Am I doing something wrong v.PPC

O

ohgod123

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Aug 4, 2010
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So after reading Perry Marshall's Definitive Guide to Adwords, I got to work on the struggling PPC campaign for the e-commerce site that I work for. The boss is pretty much blaming me after I increased the CTR by more than 3x for the campaigns that I worked on(because he isn't getting as many conversions).

Details:
I have changed NOTHING on-site. Everything has been through Google Adwords.
I have made all the necessary keyword, negative keyword, ad copy, ad group adjustments.

So I'm failing to see how this is my fault when he is getting 3 times the CTR. The original CTR was around .5% and now it's hovering at 1.5%. I told him the landing page needs work and he disagrees with me. He says it is a problem with the ad copy(obv trying to stick all the blame on me)

P.S. The Quality Score for some of the our highly competitive "big name" keywords are extremely low and it seems it's been a huge bitch to increase them. Any ideas on this?

Thanks guys:D
 


He's probably right. High CTR does not necessarily mean its an ad worth running if it's not converting. Changes to the LP could help, but I can see why he's bitter if it converted for him before and now it doesn't.

BTW, I'm just guessing, but isn't Perry Marshall's stuff on Google outdated?
 
you're CTR isn't the problem necessarily. if you're linking to a plain ecommerce item page, those are tough to convert on. make sure it's got everything a buyer needs to feel safe about the transaction. brand logos, security badges, human pics, payment logos, etc.

also try sending them to a lander with reviews, videos, etc or even try a flog. keep testing, you'll get there.
 
High CTR and HIGH CVR typically don't come hand in hand. The objective is finding a good balance where you get the best CTR without dropping your CVR.

In your case, it is very possible that your new ad copy has attracted an audience that is not in the "purchasing" mode.
 
Sounds like your boss is clueless and full of shit. Make sure the landing page is immediately delivering the promise that was made in the ad.

Worst case scenario, go back to the old ad to shut him up if he's still on your nuts. His loss.
 
I've been telling him the landing page is the issue because it pretty much just throws all the items onto one page with no organization. I'm all for making sure that the customer has the best user experience as to find everything quickly and easily. But he keeps saying the landing page is not the issue because they converted in the past.


@mGrunin: that's possible, but I'll let you decide. Which one do you think is better right here? #1 or #2?

#1
Uttermost Sale
Uttermost Lighting & Fixture Sale
110% low price guarantee. Free S&H.

#2
Buy Uttermost Lamps
Best Prices On Uttermost Lamps!
No Tax. Free S/H. Quality Service.
 
ohgod123 said:
I've been telling him the landing page is the issue because it pretty much just throws all the items onto one page with no organization. I'm all for making sure that the customer has the best user experience as to find everything quickly and easily. But he keeps saying the landing page is not the issue because they converted in the past.


@mGrunin: that's possible, but I'll let you decide. Which one do you think is better right here? #1 or #2?

#1
Uttermost Sale
Uttermost Lighting & Fixture Sale
110% low price guarantee. Free S&H.

#2
Buy Uttermost Lamps
Best Prices On Uttermost Lamps!
No Tax. Free S/H. Quality Service.
Click to expand...

The 2nd one.
 
ohgod123 said:
I've been telling him the landing page is the issue because it pretty much just throws all the items onto one page with no organization. I'm all for making sure that the customer has the best user experience as to find everything quickly and easily. But he keeps saying the landing page is not the issue because they converted in the past.


@mGrunin: that's possible, but I'll let you decide. Which one do you think is better right here? #1 or #2?

#1
Uttermost Sale
Uttermost Lighting & Fixture Sale
110% low price guarantee. Free S&H.

#2
Buy Uttermost Lamps
Best Prices On Uttermost Lamps!
No Tax. Free S/H. Quality Service.
Click to expand...

The one that tests better.
 
word.
110% will increase CTR by least 110%

I use it all the time.. Even on Dating ads. But you cannot use that trick to direct link to offer page. Its needs a pre-sell.. to convincingly explain why 110% ... :)
 
K well bossman is pretty much giving me shit after around 25k impressions when it sometimes takes up to 50k impressions for a sale to happen. I'm just thinking...if you own a sweatshop and I bring the customers to your shop and everything is disorganized and the customers feel overwhelmed...whose fault is that? I've increased your traffic 3-fold and I've pointed out the problem.

I've pointed out that split testing everything(including the landing page) is critical. I suggest Google WSO and he said we don't need it because he "doesn't believe it's necessary".

Anyway, I'm leaving this gig soon and I just want to lay out everything to him before I go so I want to make sure I'm not insane. Thanks guys.
 
ohgod123 said:
#1
Uttermost Sale
Uttermost Lighting & Fixture Sale
110% low price guarantee. Free S&H.

#2
Buy Uttermost Lamps
Best Prices On Uttermost Lamps!
No Tax. Free S/H. Quality Service.
Click to expand...

Both ad will attract buyers. Ad2 probably has higher CTR while ad 1 probably convert better.

Ad one will get buyers who are in the price comparing mode ready to buy.

Ad two will get people that are interested to see what's the best price.

Try something like this

Uttermost Lamp Sale
Lowest price uttermost lamp & highest quality guaranteed.
No tax, free s/h. Buy it now!
 
Thanks Jard - I'll try it out

edit: after going through most of the ads I adjusted, it looks like I was using various "selling" keywords like "Sale", "Discount", "Cheap", or "Low Price". I've taken some of his fail ads from .27% CTR to 4% and he just keeps saying I haven't increased his bottom line.
 
While it's true that you are doing an amazing job at increasing the CTR, maybe you really haven't made him more money.

Since he's not willing to do a redesign, or at least tailor the landing pages more, it sounds like your problem is that haven't learned to sell his suck ass lander in your ad text.
 
Quick answer, is the campaign is bringing clicks then the landing page is not optimized or the campaign not properly targeted

Cheers!
 
You should tell him that if he knows so much about CTR, landing page conversion rates, the non-value of Google WSO (which is free and invaluable when trying to increase landing page ctrs), then maybe he shouldn't have hired an internet marketer to take care of these things.

Sounds like the boss knows everything, his landing page is already top notch and he doesn't need any help.

Move onto the next lighting store gig and crush him.
 
As someone pointed out before, the answer to which ad is better cannot simply be determined by asking us, it can only be determined through testing, which seems like a concept you already fully understand.

Your boss, however, thinks testing is stupid because he already knows everything.
 
threehundred said:
As someone pointed out before, the answer to which ad is better cannot simply be determined by asking us, it can only be determined through testing, which seems like a concept you already fully understand.

Your boss, however, thinks testing is stupid because he already knows everything.
Click to expand...

Exactly - I spurned a top search agency in LA to work for this guy because I thought there was immense potential. But when a guy is so full of himself and is so quick to criticize, then there's no way I can stay.

I even had two arguments about the "nofollow" tag with him because he:

  1. Thought nofollow passed link authority
  2. Thought nofollow hurt our own domain :uhoh2:

It's good to know that I'm not insane about wanting to test things though :cool2:
 
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