Brad Geddes

Founder, Certified Knowledge

Founder, AdAlysis

Author, Advanced Google AdWords

@ bgtheory

Breathing New Life Into A Tired Paid Search Campaign

SMX West 2014

Copyright Certified Knowledge 2014 @ bgtheory

@ bgtheoryCopyright Certified Knowledge 2014 2

Many Accounts Are Now Over 10+ Years Old

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 3

What You Project – If You Do Everything

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Jan-

03

May-0

3

Sep-0

3

Jan-

04

May-0

4

Sep-0

4

Jan-

05

May-0

5

Sep-0

5

Jan-

06

May-0

6

Sep-0

6

Jan-

07

May-0

7

Sep-0

7

Jan-

08

May-0

8

Sep-0

8

Jan-

09

May-0

9

Sep-0

9

Jan-

10

May-1

0

Sep-1

0

Jan-

11

May-1

1

Sep-1

1

Jan-

12

May-1

2

Sep-1

2

Jan-

13

May-1

3

Sep-1

3

Jan-

14

May-1

4

Sep-1

4

Revenue

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 4

The Reality?

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000Ja

n-03

Jun-

03

Nov-

03

Ap

r-04

Sep-0

4

Feb

-05

Jul-0

5

Dec-

05

May-0

6

Oct

-06

Mar-

07

Aug

-07

Jan-

08

Jun-

08

Nov-

08

Ap

r-09

Sep-0

9

Feb

-10

Jul-1

0

Dec-

10

May-1

1

Oct

-11

Mar-

12

Aug

-12

Jan-

13

Jun-

13

Nov-

13

Ap

r-14

Sep-1

4

Reality

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 5

The Cause: Boredom

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 6

Or - That’s How Its Always Been Done…

• Do you really have all the extensions in all your campaigns?

• Are you testing ads by device?

• Do you have a mobile site yet?

• Should you include close variants?

• Are you really testing landing pages?

• When’s the last time you tested a new offer?

• Do all your ad groups have ads in them?

• Do all your ad groups have keywords or display targeting options?

• And many more…

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 7

Starting Small: Missed Best Practices

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 8

Finding The Inspiration

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 9

I Love Design Work

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 10

Other People Love To Start With Ads

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 11

What’s Your Muse?

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 12

Finding Inspiration In Corporations

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 13

It’s Hard In This Environment

2003 discount

campaign

Another Idea

2004 out of

business sale

And another

idea

2005 spring

cleaning

And yet another

idea

2006 falling prices

This campaign that failed

twice

2007 new and

improved

This one we’ve

only used 9 times

TIRED IDEAS

Let’s use the 2003 campaign

its been 10 years

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 14

Don’t Just Reuse Offers

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 15

Inspiration Through Other Channels

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 16

Find A “New” Problem To Solve

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 17

Data Geeks & Inspiration Seekers: SMX Sessions

• Search Engine Land PPC Columns

• PPC Hero

• RKG Blog

• Certified Knowledge

• Beyond the Paid

• Clix Marketing

• Inside AdWords

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 18

Your Favorite Blogs

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 19

New Perspectives: 3rd Party Audits

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 20

What We Should Strive Towards

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000Ja

n-03

Jun-

03

Nov-

03

Ap

r-04

Sep-0

4

Feb

-05

Jul-0

5

Dec-

05

May-0

6

Oct

-06

Mar-

07

Aug

-07

Jan-

08

Jun-

08

Nov-

08

Ap

r-09

Sep-0

9

Feb

-10

Jul-1

0

Dec-

10

May-1

1

Oct

-11

Mar-

12

Aug

-12

Jan-

13

Jun-

13

Nov-

13

Ap

r-14

Sep-1

4

Feb

-15

The New Reality – Stop the Stagnation

Attended

SMX

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 21

Remember: Must Do The MundaneBut Having Some Fun Can Increase Revenues

@ bgtheoryCOPYRIGHT CERTIFIED KNOWLEDGE 2014 22

Learn More About AdWords

CertifiedKnowledge.org

PPC training, tools, and community

@bgTheory