range online media creating compelling ads - ses chicago 2006
TRANSCRIPT
Range Online Media
Creating Compelling Ads - SES Chicago 2006
Creating Compelling Ads
• Who is this guy?• Are there really that many types of creative?• Your goals & the evolving CTR dilemma• What I learned the hard way• Creating compelling titles• Creating compelling descriptions• Display URLs: Do they really make a difference?• The changing game• Best practices
Who is this guy?
• Seven-year search veteran• Primarily retail and travel verticals• PPC, PI and SEO• Tested more creative than I care to remember• Attended way too many of these shows
…and I’m still learning
…because they keep changing the rules!
We’re only concerned with two venues for search creative…
Or are we?
Easy enough…right?
1. PPC Search
2. Paid Inclusion
3. Vertical Feed Programs
4. RSS Feeds
5. Local Search & IYP Listings
6. Directory Listings
7. Pay-Per-Call Listings
Consider demographic and geographic targeting
The more we can target and track creative, the more we must test.
So what’s “compelling” and why bother?
Add the word “FREE” to all your creative for the best CTR.
We’re done! (and so is your business…)
REMEMBER:
We’re not chasing clicks. We’re after YOUR goals.
• Creative is a gateway to qualify your traffic.
• Good creative should grab target audience’s attention as a relevant and credible offer compelling enough to merit a click to investigate.
• Compelling ads should not offer more than your site can deliver.
The CTR Dilemma
I wish I could improve my click-through rate.
What’s wrong with my creative?
Maybe NOTHING at all.
You want qualified users, not clicks. Perhaps you’re addressing your target audience better than the competition.
Here’s the dilemma: Google (and soon Yahoo!) reward HIGH CTRs with LOW CPCs.
Do I or Don’t I Want a High CTR??
Consider a simple example.
This is the traffic you want. It drives sales.
These are the sales
you want. This is the traffic you
don’t want.
Your Creative
Test to Find the Balance
30 Clicks
20 Clicks
Creative #1
10 clicks of 50 possible clicks at $.20 CPC lead to 2 sales costing $1.00 each.
2 Sales
Test to Find the Balance
30 Clicks
20 Clicks
Creative #2
40 clicks of 50 possible clicks at $.15 CPC lead to 3 sales costing $2.00 each.
3 Sales
Testing to Find the Balance
In this example, paying a higher rate due to a lower CTR is more cost effective. Introduce revenue and consider your goal.
• Max profit?
• Max volume?
• Max volume at a specific profit per sale?
What I Learned the Hard Way
1. Define your goals and make them measurable
2. You only think you know what a searcher wants
3. Don’t discount good creative without testing
4. You can’t read reasonable creative and know if it works
5. What works for your competitors may not work for you
6. Most searchers will skim your creative
7. Check out your creative wherever it appears (so you can sleep at night)
Titles – Step 1 of 3
Titles are proven to be the most important part of the paid results creative. If your title does not catch a searcher’s attention, you’ve lost them.
1. Use keywords in your title. Matching terms are bolded in the SERPs.
• Dynamic keyword insertion (Google)
• Customize titles per keyword (Yahoo – Pre-Panama)
• ALWAYS be grammatically correct
2. Differentiate yourself from your competition wherever possible
Keyword: Cole Haan
Descriptions – Step 2 of 3
Now that you have the user’s attention, use your description to further cull the converting traffic:
1. Customization per keyword is key
• Set up adgroups by creative, not keyword (Google)
• Customize descriptions per keyword (Yahoo – Pre-Panama)
2. Tell YOUR story
• Include your brand
• Clearly indicate your unique value proposition (price, selection, etc.)
• Use a call-to-action
Keyword: NikeKeyword: Nike
Display URLs – Step 3 of 3
Display URLs can have a huge effect on your click through rate – especially if the landing page URL is a brand users are unfamiliar with.
105%ROI
7.46%CTR
Nike.comDisplay URL
80%ROI
7.03%CTR
Niketown.comDisplay URL
By switching from Niketown.com to Nike.com:
• .43% increase in CTR
• 25% increase in ROI
Delivering on Expectations
How does great creative go wrong?
Over-promise and under-deliver.
An example from a Yahoo! search for “Hotel Puerto Vallarta”
The Ever Changing Game
1. Quality Based Bidding (QBB)
2. Evolving Editorial Rules
3. Match Types & Syndication
4. New Search Engine Features
5. “White Noise”
6. Search Engine APIs & API Tools – Dynamic Creative
7. Varied Character Lengths
Most Frequent Question
Will inserting price points in the creative increase conversion?
Not necessarily. Testing has shown both positive and negative results.
• The strategy can be high maintenance and if not compelling or accurate, it could ultimately backfire and trigger a price war.
• Consider % off or inserting sale end dates.
• Synchronize your search creative with promotions.
Best Practices
1. Define your goals and make them measurable
2. The more customized your title and description are to your keyword, the better your chance to earn a click
3. Don’t chase CTR; test the equation. Don’t get every click, get every profitable click. Turn off auto optimizer.
4. Rotate at least 3 creative pieces.
5. Try to isolate variables (don’t mix tests)
6. Perpetually test (save performance data & tested creative!)
Best Practices
What do the search engines suggest? Some helpful references:
Google Adwords:
https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=27372&topic=131
https://adwords.google.com/select/guidelines.html
Yahoo! Search Marketing:
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/rc/srch/writelistings.php
MSN
http://advertising.msn.com/msn-adcenter/learning-center/faqs/ad-guidelines
MIVA
https://adcenter.us.miva.com/help_center/Ad_Strategy_Tips.htm
ClickRiver Beta
https://clickriver.com/advertiser/docs/content-guidelines.html
