Lessons from Holidays Past: Maximize Your Q4 Paid Search Campaigns

The 2016

Annual Q4 PPC Virtual Summit

H o w P P C Ad v e r t i s e r s C a n P re p a re f o r t h e U p c o m i n g H o l i d a y S h o p p i n g S e a s o n

Q4 Summit Layout

Day 1 Owning the Q4 Google Shopping Search Results

Day 2 Lesson from Holidays Past: Maximize Your Q4 Paid Search Campaigns

Day 3 Making Better Marketing Decisions Using Campaign Attribution Models

Event Logistics

• Submit Questions In the Chat Box to the Right

• Session Recording Will Be Sent 9/2/16

• More Resources In the Handouts Section to the

Right

• Poll Questions Throughout Presentation

Q4 Summit Event Coordinator

Nick CotterMarketing Operations Coordinator

Maximize Q4 Paid Search Campaigns with Lessons from Holidays PastDan Navarro

Director, Account Management

AdGooroo

5

GLOBAL LEADER IN PAID SEARCH INTELLIGENCE SINCE 2004

About AdGooroo

• Measuring text ad & product listing ads on desktop & mobile search

• World’s largest database of Search Marketing data• 50 Countries • 14 Search engines• 2 Million+ advertisers

• 4,000+ users worldwide

• Part of Kantar Media, the largest advertising intelligence company in the world

6

► Reviewing previous Holiday Season to maximize this year’s paid search holiday campaigns

• Assessing your prior year performance• Assessing what your competition did

► Analysis of trends in key metrics: competition, spend, CPC, CTR, impressions and click volume

► How to flight your budget

► Bidding on holiday-specific keywords

► A/B Testing• Copy• Ad Extensions• Landing Pages

Agenda

What Didn’t Change…?What Changed Since Last YearTrying to create an even playing field

• Google dropped right rail ads

• Branded CPC’s going up

• Google showing more ad extensions the higher in position you are

• Google breaking out capability to bid by device

• Expanded text ads (100% rollout on 10/26)

• Keyword planner changes

*Most recent news as of this morning (8/31/2016)

• Account level sitelinks

Identify High Level Trends

IDENTIFY TRENDING PATTERNSComparing YoY Seasonality

• What caused the dramatic fluctuation• How will it affect the 2016 Holiday season

DESKTOP TRENDSDaily Changes in Competition

• Identifying times during the Holiday season where competition comes in and out of the market

• Understanding your competition versus flash sites• Blackfridaydiscount.net

MOBILE TRENDSDaily Changes in Competition

• How does the mobile landscape differ from desktop• Less advertisers, but bigger players• Countering strategies between competition

• Zulily.com• Macys.com

How to Gain Efficiencies

Identify Trending Patterns

• While CPC’s do not vary, CTR sees just over a full percentage point difference

• Where did you fall in this mix?

Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16$0.56

$0.58

$0.60

$0.62

$0.64

$0.66

$0.68

$0.70

6.00%

6.50%

7.00%

7.50%

8.00%

Apparel & Fashion

CPC CTR

?

Identify Trending Patterns

• The jewelry category saw a 25% increase in CPC, while CTR fluctuated just under a percentage point

• Where did you fall in this mix?

Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16$1.15

$1.20

$1.25

$1.30

$1.35

$1.40

$1.45

4.50%

4.70%

4.90%

5.10%

5.30%

5.50%

5.70%

5.90%

6.10%

Jewelry

CPC CTR

?

Markets Differ in Competition

• Seattle, WA – 200 Unique Advertisers• New York, NY – 239 Unique Advertisers• Washington, DC – 207 Unique Advertisers

Markets Differ in CPC’s

• Seattle, WA – 200 Unique Advertisers

• New York, NY – 239 Unique Advertisers

• Washington, DC – 207 Unique Advertisers

- $2.41 Average CPC- $2.74 Average CPC- $3.39 Average CPC

Identify Trends During Peak Periods

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 010000

11000

12000

13000

14000

15000

16000

17000

18000

19000

20000

1.68

1.7

1.72

1.74

1.76

1.78

1.8

1.82

#REF! #REF!

Black Friday

Cyber MondayGreen Monday

What did the market look like through each of the three peak days

FOR DESKTOP BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAYDiffering Strategies Among Competitors

• Overstock.com ran ONLY during the weeks of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

• Bestblackfriday.com started strong, gradually pulling with each week that neared Black Friday

• How would you adjust knowing this?

Black Friday Started Earlier Last Year

• There was historically a relatively small window to push on Black Friday terms

• If historical trends stay true, the window may start growing

Cyber Monday Started Week of Nov. 1

• Cyber Monday may follow a similar pattern to Black Friday• We may start seeing the level of competition grow earlier in

October

How Did I Compare to My Competition?

9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Desktop Spend & Click Patterns

Target

Kohl’s

9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Mobile Spend & Click Patterns

Target

Kohl’s

9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Desktop CTR & CPC Patterns

Target

Kohl’s

9/27/2015 – 12/31/2015Identify Mobile CTR & CPC Patterns

Target

Kohl’s

WHAT IS MY COMPETITION SAYING?Holiday Ad Copy Strategy

• Direct Black Friday callouts • Optimize display URL

• Build awareness on sale• Spoke to other benefits, i.e.

“Price Match Guarantee”• Additional incentive with using

card

• Drawing on increasing subscriptions

• Speaking to convenience on pick-up

• Utilizing location and call extension

• Similar to prior, but different at the same time

• Speaking to holiday, subscription and creating sense of urgency

ANALYZE PRIOR YEAR CHAMPIONSHoliday Ad Copy Strategy

• Multiple URL mentions• Spoke to holiday• Free shipping incentive

• Creating sense of urgency• Offering dual incentive• Utilizing Google Ratings

• Optimizing display URL• Creating sense of urgency

with, “Coming Soon”

• Testing different language• Reduced dollar amount for

free shipping• Dual ad extensions

Take Your Strategy to AdWords

BREAKING OUT “HOLIDAY” KEYWORDS FROM GENERAL KEYWORDSHoliday Campaign Strategy

Holiday Generic

Black Friday

Cyber Monday

Green Monday

Men’s Dress Shirts

Men’s Button Down

Black Friday Men’s Button

Down

Cyber Monday Men’s Button

Down

Green Monday Men’s Button Down

Campaigns

Ad Groups

BREAKING OUT “HOLIDAY” KEYWORD STRATEGYHoliday Keyword Strategy

Ad Groups Ad GroupsKeywords

Top Funnel “High

Traffic”

Mid Funnel

Bottom FunnelGreen

Monday Men’s Button Down

Black Friday Men’s Button

Down

Cyber Monday Men’s Button

Down

Men’s Button Down Black Friday

Cyber Monday

Green Monday

CONSTANT A/B TESTINGHoliday Ad Copy Strategy

Kohls Black Friday SaleKohls.com/BlackFridayDon't Miss out on top Black FridayDeals. Plus Get an Extra 15%

Kohls Cyber Monday SaleKohls.com/CyberMondayDon't Miss out on top Cyber MondayDeals. Plus Get an Extra 15%

Kohls® Official SaleKohls.com/BlackFridayGet an Extra 15% with YourBlack Friday purchase.

Kohls ® Cyber Monday SaleKohls.com/CyberMondayShop our Cyber Monday SalesSpecial Deals on 11/28!

• Test…• Variations do not have to be drastic• Always keep one “Champion” in each ad group• CTR will be the easiest indicator on whether your copy is working• Asses against your competition

• What are they saying?• What do their efficiency KPI’s look like

• When you are done, test some more

How to Flight Your Budget

KNOW WHERE & WHEN TO PUSHAdvanced Ad Scheduling “Budget Flight”

Build a Supporting Google Shopping Campaign

NOTICING THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES

Optimizing Product Groups

PRODUCT GROUPS ARE KEY

Set Up Your Campaigns for Success

• Using Product Groups• All Shopping Campaigns will have a default Product Group named “All

Products”• Think of this as your safety net• Use Product Groups to organize your feed

• Prioritizing Google Shopping campaigns to run at an optimal level• High• Medium• Low

• Useful when a specific product is in multiple campaigns• i.e. Standard Group vs. Holiday Group

Tips• Make your Holiday groups as specific as possible• Push bids on high priority Product Groups

KNOW YOUR MOST IMPORTANT GROUPS AT ANY GIVEN TIME

Optimizing Product Groups

“All Products” Product Group(Low

Priority)

Product Group 1(Mediu

m Priority)

Product Group 2HOLIDAY (High

Priority)

Product Group 3 (Mediu

m Priority)

Summary

Execute

Plan

• Analyze prior year

• Identify larger shifts

• How did you perform overall

• Plan by• Quarter• Month• Week• Target Days

• Once execution is complete

• Analyze• Make

adjustments• Test• Re-test

Search Optimization Goes Full Cycle

Research/Optimize Implement

Assess/Repeat

Thank You

Dan Navarrodnavarro@adgooroo.com

www.adgooroo.com

dnavarro@adgooroo.com

312-725-1878

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