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.
Microsoft Target CPA and Maximize Conversions move to general availability
By Nicola Agius | Oct 19, 2023 | Search Engine Land
Microsoft has made Target CPA and Maximize Conversions bid strategies generally available for marketers using Audience Ads globally. These automated bidding options aim to optimize campaign performance, offering advertisers control over budgets and success metrics. Alongside this, Microsoft has updated its DALL-E 3 AI tool, now accessible through Bing Chat and Bing.com/create, to generate realistic and creative images. Additionally, the Chat Ads API is in closed beta, with an invitation extended to brands with existing chat experiences or large language models to partner with Microsoft. Initial partnerships with Snapchat and Axel Springer have yielded positive results, and Microsoft envisions the addition of ads in chat experiences as a means to generate economic value.
Google Ads Reps: Friend, Foe, or Some Third Nebulous Entity?
By Ashwin Balakrishnan | Oct 19, 2023 | Optmyzr
Ashwin Balakrishnan critiques the shift in Google Ads reps’ approach, from a strategic partnership to a more sales-driven relationship, often prioritizing Google’s revenue over client account performance. It highlights the difference between in-house and third-party Google reps, noting that the latter often focus on increasing spend and adoption metrics, sometimes employing pushy tactics. Despite these challenges, the article acknowledges that there are still Google Ads reps who genuinely support and understand their client’s goals. PPC practitioners are advised to maintain clear communication, set firm boundaries, and nurture relationships with the good reps. The overall tone of the article suggests a need for vigilance and strategic relationship management on the part of agencies and PPC practitioners.
How to Target With Google Search Ads
By Michael Stelzner | Oct 19, 2023 | Social Media Examiner
Michael Stelzner provides a guide on starting with Google Search Ads, emphasizing its importance as a complement to social media ads for a comprehensive digital strategy. He details the process of building effective search ad campaigns, starting with understanding the target audience through analyzing CRM data and Google Analytics segments, and then developing detailed customer personas. The next crucial step is selecting relevant keywords, with advice to avoid assumptions and utilize tools like Google Trends, Google Autocomplete, and Google Search Console data to find high-potential search terms. Stelzner also underscores the integration of search ads with Google Analytics for deeper insights and campaign optimization. Overall, it positions Google Search Ads as a valuable tool for reaching potential customers, achieving brand awareness, and ensuring a tangible return on investment.
How to Set Up Programmatic Advertising with Automated Bidding Strategies
By Amal Moursi | Oct 19, 2023 | Marin
Amal Moursi provides a comprehensive guide on leveraging programmatic advertising and automated bidding to optimize digital advertising campaigns. She highlights the evolution of digital advertising, emphasizing the role of AI and machine learning in transitioning to programmatic advertising and the prevalence of automated bidding, used by 80% of advertisers. Programmatic advertising is explained as a speedy, automated process that matches ads with potential audiences based on specific criteria, ensuring ads are shown to the right people. Automated bidding is introduced as a feature in Google Ads, allowing for bid adjustments based on campaign goals and KPIs, helping advertisers optimize bids and target specific audience segments. Moursi concludes with various automated bidding strategies and their applications, encouraging experimentation and consultation with Google Ads experts for optimal results.
What Is PPC Management – Do You Need It?
By Brooke Osmundson | Oct 20, 2023 | Search Engine Journal
Brooke Osmundson provides a comprehensive guide on PPC advertising and its management, emphasizing its importance in converting new customers quickly. PPC management involves various tasks including keyword and audience research, competitive analysis, ad creation, budget optimization, landing page optimization, performance reporting, and ongoing testing and campaign optimization. Osmundson highlights the necessity of effective PPC management in saving money and time, as well as aiding the growth of other marketing channels. She discusses the options of in-house PPC management versus hiring a PPC management agency, listing the pros and cons of each and providing criteria for choosing the right PPC management resource. In summary, a balanced approach of strategy and execution in PPC management is crucial for the success of any advertising campaign, and choosing the right management resource is a significant investment towards a company’s growth.
Demystifying Google Ads: Why your campaigns aren’t getting conversions
By Anusha Harikumar | Oct 23, 2023 | Optmyzr
Anusha Harikumar addresses common challenges marketers face with Google Ads campaigns, providing solutions to enhance performance and conversions. She emphasizes the need for patience during the machine learning algorithm’s optimization process and highlights eight potential reasons for campaign underperformance: insufficient learning time, incorrect conversion tracking setup, ineffective targeting and audience settings, seasonal factors, budget constraints, landing page inefficiencies, competition, and macroeconomic factors. Harikumar provides practical solutions for each issue, such as refining targeting, optimizing budget allocation, and improving landing page design.
Ultimate Guide to Dominating Black Friday Google Ads in 2023
By Andrew Lolk | Oct 24, 2023 | WordStream
Andrew Lolk provides a comprehensive guide on managing PPC advertising for Black Friday, emphasizing the need for careful planning and strategy due to the high stakes and limited time of the shopping event. He encourages advertisers to prepare by reviewing last year’s performance, setting clear rules of engagement, and ensuring sufficient stock and backup offers are available. Lolk offers practical tips on adjusting bids, budgets, ad text, and extensions, as well as on optimizing display, remarketing ads, and Shopping campaigns. Specific advice includes increasing budgets significantly, manually managing bids post-Black Friday, and enhancing ad relevance through Black Friday references and promotion assets.
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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