Paid Search Column
Paid Search looks at search advertising programs and how to most effectively use them. Columnists cover topics such as bid management, managing multiple campaigns, search ad copy tips and landing page quality issues and other subjects.
Loose match types, bid-caching, and getting what you pay for in digital marketing
When a lack of advertiser control -- whatever the platform's motives -- results in unintended purchases, trust inevitably erodes....
Manage your match types with this structure checker Google Ads script
If you run parallel campaigns with different match types, this script will help you automate your organization to ensure nothing slips through...
If you’re not using Remarketing Lists and Similar Audiences for Search, you’re leaving money on the table
Tapping into Similar Audiences in conjunction with RLSA can be a recipe for success for retail marketers. Here's how....
Google is right; click-through and conversion rates kinda don’t matter
Say what? Turns out you may be focusing on the wrong things if you're fixated on click-through and conversion rates. Here are a number of...
Keyword research strategies in a close-variant world
Revisiting your keyword research approach is essential to preparing for imminent match type changes. Here are some considerations for a...
How keyword match types work after the new close match variants change
Here's a free Google Ads script that delivers a detailed report on the impact of Google's inclusion of "same meaning" queries in exact match...
Avoid the 8 most common pitfalls of automated bidding
With more and more PPC tasks becoming automated, it’s important to understand the limitations of automation. Here are eight of the most common...
Find anomalies in your campaign spending with this Google Ads script
Contributor Daniel Gilbert shares a customizable script that lets you check for overspending or underspending in your Google Ads account by...
Google’s somewhat-new guide to totally excellent ads
As responsive search ads make their way to an account near you, contributor and Googler Matt Lawson shares suggestions on how to implement all...
How to use IF functions to speak to different audiences
If you have several remarketing audiences created, contributor Joe Martinez explains how to use IF functions to advertise to each user group...
There is no reason to manage bids manually
When it comes to bid management, let the machines do the heavy lifting, advises contributor Frederick Vallaeys. Here's why it's best to automate...
15 questions to ask yourself before publishing a new landing page
Building landing pages? Contributor Jacob Baadsgaard has compiled a tried-and-true list of 15 questions to help guide you in creating and...
The Google expanded text ad CTR lift that never was
Contributor Andy Taylor shares his take on Google's expanded text ads (ETAs), drawing comparisons to the new responsive search ad (RSA)...
Forget me not: 3 steps to make your PPC ads more memorable
What makes text ads memorable? Contributor Purna Virji looks at ways to keep text ads fresh and top of mind by optimizing ad targeting and...
Structuring paid search campaigns: Segmentation vs. aggregation
Contributor Megan Taggart recommends regularly auditing paid search accounts to assess the need for segmentation or aggregation which will...
Expanded phrase match negatives: A script for misspellings
Can't spell? No problem, says contributor Daniel Gilbert. Here is a script that will boost your phrase negative keyword matching by finding the...
A look at the new Google Ads (AdWords) interface
Contributor Jeff Baum looks at the benefits of the new Google Ads reporting and automation...
PPC’s #fakenews: 9 ways bad numbers might look good
Did you know it’s super-easy to fake your way to seemingly good PPC performance? Contributor Andreas Reiffen shares multiple ways to arm...
Say goodbye to low Quality Score with this Google Ads script
Are low Quality Score keywords wasting your money? Contributor Daniel Gilbert shares a script to help you find where they are for a quick...
5 Things Google Ads can now do automatically
Contributor Frederick Vallaeys looks at automated tools in the platform formerly known as AdWords, outlines how 'smart' automation works and...
