[View the story “Koozchat #1: PPC Tactics” on Storify ]Koozchat #1: PPC Tactics As part of a week long focus on PPC the first ever Koozchat asked questions about Paid Search to look at how the channel can help with other marketing strategies and ways to save money on your adverts. For more information visit Storified by Mike Essex · Fri, Mar 22 2013 06:57:24
Our first ever #koozchat has begun! Click the hashtag to follow the conversation or follow us to see the questions and best answers.Koozai
@Koozai In Scotland, Cows are pronounced ‘kooz’ sometimes. You might get some dropping in for #koozchat :DChris Gilchrist
@hitreach Excellent, then we shall include questions about mooving up the rankings, cownting statistics and milking the cost of PPC.Koozai
@Koozai lmfao v good :)Chris Gilchrist
We will be posting a series of questions with time for discussion. If you see a question you like then reply with your answer. #koozchatKoozai
Q1. What do you feel is the biggest challenge for PPC in 2013? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai I think the biggest challenge for PPC in 2013 is rising costs pushing small businesses out #koozchat Q1Anna Lewis
@Koozai_Anna @Koozai very small businesses are struggling with Google’s new ppc shopping model. Most lack the funds to compete #koozchatOne Brown Cow
@onebrowncow @Koozai yeah that seems to have been hard on businesses, and with enhanced campaigns I can see costs rising further. #koozchatAnna Lewis
@Koozai_Anna @Koozai spoken with several small businesses in our area facing Google suggested monthly budgets of £200-300 pm… #koozchatOne Brown Cow
@onebrowncow @Koozai I’ve seen everything from 3p to £20 per click, some businesses need to have a good conv. rate and margin to succeed!Anna Lewis
@Koozai_Anna @Koozai we are looking for a better ROI than is being offered by Googles ppc model, 10p per click suggested! come on! #koozchatOne Brown Cow
@Koozai Keeping a low CPC as when tablet merges with desktop it’s bound to increase because more advertisers will be using it #koozchat Q1Tara Dee West
@Koozai Google Enhanced Campaigns will certainly pose a challenge for those who spent hours making dedicated mobile campaigns. #koozchatMike Essex
@Koozai – Competition from other sources? Brands that get screwed organically are more likely to put increased budget into ppc? #koozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll Thanks Sean, could you expand on that point for question 2? How have you seen competition / budgets improve? #koozchat.Koozai
@Koozai To be honest it was more of a "this could happen" scenario. I’ve noticed more competition but I work in tough markets! #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai The biggest PPC challenge for me in 2013 has to be getting the most out of AdWords Enhanced Campaigns #koozchat Q1Emma North
Q2. How have you seen competition levels and prices change over the last year? #koozchat (thanks @onebrowncow)Koozai
@Koozai @onebrowncow Q2: yes! everything seems to be going up, although some markets have only seen small increases in costs. #koozchatAnna Lewis
@Koozai_Mike One of mine at the moment is currently sitting at £14 a click #koozchat, highest click in same niche £65 a clickJim Seward
@iamoldskool @Koozai_Mike Wow thta’s big bucks Jim!Laura Phillips
@Koozai_Mike just checked the campaign "cloud backup services" is currently sitting at £27 a click for first page #koozchatJim Seward
@iamoldskool Wow that’s incredible! Any product would have to have a very high profit margin to make that pay. #koozchat.Mike Essex
@iamoldskool @Koozai_Mike do companies seriously pay that kind of money per click? ( I need to get out of the sticks more!) #koozchatOne Brown Cow
@onebrowncow @Koozai_Mike I won’t…I prefer to get a longer list of longer tail keywords that produce much more traffic for less #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai I have seen huge increases in certain sectors – especially straight after a Panda or Penguin update. Q2 #koozchatOliver Ewbank
@OliverEwbank That makes sense. Certainly a good scenario for Google! #koozchat.Koozai
In one of the markets we aim for it’s a minimum of £5 a click to even get on page one. Big spenders need only apply. Q2 #koozchatMike Essex
Q3. What is your number one way to increase conversions via PPC? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Basic but I monitor what works/what doesn’t & maximise my time into the former. I love the mathematics of PPC. #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai Create small niche keyword lists, leading to a proper targetted landing page which minimises clicks to conversion #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai #koozchat Q3 I’ve found that using dynamic search ads is a great way to mop up the one-hit wonder search terms.Alex Guest
@Koozai use dedicated well optimised landing pages #koozchatAnna Lewis
@Koozai All about dedicated landing pages. This increases conversions and quality score. Q3. #koozchatOliver Ewbank
Q4. What tactics would you recommend for anyone using remarketing? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai #koozchat Use a frequency cap!Alex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi Very true! We fell for that one with our own adverts when they first went live. #koozchatKoozai
@koozai I just make sure I direct the ad to a targetted landing page which contains a clear call to action. Q3. #koozchatGemma Holloway
@Koozai Create targeted lists for each product or service you offer. Cap impression frequency. Q4 #koozchatOliver Ewbank
@Koozai Q4: read my blog post on remarketing! https://kooz.ai/YKA8Hx #koozchatAnna Lewis
A4: Use visually striking imagery with remarketing and tie adverts directly to what the user saw not your main site brand #koozchatMike Essex
@Koozai Been unable to join in the #koozchat today – will there be a stream made available afterwards?Arianne Donoghue
@ArianneDonoghue Hi Arianne, yes we will be posting a summary of the conversations on Koozai in the next few days. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Great news, thanks :)Arianne Donoghue
@Koozai Q4 My presentation at #SESLON was all about remarketing tactics. Slides available here https://kooz.ai/YIAKup #koozchatSamantha Noble
@Koozai Q4 Biggest remarketing tip from me would be to get the code on your site now as you need the data to begin #koozchatSamantha Noble
@Koozai Q4 When setting up remarketing, only use one set of code preferably @googleanalytics rather than @adwords #koozchatSamantha Noble
@Koozai_Mike Definitely agree on tying the image to what the user has seen rather than the main site! #koozchat Q4Gemma Holloway
@Koozai Don’t use remarketing simply on a site visit, connect to a product or service someone has shown interest in, and market thatJim Seward
Q5. eBay recently said PPC doesn’t work. What do you feel they did wrong or could do better? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Stop having huge long lists of dynamic advert generic keywords! #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai "It doesn’t work" is the complaint of someone who just doesn’t get it. What could they do better? Hire a PPC specialist! #KoozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll Yes, it’s a very broad generalisation to say something "doesn’t work" especially when for millions of brands it does. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai I suppose they could also look to target high value items to give them a better chance of making a ROI ;) #koozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll That would certainly help them make more money from PPC as they take a % of every sale. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Target their ads and not simply long lists of dynamic generic keywords. ‘An ad for everything is an ad for nothing’ #koozchat Q5Gemma Holloway
@koozai_gemma @Koozai Good answer, Gemma.Antony Potts
@koozai_gemma Dynamic keyword insertion does seem to have been their downfall. No one wants to click an advert for "dirty nappies" #koozchatKoozai
A5: I made a video on what eBay should do – focus on brand building, new signups and high value products (https://kooz.ai/ZKh2R0) #koozchatMike Essex
@Koozai #koozchat Q5: eBay’s low revenue per sale and struggle to deliver a good UX renders their report fairly redundant for me. PPC works.Alex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi Following on from your recommendation for dynamic keyword insertion, do you have any tips on doing DKI well? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai #koozchat Good structure largely negates the need for DKI if the keywords and ad groups are granular enough. Would you agree?Alex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi And a whole lot of negative keywords! Which was another problem with the eBay PPC account. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai #koozchat That too! The likes of Ask / Supaprice / Best Price have picked up the DKI and negative keywords fails from eBay admirablyAlex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi With eBay out of the PPC game we are sure there will be other brands to offer more DKI fails. #koozchat.Koozai
Q6. How do you feel other channels – e.g. Facebook / Bing / LinkedIn compare to AdWords? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai I can’t comment on facebook or bing…but Linkedin is frickin’ awful #koozchatJim Seward
@iamoldskool I’ve seen the same thing Jim. It’s a shame as the targeting on LinkedIn is amazing but the ads are invisible #koozchat.Mike Essex
@iamoldskool What was it about LinkedIn that made it so bad? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai very little engagement, certainly within my niche…people just seemed to ignore them #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai #koozchat Q6: Bing is a headache but conversion rates (organic and paid) make it worthwhile. My 1st #koozchat and I’ve not shut up!Alex Guest
@Koozai I’ve only heard that Facebook is cheap and Linkedin expensive. Probably changed recently though! #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai Despite their power I’m quite surprised to see Facebook only marketing agencies spring up. #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai Nothing compares to AdWords! Passive users on social networks will never compare to a user who is actively searching. #koozchatOliver Ewbank
@OliverEwbank @Koozai excellent point well madeJim Seward
@OliverEwbank @Koozai Good point! #koozchatGemma Holloway
@Koozai Q6 Bing PPC drives a lot less traffic compared to AdWords and can take a while to see a return #koozchatSamantha Noble
@Koozai Q6 Linkedin has never proved too successful for me. You can get a lot of impressions by CTR is not good #koozchatSamantha Noble
@Koozai Q6. I love Facebook PPC if you are wanting to increase fans/likes of a page. Very targeted demographic options too #koozchatSamantha Noble
@SamJaneNoble @Koozai Agreed, the targeting is very impressive. #koozchatSe▲n
@SamJaneNoble @Koozai That’s a good point Sam. Depends what you campaign goal is. #koozchatGemma Holloway
@Koozai And for me, facebook is a no go…consider your audience when choosing to market on a social network #koozchatJim Seward
@iamoldskool It does seem to be a harder sell for B2B than B2C although not impossible. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Conversion rate on Facebook & LinkedIn very low in comparison to Adwords.Copify
@Copify Thanks for joining us! It doesn’t help that AdWords is the only one with really good conversion tracking. #koozchat.Koozai
@Koozai True, another thing to note about Facebook Ads – the billing platform is really confusing!!Copify
@Copify Absolutely, tying it to user accounts and having it tucked away makes it a nightmare to navigate. #koozchat.Koozai
A6 Facebook sponsored stories changed the way I viewed the channel, they were 8x more effective than normal FB ads for us. #koozchatMike Essex
A6: It seems like what we’d all like is the reach + metrics of AdWords plus the targeting of Facebook / LinkedIn. Everyone agreed? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai can’t argue with that #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai #koozchat I hear that.Alex Guest
@Koozai …and the cost per click of Facebook! #koozchatTracey Drain
@karate_barbie Interesting point. So on the whole you are finding Facebook a lot cheaper than AdWords? Any particular niche? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Yes. Very much. Market has become saturated due to organic challenge. 1st page bid drives little guys out of running.Tracey Drain
@Koozai Finance & believe it or not -over 55! AdWords confuses em. We bid on supplier brand names. Thy often think we’re supplier. #koozchatTracey Drain
@karate_barbie Thanks for the feedback. That’s interesting and explains why there seem to be lots of life insurance ads on FB. #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai a6 and perhaps without the predatory behaviour of FB towards gambling companies, but maybe that’s just my specific area XDmike litson
@mikelitson Thanks for joining us Mike. Do they block ban anything to do with gambling on Facebook? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai not quite, they halfway through peoples campaigns shut them down and demand insane minimum spends https://www.casinoaffiliateprograms.com/blog/is-facebook-extorting-gambling-companies/mike litson
Final Question: What advice would you have for a PPC newbie? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Get on Engage program. You get an onboarding specialist who helps far more than acct managers at Goog. Plus free vouchers n trainingTracey Drain
@Koozai #koozchat Test everything – there are always improvements that can be made. Read blogs, do your homework, and eat your vegetables.Alex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi and don’t forget to wear sunscreen? #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai #koozchat Always wear sunscreen. But never, ever, whistle whilst eating jelly. Thanks guys, today has been really interesting!Alex Guest
@PPC_Shinobi Thanks for taking part Alex! You were a big part of making our first ever #koozchat a success :-)Koozai
A7: My top tip for PPC newbies? If your account only has broad match and no negatives then you aren’t ready yet. #koozchatMike Essex
@Koozai Don’t be too daunted – Alot of PPC is common sense. Think logically and always keep your campaign goals in mind. #koozchat FinalGemma Holloway
@koozai Don’t do it…learn about organic SEO instead…your bank should be able to give you some helpful advice #koozchatJim Seward
@Koozai Become Google qualified, test on your own/company owned site, read, make connections & talk to Google #koozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll That has to be one of the best things with PPC. Unlike SEO if you get stuck you actually can call Google! #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai Google are more than willing to help when it comes to PPC. Get a contact there and milk them for all they’re worth #koozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll See @hitreach we told you there would be something for cows " Get a Google contact and milk them for all they’re worth" #koozchatKoozai
@Koozai You don’t have to action all of their recommendations but listen to their advice, however simple #koozchatSe▲n
@s_rvll Yes, we’d definitely recommend following what they say carefully if new but they are a good contact to have. #koozchat.Koozai
@Koozai If only… "So you’re telling me if I get these links and have this content I’ll rank for term X. Cool!" #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai @Andy_Morley @MorphNorth Good shout on negative terms, I still usually forget them. #koozchatSe▲n
@Koozai Test, test..then test again! Practice makes perfect. Taking the AdWords exams will help you understand the features. #koozchatOliver Ewbank
@koozai #koozchat This is my go to list for negative keywords in B2B https://www.komarketingassociates.com/blog/200-plus-negative-keywords-to-consider-for-b2b-ppc/ – great listJim Seward
@Koozai Advice for a PPC newbie: read, read and read some more! There are loads of great blogs and resources out there. #KoozChatEmma North
@MorphNorth @Koozai also… Negative Keywords…. :) The amount of people new to Adwords who dont use them amazes me.Andy Morley
@Koozai #koozchat Very interesting chat guys I only caught the last 5mins due to a call, looks like it went well- thanks.Daniel Truman
A big thank you to everyone who took part in our 1st #koozchat. We will be posting a summary of the discussion tomorrow on the Koozai blog.Koozai
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