directly on Facebook, pre-filled with their details from the platform, while website conversions redirect users to a landing page with a Facebook Pixel installed. The article also outlines the steps to set up lead generation ads for both instant forms and website conversions. Vahl emphasizes the importance of testing and finding the right balance between lead volume and quality for each business.
What Is Marketing Efficiency Ratio? [And Why It’s Gaining Traction in 2023]
By Keith McGonigle | Jun 21, 2023 | Tinuiti

Keith McGonigle introduces marketers to a metric called Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) and highlights its growing importance in measuring marketing performance. MER is calculated by dividing revenue by total ad spend and is considered a valuable indicator of bottom-line results. McGonigle explains how MER can be used to evaluate the impact of automated campaigns and offers insights into using MER on a category level. He also discusses the relevance of MER in understanding advertising effectiveness in a cookieless world, encouraging marketers to adapt their measurement strategies accordingly.
Google Ads Postpones Data-Driven Attribution Switch To Mid-July
By Matt G. Southern | Jun 21, 2023 | Search Engine Journal

Google has announced that it will be discontinuing first click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models in Google Ads starting in mid-July. These models are being removed due to their lack of flexibility in accommodating complex customer journeys. Google’s data-driven attribution model, which utilizes AI to determine the impact of each ad interaction on conversions, will become the default model for automated bidding. Less than 3% of Google Ads web conversions currently use the older attribution models. Existing conversions that use these models will be switched to data-driven attribution in September 2023, and advertisers will have the option to switch to the last-click model if desired. The data-driven attribution model offers benefits such as accuracy, adaptability, automation, and cross-compatibility. Advertisers can enable data-driven attribution in the Attribution tab of Google Ads and optimize their campaigns based on the insights provided by the model.
Google Performance Max adds Store Sales reporting, bidding
By Nicola Agius | Jun 21, 2023 | Search Engine Land

Google has enhanced its Store Sales reporting and bidding capabilities to support marketers in boosting offline sales for Performance Max campaigns. The upgraded features aim to provide advertisers with a better understanding of omnichannel shoppers, who are more likely to make purchases from brands. The new additions include smart bidding capabilities for optimizing store sales conversions, aligned reporting to analyze store visit-to-purchase rates, and holistic measurements with ROAS calculations for both online and offline conversions. Beta customers have reported significant improvements in sales volume and ROAS, demonstrating the effectiveness of the upgraded Store Sales feature.
Microsoft Unveils Predictive Targeting, AI-Based Advertising Tool
By Matt G. Southern | Jun 22, 2023 | Search Engine Journal

Microsoft has introduced Predictive Targeting, an AI-powered advertising tool designed to help advertisers reach new audiences and achieve higher conversion rates. The technology utilizes machine learning to analyze signals from existing ads and landing pages, as well as Microsoft’s audience data, to identify potential new audiences. Predictive Targeting automatically targets ads to the most promising audiences for conversion, eliminating the need for manual audience targeting strategies. Microsoft claims that the tool can increase conversion rates by an average of 46% while streamlining the ad targeting process. Advertisers have the flexibility to use Predictive Targeting independently or in conjunction with existing targeting strategies, although they should consider potential drawbacks such as reduced control over ad visibility and the need for additional targeting and measurement tools.
ChatGPT for Google Ads: How to enhance campaign creation
By Léo Pinon | Jun 23, 2023 | Search Engine Land

Léo Pinon discusses how leveraging ChatGPT can enhance Google Ads campaigns by providing target audience insights, assisting with keyword research and ad group creation, and generating compelling ad copy. ChatGPT can offer valuable insights into the characteristics, demographics, and interests of the target audience, allowing marketers to refine their targeting criteria and create personalized campaigns. It can also help with keyword suggestions, grouping and organizing keywords effectively, and identifying negative keywords to improve ad targeting. Furthermore, ChatGPT can generate ad copy, headlines, and descriptions tailored to specific audiences, optimizing campaign performance and driving conversions. However, it is important to review and fine-tune ChatGPT’s suggestions to align them with campaign goals and brand identity.
A PPC marketer’s guide to retail media
By Nicola Agius | Jun 23, 2023 | Search Engine Land

It’s important PPC marketers understand the role of retail media, including programmatic advertising, display ads, social media, and Google Shopping, in major retail platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart. Retail media enables brands to reach customers on these platforms and drive transactions across multiple brands and items. Nicola Agius emphasizes the significance of in-store sales and the integration of digital touchpoints in retail media strategies. Additionally, she explores the relationship between retail media and companies like Microsoft and Google, outlining the various ways they collaborate to provide advertising opportunities and insights. The key takeaways stress the need for marketers to be aware of the similarities and overlap between PPC and retail media and the potential opportunities in leveraging in-store experiences for effective marketing campaigns.
We hope you learned something new you can apply to your PPC business strategy. Let us know in the comments below what you want to start implementing. As always, we are happy to be a resource for your paid advertising needs. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
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