Below we will discuss a few of the obvious ways to measure and assess how effective your Pay Per Click Account is being managed. There are hundreds of factors that you, or the persons in charge of your account, should be reviewing; therefore, I have only highlighted some of the obvious red flags that identify an account with opportunities for improvement.

Return on Investment

The single most important tip I can offer you when assessing your Pay Per Click marketing efforts is finding your return on investment.  This requires you to track leads and sales; however, with the creation of Google Analytics and several affordable call tracking services like Marchex, such data is fairly easy to obtain.  It is important to not let the length of your sales cycle stop you from measuring ROI. Create a simple Access Database or Excel Spreadsheet to track your leads and follow them through your sales cycle.  This type of tracking not only helps you find issues internally with your sales funnel & close rate but can also help you identify if PPC is the right marketing strategy for your business.

Quality Scores (QS)

Locating your quality scores is simple: click on the keywords tab in AdWords; then in the status column hover your mouse over the dialogue bubble.  The proper completion of this action will show you the quality score for that particular keyword (each keyword within your account will have a QS).  It is common knowledge that Quality Scores directly impact your cost per click.  A general rule of thumb is 8-10 = Great; 6-7, you’re hanging in there; 5 and lower equals danger, danger, danger.

Account Structure

Are you limiting the number of keywords per AdGroup to 10-15 keywords (not including match variations, i.e. Broad, Phrase, Exact)? Do you have at least two Ads per AdGroup? Are you using keyword match variations such as Broad, Phrase and Exact? Are you using negative keywords? If you answered “No” to any of these questions, you likely have a situation where your Account Structure is being poorly managed, and you’re seeing an increase in your average cost per click and cost per conversion as a result.

Account Settings

Have you reviewed your Geo-Targeting Settings and do they reflect the area where your target market resides and excludes other locations you’re not currently servicing? For example, car dealerships in NC, MS, CA showing up in local search results here in EverEffect’s hometown of Indianapolis. This results in lots of unnecessary Impressions, and likely increases everyone’s costs due to poor execution. Does your ad delivery schedule match that of your business (i.e. if your primary method of sales is via the phone, then your ads should only be running when someone is available to answer the calls)? Do you have your ads set to rotate evenly? Have you set up conversion tracking? Again, if you answered “No” then there is an issue with your settings and account management.

Account Management

Are you or the PPC Management Firm you have hired measuring, testing and identifying ways to improve your account daily?  You can find out this information by clicking the “View Change History” as seen below.

If you have answered “No” to any of these questions you need to ask yourself “Is my business currently getting the best ROI possible?”, “Is my PPC account being managed properly?” Likely the answer to both of these questions is also a resounding–NO!
At EverEffect our PPC Management Team reviews over 25 AdWords’ Key Performance Indicators daily.  We also provide each of our clients with weekly & monthly performance scorecards and recommendations. If you would like a free assessment of your Pay Per Click Account feel free to contact us.