Boost Your PPC Marketing with Top 10 Practices in 2020

10 PPC Best Practices include:

1. Defining Goals: Set primary and secondary goals for the marketing program, ad platforms, and campaigns.
2. Budget Review & Optimization: Regularly reconcile planned vs. actual spend, eliminate underperforming campaigns, and consider reallocating budgets.
3. Consider New Ad Platforms: Explore platforms beyond Google, Microsoft, and Meta Ads, such as LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat.
4. Top Topics in Google Ads & Microsoft Ads: Incorporate video, Performance Max campaigns, and automation into your PPC strategy.
5. Revisit Keywords: Evaluate keyword groups, review search term queries, and understand current keyword rules.
6. Revisit Your Audiences: Analyze past audience selections and explore new targeting opportunities like LinkedIn user targeting and detailed demographics.
7. Organize Data Sources: Centralize data viewing and reporting using platforms like Google Analytics.
8. Reevaluate How You Report: Update PPC key metrics and reporting practices to ensure data relevance and actionability.
9. Consider Using Scripts: Automate report generation and tasks in Google Ads with scripts.
10. Seek Collaboration: Engage with industry peers for new ideas and second opinions through associations like the Paid Search Association.

To optimize PPC campaign budgets effectively:

• Reconcile your planned vs. actual spend regularly.
• Eliminate underperforming campaigns to free up the budget for others.
• Evaluate if there's additional traffic to capture for successful campaigns using ad platform tools.
• Shift budgets from mediocre channels to more successful ones if necessary.
• Invest more in campaigns with positive results if your company's budget allows.

When considering new ad platforms for PPC campaigns, look beyond the usual suspects like Google, Microsoft, and Meta Ads. Consider these platforms based on your audience:

• LinkedIn: Best for professional and business targeting, also accessible through Microsoft Ads.
• TikTok: Targets a younger Gen Z audience with video content.
• Pinterest: Ideal for products, services, and consumer goods with a female focus.
• Snapchat: Appeals to a younger demographic with video ads, app installs, filters, and lenses.

Revisiting keywords in PPC campaigns is crucial because keyword match types have become less precise, focusing more on searcher intent. To revisit keywords:

• Lay out keyword groups and assess if they still represent your brand and product/service accurately.
• Review search term queries to identify trends and behaviors that might affect performance.
• Understand the current keyword rules to adjust for close variants or traffic volume shifts.
• Brush up on platform-specific keyword functionality as differences can impact campaign success.
• Review search term reports more frequently to filter out irrelevant keywords due to match type changes, and update negative keyword lists accordingly.

To use scripts for PPC campaign management, you don't need extensive programming knowledge. Scripts can automate report generation and repetitive tasks, particularly for large accounts. Start by exploring resources like Search Engine Journal for use cases and script resources. There are many online resources offering free or templated scripts, making it accessible for those with basic scripting skills.