Google’s ad serving logic too often gives precedence to ads with higher bids over ads that exactly match the user’s search. Methods for managing this self-competition are inadequate. Google needs to fix this.

Filed in: Google: AdWords, Paid Search

Most search advertisers have no question that testing ads is a good thing, and can lead to much higher performing campaigns. But is it possible to over-test and over-optimize, actually leading to worse results? The answer may surprise you.

Filed in: Paid Search

Some retailers have great success persuading customers to buy after a single click on a paid search ad. The reality for most companies, however, is that single click-to-purchase transactions are rare. It can take several visits and multiple touch points before any revenue is generated from initial clicks. In cases like this, companies often end up guessing at their cost-per-click (CPC), or just focus on making sure their keywords are on page one of search results for what they hope are their major terms. It’s always better in a paid search world to rely on math instead of guessing to help [...]

Filed in: Paid Search

Even if you’ve tuned and optimized a search advertising account for good performance, there are tactics you can use to drive incremental gains. In this point, I’ll suggest several ways to improve the performance of “mature” PPC accounts.

Filed in: Paid Search

How could something that sounds so right, be so wrong? This post explores the sometimes dangerous implications of the phrase “ROI maximization” and advocates an alternative approach.

Filed in: Paid Search