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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.

Google Ads Demand Gen Campaigns: What to Know About the Discovery Ads Upgrade

By Mark Irvine | Aug 23, 2023 | WordStream

Google announced several updates and enhancements to its Google Ads platform during the Google Marketing Live 2023 event. One of the major announcements was the introducing of a new campaign type called Demand Gen campaigns. These campaigns are designed to reach consumers on visually engaging platforms like YouTube, Discovery, and Gmail, aiming to influence potential customers before they actively search for a brand. The move comes in response to these platforms’ significant influence, with 91% of consumers taking action after discovering a new brand on them. Demand Gen campaigns are set to replace Google Discovery Ads, offering expanded reach on YouTube, more video ad formats, new ad creative experiments and tools, additional bidding options, more reporting options, and new audience targeting features. The transition from Discovery Ads to Demand Gen campaigns is set to occur gradually, with all advertisers gaining access to Demand Gen campaigns by January 2024. To make the most of this transition, advertisers are advised to plan ahead, refresh their creative assets, build their audiences, review conversion tracking, and budget effectively.

5 things ecommerce advertisers can do with first-party data

By Kevin Rea | Aug 24, 2023 | Search Engine Land

Leveraging first-party data has become crucial in the context of PPC ad platforms. It’s no longer just a “nice-to-have” but a strategy that enhances targeting quality. Here are five key steps to improve ad accounts using first-party data:

1. Direct Data Integration: Integrate first-party data directly into ad platforms through the web platform. This is vital as audience lists evolve over time and integrating ensures the most up-to-date lists. Integration also gains significance with the deprecation of similar audiences in Google Ads.
2. Conversion-Based Customer Lists: Enable conversion-based customer lists in Google Ads. Enhanced conversions generate data through an enhanced conversion tag, and Google automatically creates corresponding customer lists. This enriches audience data and can provide additional insights beyond platform integration.
3. First-Party Lookalike Audiences: While Google no longer offers similar audiences, Meta still has lookalike audiences, which have become even more valuable post-iOS 14’s audience reductions. Customer list audiences have shown to yield reliable lookalike audiences.
4. Performance Max Campaign Testing: Test first-party audience signals in Performance Max campaigns by combining them with third-party remarketing audiences. These customized audience signals can significantly enhance campaign performance.
5. Segmentation for User Intent: Segment first-party data based on user intent and behavior. Create tailored campaigns for different audience segments to maximize engagement, retention, and lifetime value.

How To Scale Your B2B Google Ads Strategy Across Multiple Languages And Regions

By Adriana Stein | Aug 24, 2023 | Search Engine Journal

Expanding B2B businesses from English-only strategies to regional, multi-language campaigns can significantly boost success. Such campaigns offer more effective results and cost savings compared to mass-market English campaigns. Localization, rather than translation, is key for success. This involves understanding local market nuances and adapting keyword intent to match local languages. Steps to develop a successful multi-language Google Ads strategy include localizing operations, researching local markets and competitors, adapting PPC keyword research and ad copy, creating localized landing pages, organizing ad groups based on purchase intent stage, implementing retargeting strategies, and tracking performance per individual market. The emphasis on localization helps build brand authority, diversify income, and ensure long-term business sustainability.

How to Do a PPC Audit in 10 Steps

By Kari Dearie | Aug 24, 2023 | Semrush

A poorly performing PPC ad campaign can lead to wasted resources. To improve and optimize your PPC strategy, a 10-step PPC audit checklist is suggested. A PPC audit involves a comprehensive analysis of your campaigns to identify strengths and weaknesses, aiming to optimize campaigns, save money, uncover opportunities, maximize ROI, correct mistakes, increase conversions, and gain insights. This process involves examining campaign data, checking settings, reviewing ad content, assessing Quality Score, analyzing keyword targeting (including negative keywords and competitor strategies), evaluating click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rates, reviewing location targeting, adjusting bids, and identifying wasted spend. Running regular PPC audits can help maintain and enhance the effectiveness of your campaigns.

3 steps for effective PPC reporting and analysis

By Ashton Clarke | Aug 25, 2023 | Search Engine Land

The way you present performance reports and insights for PPC campaigns can significantly impact project outcomes. A clear and understandable reporting approach is crucial to prevent confusion and stress for clients and bosses. To establish trust and facilitate communication, a three-step process is recommended. First, highlight relevant metrics and trends, tailoring the focus based on the specific goals of the project. Second, translate these metrics into real-world implications, providing context for better understanding. Finally, identify reasons behind performance shifts, attributing changes to specific strategies or external factors. This comprehensive reporting approach fosters transparency, builds trust, and enhances collaboration between stakeholders and PPC professionals.

5 Reasons Why Your PPC Leads Are Not Converting

By Brooke Osmundson | Aug 25, 2023 | Search Engine Journal

PPC managers often face the challenge of explaining why PPC leads aren’t converting into sales. While campaigns may be meeting lead goals and cost targets, clients might be disappointed with the lack of sales. This discrepancy often arises from several factors. First, the disconnect between marketing and sales teams can hinder the transition of leads into actual customers. Second, misaligned timelines between ideal and actual sales cycles can lead to premature judgments about lead quality. Third, budget constraints could be causing unqualified leads, requiring follow-up and potentially re-categorization. Fourth, relying solely on high-volume keywords might generate leads with little actual buying intent. Lastly, recognizing that not all leads are a good fit for the client is essential for setting realistic expectations. Evaluating these factors holistically allows PPC managers to offer valuable insights and optimize strategies accordingly.

5 essential PPC skills every agency pro must have

By Rémi Kerhoas | Aug 25, 2023 | Search Engine Land

Becoming a PPC expert within a digital agency involves a strategic growth plan with five key steps:

1. Mastering client relationships is essential for driving growth and requires building trust, showing expertise, and being empathetic.
2. Developing a strategic mindset involves aligning efforts with outcomes and prioritizing tasks that yield at least a 30% growth in key performance indicators.
3. Navigating data with precision involves honing skills in data analysis, generation, and visualization, using tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Looker Studio.
4. Committing to continuous learning is crucial, including getting certified, staying updated with industry news, testing on your own, and networking with peers.
5. Staying organized through project management, documentation tools, and task templates ensures efficient management of PPC campaigns.

Combining these skills with technical expertise sets the path for a successful career in PPC.

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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