How to develop PPC testing strategies

Best practices in PPC advertising are helpful. But every account is unique and requires its own strategies for success. The key to optimizing your campaigns lies in systematic testing.

This article will guide you through the essential PPC testing strategies to enhance performance and achieve better results.

What is PPC testing?

PPC testing, at its core, is the process of systematically experimenting with various elements of your PPC campaigns to enhance performance and achieve optimal results. It involves adjusting and comparing components like:

• Headlines.
• Images.
• Calls to action (CTAs).

The goal is to determine what resonates best with your audience, ensuring every dollar spent delivers maximum impact. 

PPC testing offers deeper insights into what drives better clicks and conversions, guiding your campaigns toward greater success and efficiency.

Key PPC testing methods

To maximize the impact of your PPC efforts, it’s essential to use the right testing methods. Two primary strategies stand out: 

• A/B testing.
• Multivariate testing. 

While both aim to optimize campaign performance, they differ in approach, complexity and when they are most effective. Let’s explore each in detail.

A/B testing

A cornerstone method that allows comparison between two versions of an ad or webpage to determine which performs better.

How it works

• Split your audience in half:
  • One group sees version A.
  • The other group sees version B.
• Analyze performance through key metrics such as:
  • Click-through rates (CTR)
  • Conversions
  • Engagement

Benefits

• Helps make informed decisions to enhance campaign efficacy.
• Simple and effective, offering significant improvements with minimal effort.

Common pitfalls

• Uneven audience distribution can skew results.
• Short testing periods may not provide accurate data.

Multivariate testing

Tests multiple variables at once, creating several combinations for deeper insights.

Challenges

• Traffic and data limitations: Campaigns often don’t generate enough traffic for statistical significance across multiple variables.
• Complexity of monitoring: Tracking multiple variants simultaneously is more difficult than A/B testing.
• Misleading results: Simultaneous changes to many elements make it hard to identify the specific change driving performance improvements.

Platform limitations

• Google Ads tools and reporting are designed for simpler A/B tests, not multivariate testing.
• Setting up and managing multivariate tests within the platform is more challenging.

Best use cases

Multivariate testing is more practical for:

• High-traffic websites.
• Landing page optimization.

In most PPC campaigns, A/B testing offers greater clarity, efficiency and reliability.

Dig deeper: A/B testing mistakes PPC marketers make and how to fix them

A step-by-step PPC testing framework

1. Develop a testing thesis

Begin by crafting a clear hypothesis that directly addresses a specific aspect of your campaign you want to improve. 

A well-defined hypothesis gives your testing a sense of direction and is the foundation for meaningful analysis. 

Focus on creating hypotheses that are both meaningful and measurable. A good structure to follow is: 

• “If we change X, will Y happen?”

For example, in a search campaign, you could hypothesize: 

• “If we display more USPs like free shipping or free returns, we will increase CTR because these offers stand out from competitors.” 

The strength of your testing thesis is critical, as it directly impacts the quality of insights gained, shaping the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns.

2. Select key areas for PPC testing

When deciding where to focus your testing efforts, product titles are a good starting point. Testing variations in product titles can reveal which changes improve CTR or conversion rates, helping you fine-tune messaging to resonate better with your audience.

Text ad testing should focus on key elements such as headlines, descriptions and CTAs. These components have the most direct impact on how well an ad engages potential customers.

For video ads, testing variables like length, content and format is essential. Video continues to grow in importance within PPC campaigns. Understanding what captures attention and drives action will help you create more effective video content.

3. Set up tests in Google Ads

Google Ads offers built-in tools that allow you to create controlled experiments for testing. Start by defining the variables you want to test, such as ad copy, keywords or bidding strategies. 

Once your variables are clear, configure the experiment by selecting specific campaigns or ad groups to test. Ensure that you properly designate test and control groups and that the audience is distributed randomly so your results reflect actual changes rather than bias.

After setting up your tests, use Google’s tracking tools to monitor engagement metrics such as CTR, conversion rates and cost-per-conversion. The platform provides real-time insights, making it easier to analyze performance as the tests progress.

4. Conduct custom or advanced tests (beyond Google Ads)

While Google Ads provides useful tools, its testing environment has limitations and may not support all types of experiments. 

For more complex or highly specific tests, you may need to set up your testing framework outside of Google Ads. 

Custom tests allow for greater flexibility in design and ensure that advanced strategies can be evaluated properly, even when the built-in platform tools fall short.

5. Analyze results and iterate continuously

Once your tests are complete, carefully analyze the results to identify patterns in key metrics such as CTR, conversion rates, or cost-per-conversion. Use these insights to refine your strategy – scaling up elements that show promise and adjusting or discarding those that underperform.

Remember, testing is not a one-time task but an ongoing, iterative process. Regularly refining your campaigns based on testing results will help prevent stagnation and ensure that your PPC performance improves over time.

Dig deeper: Peak PPC season is coming: 5 tests to run now

Testing ideas for paid search campaigns

Ad copy

A/B testing ad copy is a fundamental and effective way to optimize PPC performance. 

The key is to focus on one element at a time – such as the headline, description or CTA – so you can directly attribute any performance changes to that specific variation. 

For example, you could test two different headlines while keeping the description and CTA constant, ensuring clear insights into what resonates better with your audience.

Remember to run these tests for an adequate duration to gather sufficient data. Typically, this means at least 2-4 weeks or until you reach statistical significance. This ensures your results are reliable and not just due to random fluctuations.

Use ad rotation settings to give both versions equal exposure to ensure a fair comparison. Most platforms, including Google Ads, offer settings to rotate your ads evenly, allowing for an unbiased test.

The launch of responsive search ads (RSAs) has made traditional ad copy testing more challenging, as RSA automatically tests all assets against each other. 

However, more controlled testing can still be achieved by limiting the number of assets used in an RSA, allowing for more focused comparisons.

Landing pages

Your landing page is crucial in converting clicks into customers, making it another vital element to test. Landing page testing involves creating variations of your page and comparing their performance in terms of conversion rate.

When testing landing pages, consider variations in layout, headlines and CTAs. For example, you might test a long-form page against a shorter, more concise version or compare different headline styles to see which resonates better with your audience.

Tools like Google Optimize can simplify the process of A/B testing your landing pages. These tools allow you to create and test variations without needing extensive coding knowledge.

Remember that your landing page should align closely with your ad messaging. This continuity helps meet user expectations and can significantly impact your quality score and conversion rates.

Common landing page tests include: 

• Product page vs. category page vs. the main page as the landing page. 
• Forwarding traffic directly to the contact form instead of a keyword-related landing page.

Other search test ideas

Other valuable test ideas for PPC campaigns include bid strategy testing and keyword match type testing.

Bid strategy testing

• This involves comparing manual bidding against automated strategies like Target CPA or Maximize Conversions. 
• Finding the approach that best meets your advertising goals helps optimize campaign performance and budget allocation. 
• When conducting these tests, allow sufficient time (typically 2-4 weeks) for machine learning algorithms to optimize.

Keyword match type testing

• This explores the impact of different match types (broad match modified, phrase match and exact match) on your campaign’s reach and efficiency. 
• By analyzing performance differences in CTR, conversion rate and CPA across these match types, you can strike the right balance between reach and relevance, leading to more efficient spend.

Testing ideas for shopping campaigns

Product titles in shopping campaigns are crucial touchpoints influencing click-through rates and overall performance. They help products appear in relevant searches and provide key information at a glance.

Title structure

• Experiment with different arrangements of brand, product type and key features. 
• Example: “Nike Running Shoes with Air Cushion” vs. “Running Shoes by Nike – Air Cushion Technology”

Length

• Test short vs. long titles, keeping in mind Google typically displays the first 70 characters.

Attribute order

• Try different sequences of brand, product type, color, size, material and model number.

Specifications

• Compare titles with specific measurements vs. general descriptions and technical specs vs. layman’s terms.

Promotional language

• Test including terms like “Sale,” “New Arrival,” or “Free Shipping.”

Seasonality

• For relevant products, compare seasonal descriptions to standard ones like “christmas gift,” “gift for men” or “gift for women.”

Problem-solution framing

• Test titles highlighting the problem your product solves.

You can significantly improve your shopping campaign performance by systematically testing these elements. 

Remember that results may vary by industry and product type, so continuous testing is key.

Testing your video campaigns

Here are key areas to focus on when testing your YouTube advertising campaigns:

Thumbnail image variations

• Thumbnail image variations can significantly impact click-through rates. 
• Experiment with different visual elements, text overlays and emotion-evoking imagery to capture viewers’ attention.

Video length

• Test various video lengths, from short 6-second bumper ads to longer-form content, to find the sweet spot for your message and audience engagement.

Ad sequence

• This can help determine the most effective order of multiple video ads for storytelling.

CTA placement and wording

• Experiment with different CTA placements and wording to improve conversion rates.

Audience targeting

• Audience targeting tests, such as comparing affinity audiences versus in-market audiences, can refine your reach.

Bidding strategies

• Test different bidding strategies, like target CPM versus target CPA, to optimize for your campaign goals.

Ad formats

• Don’t forget to experiment with ad formats, comparing skippable vs. non-skippable ads or testing overlay ads against video discovery ads.

Ad copy and video content

• Conduct A/B tests on ad copy and video content, tweaking elements like opening hooks, background music or presenter styles to maximize viewer retention and action.

Dig deeper: YouTube’s triple threat: Mastering Feed, Shorts and Skippable ads

Get your accounts to the next level with PPC testing

A disciplined and methodical approach to PPC testing is essential for effective campaign optimization. Remember that PPC testing is an ongoing process of learning and improvement. 

By continually analyzing results and embracing experimentation, you can better align your campaigns with marketing objectives and business goals, ensuring sustainable success.