Evaluating and Improving Performance

Now that you have your ads up and running, it’s important to monitor your search campaigns to learn what is working and what isn’t through reporting and tracking. In this final email of the Smart Start Series, we’ll review some important concepts about tracking your results.

Reporting
The Reports section of your account features nine reports that provide data about specific results in your campaigns, such as the performance of particular ads, keywords, daily spending, and more. We recommend that you regularly review the results in these reports to help you get the most out of your campaigns.

• Use reporting to see which ads perform the best or which keywords are not attracting customers.
• Other reports allow you to monitor your account activity and billing transactions.
• Reports can be emailed to you daily, weekly or monthly.

Tracking URLs
Tracking URLs can be used to understand the types of search queries that are related to your keywords, and to help you refine your keyword selections. It’s actually just a bit of extra text that is added to the end of the destination URL you supply when writing your ads. The tracking URL provides information such as:

• Where your customers came from
• What their search queries were
• Which keywords were matched to their search queries
• Whether they clicked on a Sponsored Search or Content Match ad.

Learn how to turn on tracking URLs.

Do Your Clicks Turn into Sales?
Tracking campaign performance and how your prospective customers reached you is only part of the puzzle. To fill in the missing pieces, you need to find out how your web site traffic is affecting your bottom line. Our conversion-only analytics feature tells you how your campaigns are performing by measuring which clicks lead to conversions on your site. You can also use it to measure things such as revenue, cost-per-acquisition and more.

Helpful Tip
The default date range for reports is the previous two weeks. To select a certain range, just click on the calendar icon.

Basics on Quality Index and Ad Copy

Your ad quality, which is based in part on how frequently people click on your ads relative to your competitors, matters a lot. High-quality ads can receive higher ranking on the search results page at a possibly lower cost-per-click. On the other hand, poor-quality ads can cost you more and are most likely not attracting customers. So it’s critical to write good ad copy that will help improve the quality of your ad and help you get more clicks.

Monitoring and Maintaining Your Quality Index
In your account, ad quality is represented by your quality index. You will see the quality index shown as one to five bars—the more bars an ad has, the higher its quality. Monitoring your ads’ quality indices, which are displayed on the Ad Group details page, can help you figure out which ads need more work.

Writing Effective Ad Copy
Well-written ads get the attention of your customers and may improve your click-through rate (CTR) and ad quality. Here are some tips for writing great ads:

•	Be clear and precise - Write ads that are clear, concise, honest and, of course, grammatically correct. Don’t over-hype your business.
•	Use your keywords in your ad - Use the Insert Keyword function, available when you create a new ad or edit an existing one, to automatically insert your keyword in your ad. Keywords in your title or description help your customers recognize that your ad matches their search.
•	What’s in it for your customers? - Be specific as to how your service or product can benefit your customer.
•	Include a call-to-action - Words like “Buy Now” in your ad may encourage customers to click. If you have a specific offer, make sure you state it.
•	Set yourself apart - Let people know how you’re different from your competitors—free shipping, a money-back guarantee, many years in business and so on—and give them a reason to click your ad instead.

Find out which Ads Work Best
Make sure you use ad testing, also known as A/B testing, to test multiple ads. When you create more than one ad in an ad group, our system will automatically display the higher performing ads more frequently in search results. With different ad copy, you can see which ads attract the most customers.

Bidding Basics

Figuring out how to set the right bid for your business can be tough. If your bids are too high, you may reach your daily spending limit much faster than you planned. If you set your bid too low, your ad may not get enough clicks.

But don’t panic: We have some best practices to share. Specifically, when setting your bids, we recommend that you…

1.) Consider your daily spending limit.

• Make sure that your bids will not deplete your daily spending limit in just a few clicks.
• Example: If you have a $3 daily spending limit, don’t set your bids at $1 or more.
• Think about the number of keywords that you are bidding on—remember, they share the same account daily spending limits.

2.) Test the waters.

• Start with low bids, watch your account to see what’s working for you, and adjust.
• Remember that it takes time (and patience) to figure out the bid amounts that will generate your desired click volume.
• Consider the value of each keyword. Different keywords have different values—for you and the marketplace.
• Example: A plasma TV is worth more than a TV remote control, so those keywords might warrant very different bids.
• Is a keyword generic or very specific? Specific “niche” keywords can often attract very engaged search users at a low cost.

Helpful Tips

• Your bid is the maximum amount that you are willing to pay for a click.
• Your cost-per-click (CPC) is the actual amount you pay for a click, and may be lower than your bid.

Basics on Quality Index and Ad Copy

Your ad quality, which is based in part on how frequently people click on your ads relative to your competitors, matters a lot. High-quality ads can receive higher ranking on the search results page at a possibly lower cost-per-click. On the other hand, poor-quality ads can cost you more and are most likely not attracting customers. So it’s critical to write good ad copy that will help improve the quality of your ad and help you get more clicks.

Monitoring and Maintaining Your Quality Index
In your account, ad quality is represented by your quality index. You will see the quality index shown as one to five bars—the more bars an ad has, the higher its quality. Monitoring your ads’ quality indices, which are displayed on the Ad Group details page, can help you figure out which ads need more work.

Writing Effective Ad Copy
Well-written ads get the attention of your customers and may improve your click-through rate (CTR) and ad quality. Here are some tips for writing great ads:

•	Be clear and precise - Write ads that are clear, concise, honest and, of course, grammatically correct. Don’t over-hype your business.
•	Use your keywords in your ad - Use the Insert Keyword function, available when you create a new ad or edit an existing one, to automatically insert your keyword in your ad. Keywords in your title or description help your customers recognize that your ad matches their search.
•	What’s in it for your customers? - Be specific as to how your service or product can benefit your customer.
•	Include a call-to-action - Words like “Buy Now” in your ad may encourage customers to click. If you have a specific offer, make sure you state it.
•	Set yourself apart - Let people know how you’re different from your competitors—free shipping, a money-back guarantee, many years in business and so on—and give them a reason to click your ad instead.

Find out which Ads Work Best
Make sure you use ad testing, also known as A/B testing, to test multiple ads. When you create more than one ad in an ad group, our system will automatically display the higher performing ads more frequently in search results. With different ad copy, you can see which ads attract the most customers.

Basics on Budgeting

Remember that you can set your own budget, so you are in control of how much you spend each month—and you can adjust it at any time. Here are three things to consider when you set your budget:

1 Your Daily Spending Limit

• You can set daily spending limits - the amount you want to spend each day—for your entire account and for each campaign (if you wish). You can estimate your monthly budget to be approximately 30 times your account’s daily spending limit. If you reach your daily spending limit, your ads may stop displaying for the rest of the day and you will be notified with an alert.

2 Account Limit vs. Campaign Limit

• Although you can set your daily spending limit at both the campaign and account levels, the system generally won’t spend more than your account limit*. So make sure your account limit is high enough to cover what you want to spend on all of your campaigns put together.
• Keep in mind that if you add keywords and campaigns, you may want to consider increasing your account daily spending limit, so that you can get the amount of clicks you want for each campaign. If you go over your daily spending limit, your ads may stop showing for the day.

3 How Much Should I Spend?

• There’s really no definitive answer. Like most advertisers, you may start by picking an amount you can afford and see how well it performs over time.
• Don’t spread yourself too thin—pick your most profitable products or services to start with, and focus your budget on them. Start small and expand as appropriate.
• It’s important to look at how often your clicks are turning into sales, and keep it in mind when adjusting your budget. This concept of calculating your return on investment (ROI) or cost per acquisition (CPA) takes a little bit of effort, but the work pays off when you’re spending wisely.

Basics on Quality Index and Ad Copy

Your ad quality, which is based in part on how frequently people click on your ads relative to your competitors, matters a lot. High-quality ads can receive higher ranking on the search results page at a possibly lower cost-per-click. On the other hand, poor-quality ads can cost you more and are most likely not attracting customers. So it’s critical to write good ad copy that will help improve the quality of your ad and help you get more clicks.

Monitoring and Maintaining Your Quality Index
In your account, ad quality is represented by your quality index. You will see the quality index shown as one to five bars—the more bars an ad has, the higher its quality. Monitoring your ads’ quality indices, which are displayed on the Ad Group details page, can help you figure out which ads need more work.

Writing Effective Ad Copy
Well-written ads get the attention of your customers and may improve your click-through rate (CTR) and ad quality. Here are some tips for writing great ads:
• Be clear and precise - Write ads that are clear, concise, honest and, of course, grammatically correct. Don’t over-hype your business.
• Use your keywords in your ad - Use the Insert Keyword function, available when you create a new ad or edit an existing one, to automatically insert your keyword in your ad. Keywords in your title or description help your customers recognize that your ad matches their search.
• What’s in it for your customers? - Be specific as to how your service or product can benefit your customer.
• Include a call-to-action - Words like “Buy Now” in your ad may encourage customers to click. If you have a specific offer, make sure you state it.
• Set yourself apart - Let people know how you’re different from your competitors—free shipping, a money-back guarantee, many years in business and so on—and give them a reason to click your ad instead.

Find out which Ads Work Best
Make sure you use ad testing, also known as A/B testing, to test multiple ads. When you create more than one ad in an ad group, our system will automatically display the higher performing ads more frequently in search results. With different ad copy, you can see which ads attract the most customers.

Bidding Basics

Figuring out how to set the right bid for your business can be tough. If your bids are too high, you may reach your daily spending limit much faster than you planned. If you set your bid too low, your ad may not get enough clicks.
But don’t panic: We have some best practices to share. Specifically, when setting your bids, we recommend that you…

1.) Consider your daily spending limit.
• Make sure that your bids will not deplete your daily spending limit in just a few clicks.
• Example: If you have a $3 daily spending limit, don’t set your bids at $1 or more.
• Think about the number of keywords that you are bidding on—remember, they share the same account daily spending limits.

2.) Test the waters.
• Start with low bids, watch your account to see what’s working for you, and adjust.
• Remember that it takes time (and patience) to figure out the bid amounts that will generate your desired click volume.
• Consider the value of each keyword. Different keywords have different values—for you and the marketplace.
• Example: A plasma TV is worth more than a TV remote control, so those keywords might warrant very different bids.
• Is a keyword generic or very specific? Specific “niche” keywords can often attract very engaged search users at a low cost.

Basics on Budgeting

Remember that you can set your own budget, so you are in control of how much you spend each month—and you can adjust it at any time. Here are three things to consider when you set your budget:

1 Your Daily Spending Limit
• You can set daily spending limits—the amount you want to spend each day—for your entire account and for each campaign (if you wish). You can estimate your monthly budget to be approximately 30 times your account’s daily spending limit. If you reach your daily spending limit, your ads may stop displaying for the rest of the day and you will be notified with an alert.

2 Account Limit vs. Campaign Limit
• Although you can set your daily spending limit at both the campaign and account levels, the system generally won’t spend more than your account limit*. So make sure your account limit is high enough to cover what you want to spend on all of your campaigns put together.
• Keep in mind that if you add keywords and campaigns, you may want to consider increasing your account daily spending limit, so that you can get the amount of clicks you want for each campaign. If you go over your daily spending limit, your ads may stop showing for the day.

3 How Much Should I Spend?
• There’s really no definitive answer. Like most advertisers, you may start by picking an amount you can afford and see how well it performs over time.
• Don’t spread yourself too thin—pick your most profitable products or services to start with, and focus your budget on them. Start small and expand as appropriate.
• It’s important to look at how often your clicks are turning into sales, and keep it in mind when adjusting your budget. This concept of calculating your return on investment (ROI) or cost per acquisition (CPA) takes a little bit of effort, but the work pays off when you’re spending wisely.

Understanding Keywords

Keywords are the foundation of your search marketing account and help lead customers to your website. The keywords you select can have an impact on future traffic and sales.

Here are some guidelines for choosing keywords:

1 .) Look for keywords on your own web site.
Think like a customer and pick the words that your customers might be searching on to find you.

2 .) Use one of our keyword suggestion tools.
Click the “Add Keywords” link in your account for helpful suggestions. This feature provides three easy options that can help you generate keyword ideas: “Quick Add,” “Choose from List” and “Research Keywords.”

3 .) Think about keywords that attract customers at each stage of the buying cycle.
The buying cycle has three major phases: research, shopping and purchase. The closer someone is to buying, the more specific your keywords should be. For example, customers may search for “guitar” during research, “Fender guitar” while shopping, and “American Standard Fender Telecaster guitar” when they’re ready to purchase.

4 .) Pick a mix of broad and specific keywords.
Keep in mind that using more generic keywords, like “guitar,” can cause you to go through your budget and may not lead to sales as often, but can be helpful for driving traffic from prospective customers who are in the research phase. Selecting more specific keywords may deliver fewer clicks, but they may be more likely to result in sales.

Basics on Quality Index and Ad Copy

Your ad quality, which is based in part on how frequently people click on your ads relative to your competitors, matters a lot. High-quality ads can receive higher ranking on the search results page at a possibly lower cost-per-click. On the other hand, poor-quality ads can cost you more and are most likely not attracting customers. So it’s critical to write good ad copy that will help improve the quality of your ad and help you get more clicks.

Monitoring and Maintaining Your Quality Index
In your account, ad quality is represented by your quality index. You will see the quality index shown as one to five bars—the more bars an ad has, the higher its quality. Monitoring your ads’ quality indices, which are displayed on the Ad Group details page, can help you figure out which ads need more work.

Writing Effective Ad Copy
Well-written ads get the attention of your customers and may improve your click-through rate (CTR) and ad quality. Here are some tips for writing great ads:
• Be clear and precise - Write ads that are clear, concise, honest and, of course, grammatically correct. Don’t over-hype your business.
• Use your keywords in your ad - Use the Insert Keyword function, available when you create a new ad or edit an existing one, to automatically insert your keyword in your ad. Keywords in your title or description help your customers recognize that your ad matches their search.
• What’s in it for your customers? - Be specific as to how your service or product can benefit your customer.
• Include a call-to-action - Words like “Buy Now” in your ad may encourage customers to click. If you have a specific offer, make sure you state it.
• Set yourself apart - Let people know how you’re different from your competitors—free shipping, a money-back guarantee, many years in business and so on—and give them a reason to click your ad instead.

Find out which Ads Work Best
Make sure you use ad testing, also known as A/B testing, to test multiple ads. When you create more than one ad in an ad group, our system will automatically display the higher performing ads more frequently in search results. With different ad copy, you can see which ads attract the most customers.

Source: http://www.ysmblog.com/

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