SES Toronto 2010: Advanced Paid Search Tactics

Here we are, day 2 of SES Toronto and instead of watching some World Cup action, you're reading this post.... I feel so honoured!

We're all in for a treat with this session, which will be moderated by Anne Kennedy of Beyond Ink USA. Our speakers will be:

• Andrew Goodman, President of Page Zero Media
• Jon Myers, Head of Search/Associate Director at Mediavest
• Jeff Lancaster, Managing Director at Outrider
• Matt Rogers, Manger of Online Sales at Google

Does this not sound like a fantastic panel?!?

First up, we have Matt Rogers:

• Acknowledging the fact that Google is releasing new tools and new features at a very rapid rate. While it's certainly difficult to keep up, there are a few new features that Matt suggests you MUST be aware of. Such as...

Conversion Optimizer

• A free tool that automatically manages your bids to get you more conversions at or below your Target or Max CPA
• Google will look at a number of variables, determine why some clicks convert and others don't and will bid accordingly.

Impression Share Reporting

• Use to improve quality or refine targeting to increase impression share
• You can increase budgets and bids to boost this metric
• Google won't calculate impression share data for campaigns with less than 10% imperssion share
• Impression Share Exact Match reports impression share as if all the keywords in a campaign were set to Exact Match

Quality Score

• You need to be aware of this! Simple enough?

Next, we have Andrew Goodman:

• We need to step back from our AdWords account and make rational, methodical decisions
• Quite often, our first instinct may not be the right decision to make. We have access to so much data, use it!
• Look to Bid Management tools to set up rules, help to ensure that 'gut feeling' doesn't interfere with rantional thinking
• As mentioned by Matt, Quality Score is extremely important - Pay attention to this!

Jon Myers is up with his Top 5 Tips:

1. Budget Optimization - you have converting keywords and non-converting keywords. What are you going to do with the non-converting keywords??
2. Google Search Query Tool - identify negative keywords and new keywords to bid on
3. Adgooroo, True Visibility - what are all your competitors doing? what should you be doing? Check it out, a very cool tool!
4. Implement SiteLinks - peope are finally speaking about this!
5. Google Ad Planner and Content Network - use the ad planner to identify placements for the Content Network

Here comes Jeff Lancaster:

1. Account Restructure - take your top performers and create 'Hero' campaigns. Rather than focus on the long tail, look at those top performers and see if you can move the needle there.
2. Make adding negatives a regular part of your weekly routine (use the search query report!)
3. Search Funnel Reports - fairly new reporting feature, gives you insight into 'assists' that lead to a conversion
4. Conversion Path Reports - from within the Funnel Reporting functionality, look at the path people take to that all holy conversion
5. Test Facebook PPC Ads - yes!!! So happy that he brought this up. Test this, we've seen a ton of success here!

There you have it ladies and gents, some advanced paid search tactics, straight from the experts... go start implementing!