create powerful custom automations with adwords scripts by frederick vallaeys

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeys

How to Find, Hack & Build Great Scripts

Create Powerful Custom

Automations with AW Scripts

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeys

HELLO!I am Frederick VallaeysI am the Cofounder of OPTMYZR and Google’s former AdWords Evangelist. You can find me at @SiliconVallaeys or read my blog on Search Engine Land.

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#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeys

Humans Could Use Some Help

Hidden Figures - Image Courtesy of 20th Century FoxIBM 7090 at NASA - Courtesy of NASA

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But Automation Is No Walk In The Park Either

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Lee Sedong became a better Go player from learning the strategies that DeepMind used to beat him.

Humans and Machines Are Better Together

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What Should We Automate in PPC

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeysWould your results improve if you could

bid by weather?

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeysOr if you could change bids in real time based on

inventory?

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AW Scripts are pieces of JavaScript codethat can automate tasks in AdWords on a predefined schedule.

What Are AdWords Scripts?

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Before You Run For The Doors...

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Scripts can create reports and make account changes:

• Video Campaigns• Shopping Product

Groups• Ad extensions • Budgets • Bid Strategies • Advanced APIs • Labels• Reporting API

• Audiences• Keywords• Bids• Ads• Ad Groups• Campaigns• Targeting• Bid modifiers

What Can Scripts do in AdWords?

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Basic Services• Charts• Drive• JDBC

(Databases)• Gmail• Google Sheets• URLFetch

Scripts work with systems outside of AdWords

…Data

Weather Data

CompanyDataAP

I

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Advanced APIs (Beta)• Google Analytics• BigQuery• Calendar• Fusion Tables• Prediction• Shopping Content• Tasks• YouTube• YouTube Analytics

Scripts Connect With Lots of Big Data

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeysA few script ideas…

#SMX #32B @SiliconVallaeys

Improve Your Google Account Health Score

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Automate Bidding

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Automate Holiday Themed Ads With Calendar

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Maintain Stacked BidsStacked bidding keeps the bid for more specific match types higher:

http://selnd.com/2npfzVK

Exact $1.00

Phrase $0.80

Modified Broad $0.70

Broad $0.60

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Close variants are becoming less exact

http://selnd.com/2npnPVO

Keep Exact Match Exact

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Change bids for a short duration when your ads run on TV or radio

Raise Bids When Your TV Ads Run

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Scripts API

Hosting Hosted by AdWords, just like Google Docs

You need a server

Skills needed Copy-and-Paste Install the code, some SDKs or libraries, …

Scheduling Set your schedule inside AdWords

Maintain cron jobs on your server

Capabilities Can’t manage everything Almost everything in AW

Strengths Quick to test something out Better for large accounts

Bottom Line: With Scripts, you don’t need to be an engineer to automate AdWords

AdWords Scripts vs API

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API

Scripts Automated Rules

Scheduling As often as hourly As often as daily

Capabilities Highly customizable Limited predefined rules

Entities Can use data from different entities

Can only use data from the entity you are trying to act on

Bottom Line: Scripts are more flexible than Automated Rules

AdWords Scripts vs Automated Rules

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Copy a Prebuilt Script

https://developers.google.com/adwords/scripts/

http://www.FreeAdwordsScripts.com

http://www.Optmyzr.com

Setup: Step 1: Find Your First Script

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• Go to the account where you want to run the script

Now you can add scripts to MCC accounts

• Campaigns > Bulk Operations > Scripts

Step 2: Add The Script In AdWords

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Step 3: Copy-and-Paste the Code

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Step 4: Preview the Script

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• Maximum frequency is hourly

• Maximum execution time is 30 minutes

Step 5: Schedule It

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You need a programmer who knows AdWords

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Learn how to communicate with

programmers

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• Write a PRD (Product Requirements Document)

• Provide an example of the desired output

• Think about inputs and outputs

Inputsi.e. things you provide to the

program

Outputsi.e. things you

want at the end

A good developer will handle the magic that happens in the middle

Tips For Working With Developers

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Scripts don’t work with some parts of AdWords:

• Keyword Planner• Display Planner• Auction Insights• Experiments • Draft Campaigns• App Campaigns• Bid Simulator

• Change History• Campaign Creation• Billing• Opportunities• Reports Tab

What Can Scripts Not Do In AdWords?

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LEARN MORE: UPCOMING @SMX EVENTS

THANK YOU! SEE YOU AT THE NEXT #SMX

Frederick@Optmyzr.com