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Where traditional search and AI chatbots excel: A closer look

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

Marketing conversations nowadays almost always involve artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to the future of search. 

Will AI chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Bard ultimately replace “traditional” search as we know it? 

Generative AI brings a meaningful shift with vast possibilities for the future of search. The potential for disruption makes it an exciting time for the industry. 

Curious about the strengths and weaknesses of traditional search engines versus AI chatbots, I ran 100 identical queries in both Google search and ChatGPT. The results revealed that each approach has its own advantages in certain situations.

This article covers key areas where traditional search engines and AI chatbots like ChatGPT have the upper hand.

Advantages of traditional search

Where do search engines have the edge? Four areas will be hard to shake from consumers’ minds.

Facts and figures (birthdays, ages and math problems)

When you search on Google, it does not only suggest and anticipate the full query. 

In most cases, it also provides the answer without hitting enter. 

This applies to queries where the answer is specifically a number result.

Integrations

If you want anything visual, traditional search is the way to go. 

While ChatGPT may eventually catch up in this area, Google’s vast ecosystem is currently a major advantage. 

With access to Maps, YouTube, and Gmail, Google has a wealth of knowledge about its users. 

For example, you can simply tell Maps to navigate from “home” to a specific location like Progressive Field.

YouTube is another powerful tool, particularly for “how to” searches. Google can quickly pull up relevant YouTube videos and take users directly to the section of the video that answers their query. 

Images

Similar to the integrations point above, Google’s ability to identify the contents of an image and provide users with relevant results is a valuable use case for search. 

As AI chatbots evolve, they will have the ability to integrate with multiple components and absorb even more images to understand them. 

Google Lens is already using AI to decode images, and the next step is to apply this to AI chatbots.

But for now, image searches for products, plants, animals and more remain a key differentiator, adding value to users.

Opinion and nuance

Having the ability to choose the source to get your answer or opinion is important. 

For example, you might be seeking a restaurant recommendation and want to see if multiple sources agree on the same spot. Or perhaps you want to compare Fox News and CNN’s takes on a particular story. 

With an AI chatbot, you’ll only receive one viewpoint without the ability to access a range of opinions.

Whether it’s a debate about the best Wu-Tang Clan rapper or a contentious political issue, gathering information from various sources can help you develop a well-rounded opinion. 

Advantages of ChatGPT

Here are four areas where AI chatbots like ChatGPT shine.

Content creation

ChatGPT has the ability to generate copy at lightning speed, whether it’s a poem, blog post, email, or even a script. 

This has significantly reduced content creation time, putting pressure on marketers to evolve their writing and creativity. 

Imagine the possibilities for your brand. You could quickly generate engaging blog posts or craft personalized emails for your customers.

While this is a nice poem, I did not use it for my anniversary. My wife still appreciated the personal poem I wrote (at least, that’s what she told me).

Creativity

Similar to content creation, AI is transforming the creative process. You can now easily create everything from images and jokes to screenplays and songs. 

While this technology is still being refined, it is set to change how we approach creativity – from ideation to execution. 

‘How to’ tasks and recipes

Have you ever found yourself wading through endless ads and scrolling through cluttered websites when you only need a simple answer?

This may be more of a problem for the ad ecosystem overall, but AI chatbots do better when you just need straightforward answers to your queries. 

Case in point: recipe websites.

They often provide a poor user experience, with too much fluff, numerous ads and the need for endless scrolling – even if you only really wanted a simple recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  

On the other hand, ChatGPT simply gives you an answer. It takes you step by step and keeps the answer straightforward in a bulleted list.

Support (coding and problem-solving)

“Everyone can be a 10x engineer.” 

I’ve heard this statement many times since ChatGPT rolled out. 

AI chatbots help support various tasks, such as summarizing meeting minutes, finding errors in code or helping solve math problems. 

These tools enable users to expedite tasks that were previously tedious or time-consuming. 

Search helped us find answers, but AI chatbots can become personal support agents.

They go beyond seeking answers and surface the answer with the solution already completed for us.

Riding the crest of change in search

We are witnessing the early days of a significant change in the industry. It’s a thrilling time for digital marketers since the rise of social media during the Web 2.0 era. 

However, this change is much more consequential because AI has quickly disrupted the way we work. This will put pressure on existing business models, ultimately benefiting consumers. 

Despite this, some critical use cases are still not yet accessible in AI chatbots. Thus, we’ll still need to rely on traditional search engines for now. 

Strap in, keep testing and enjoy the ride.

The post Where traditional search and AI chatbots excel: A closer look appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

5 new changes to the Google Ads API

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

Google has just announced the v13_1 release of the Ads API.

In order to utilize some of the v13_1 features, users will need to update their client libraries and client code. There are no breaking changes in this version.

What’s new. The highlights of the release are as follows:

1. Bid simulations can now be obtained at a campaign level for Performance Max via campaign_simulation.
2. Several recommendation types related to Shopping campaigns have been added, including suggestions for migrating to Performance Max and resolving a Merchant Center account suspension.
3. Google Ads now supports SKAdNetwork conversion value schemas for iOS App campaigns. Information on setting up schemas and best practices for iOS campaigns can be found here.
4. The LeadFormField.has_location_answer has been added to indicate whether the locations of location assets at the campaign or customer level should be displayed with a lead form.
5. (Allowlisted feature) Performance Max campaigns now feature a VEHICLES listing type in the new Campaign.listing_type field, replacing ShoppingSetting.use_vehicles_inventory, which will be designated for Smart Shopping campaigns.

Dig deeper. Learn more about the change on the Google Ads Developer Blog.

Why we care. API v13_1 introduces new features and improvements that can enhance campaign management and performance. The update includes new recommendation types for Shopping campaigns, support for SKAdNetwork conversion value schemas in iOS App campaigns, and additional functionality in Performance Max campaigns.

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

A quick guide to managing your online reputation

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

With the prevalence of social media and online review platforms, what people say about you online can make or break your personal brand or small business. 

This article covers best practices for managing your online reputation so you can set your brand up for success both online and in the real world.

Why does my online reputation matter?

Online reputation consists of the overall perception of a brand based on the information available to your audience. 

A positive online reputation can help attract business partners and customers, build trust, and improve the overall public perception of your brand. 

Your online reputation consists of brand-related information, including:

• Reviews.
• Social media content.
• Articles.
• Anything else that appears in the search engine results when someone searches for your brand. 

Your reputation can make or break your brand, and managing it appropriately is imperative.

Set SMART goals

Before anything else, establish what you’re working toward. 

What are your goals for your online presence? How can they help contribute to your brand’s success? 

Set SMART goals, ensuring they’re specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. The clearer and more well-defined, the better. 

Setting one or two overall brand goals in addition to more granular goals for specific campaigns allows you to focus on long and short-term goals simultaneously. 

Brand goals should not be altered often unless your business model changes. 

Campaign goals, however, can rotate more frequently depending on your brand’s needs. 

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

Where do you excel? Where are you weakest? 

There’s a reason interviewers ask these questions. 

Knowing your weaknesses helps you work to strengthen them and keeps you from being blindsided by an attack. 

Strong leaders understand that weaknesses can be exploited or used for growth and turned into strengths.

Highlight your superpowers

Where do you have an edge over the competition? What can you do better than anyone else? 

Let’s say you provide excellent customer service in an industry known for being unreliable.

Use that to show your potential customers how much better their experience can be if they choose you.

Address your roadblocks

Do you have a small budget? Fear of negative reviews? Lack of buy-in from leadership? Is a disgruntled former employee or customer trying to take you down? 

Identifying your setbacks is the first step in conquering them. Typically, small businesses report time and budget as their biggest roadblocks.

Know your audience

A deep understanding of your customers, peers, and competition is key to reputation success. 

You need to have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your industry. If you don’t know who you’re talking to, how will you know how to speak to them? 

Successful brands understand precisely what feelings and perceptions their logos and communication evoke with their audience and what their customers expect of them. 

Remember, not everyone is your target audience. If you try to reach everyone, you will not connect with anyone. 

Find your voice on social media and create content that connects

Social media is a great place to develop your brand voice. This is not the place to start pushing hard selling. 

Earn the trust of your audience by getting to know them without asking anything in return.

Transparency is critical, with consumers regularly reporting that honesty, friendliness, and helpfulness are top behaviors consumers want to see from brands on social media. 

Do you know what never makes the list? Sales pushes. 

Be careful not to turn your audience against you by misusing your platforms. 

Earning your audience’s trust must come before overly promotional posts, especially if you want them to become strong brand advocates.

Pro tip: Be particularly careful about edgy humor and snarkiness on social. Brands often miss the mark or end up offending users. 

Content strategy

Once you’ve determined your goals, you can map your content strategy. Don’t skip this step, you won’t get far without a plan. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is to create a site plan. 

For existing content, keep a sheet with current pages and posts on your site and the targeted keywords for each page. 

Create another sheet with a prioritized list of content that you need to create. 

This will keep you on track and ensure you’re setting yourself up to rank for keywords and topics relevant to your brand’s success.

Not sure where to start? Take a look at your competition. 

You want to show up everywhere they are and anywhere they’re not. 

Providing valuable information on your site helps with optimization efforts. It also builds trust with your audience as they learn you provide helpful, valuable, and reliable information.

Own your name

Prevention is worth an ounce of cure. Claim your username across all channels. 

You’ll be much more able to weather an attack if you’ve built a strong foundation to stand on. 

One bad review in a list of hundreds is far less believable than one bad review out of two or three.

When creating content, utilize third-person and descriptive language to assist in SEO efforts. 

Use consistent, descriptive handles and names on social sites, blog posts, and earned media.

See what ranks for your name, and make sure you have a positive presence there.

SEO

Leverage owned content to control the information about your brand online. 

One of the most effective and reliable ways to do this is via search engine optimization (SEO). 

Optimizing your website and other online profiles to rank higher in search engine results lets your customers find information about your brand online and insulate you against a reputation attack. 

If you can own all of the results on the first page of the SERP for your brand name, it is much harder for someone to get negative information to rank for your name in an attempt at a reputation attack.

Keep up with SEO best practices to ensure your site ranks well for your key brand terms.

Congruence

Your online reputation is closely tied to your personal or professional brand. 

Whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner, it’s essential to establish a consistent brand image across all online platforms. 

Congruence across familiarity in tone, voice, look, and feel of what you share across different channels is essential. 

Of course, you’ll need to customize based on limitations and audiences of individual channels, but give the same customer experience at all touchpoints. 

If you look at a major brand’s social profiles, you’ll notice that they typically have consistency from site to site, both with visuals and written content. 

You want your customers to feel comfortable if they jump from your website to your Facebook page and then to Twitter. 

If they have to stop and think about if they’re still with the same brand as they move from channel to channel, you have a larger chance of losing them in the journey.

Set clear expectations

The perceived success or failure of a project or experience depends greatly on that project’s expectations. 

You expect a different level of service when you enter a five-star resort than you do from a roadside motel. What do you want your customers to expect from you? 

Decide, and then deliver. Be authentic, and be helpful wherever you can. 

Being helpful and meeting expectations will increase customer satisfaction, resulting in more positive reviews and social media engagement, which will improve your overall reputation and revenue.

Use reviews to build your brand

Let reviews help you get better. Positive reviews are great to have, but the bad ones are what assist you in improving.

Respond to every review you get. Saying “thank you” when someone leaves a positive comment or review is an easy win. Every brand should do this, but many don’t.

More importantly, own your mistakes. If someone leaves a negative review, address the problem.

Monitor what is being said about you online

Monitoring your reputation will allow you to know your audience’s perception of your brand and alert you to potential problems before they get out of hand. 

Track news and earned media mentions, social media platforms, online reviews, forums, and any other platforms where your brand’s audience may be active. 

This way, you can uncover potential opportunities for building your brand.

Be consistent

Managing your online reputation is a continual process that requires time, strategy, and consistent attention. 

A good reputation indicates trustworthiness and reliability to potential customers and business partners. 

Knowing your audience – and ensuring they know you – will help you build a positive reputation and guarantee your customers and colleagues are loyal advocates of your brand.

The post A quick guide to managing your online reputation appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Meta’s ad revenue is up 4.3% in Q1

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

The “year of efficiency” for Meta is starting out relatively decent in terms of revenue, with a 3% increase overall. And despite their plan to cut an additional 10,000 jobs this quarter, things seem to be looking up. At least for now, anyways.

Meta shows growth for advertising and its Family of Apps but a decline in revenue for its other major business segment, Reality Labs. Let’s dive in.

Revenue. Ad revenue increased by about 4.3% in Q1 2023.

• The advertising revenue for Q1 2023 was $28,101 million, an increase of 4.3% compared to the same period in 2022 ($26,998 million).
• Total revenue for Q1 2023 was $28,645 million, an increase of 2.6% compared to the same period in 2022 ($27,908 million).
• Other revenue was $205 million for Q1 2023, a decrease of 5.1% compared to the same period in 2022 ($215 million).

Sure, here is the table with an additional column for the percent difference:

Daily active users. Meta’s Q1 2023 performance also showed impressive growth in user engagement.

• Facebook’s daily active user count increased by 4% to reach 2.04 billion.
• The number of monthly active users was 2.99 billion.
• The “family of apps” category, which includes Instagram and WhatsApp, saw a 5% year-over-year rise in daily active users, totaling 3.02 billion.
• The number of monthly active users in this category also increased by 5% to 3.81 billion.

Good to know. For the full year, analysts are estimating total expenses of $86B-$90B, which includes $3B-$5B of restructuring costs, and expects Reality Labs operating losses to increase this year. 

Dig deeper. You can review the full earnings report here.

Why we care. Meta’s financial performance and growth provides important insights into the current state of the technology industry and the advertising market. The earnings report can give advertisers a sense of the overall demand for technology products and services, such as the company’s two main business segments, Family of Apps and Reality Labs, which can help advertisers understand the trends and opportunities in these areas.

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Google updates site names in search results after numerous complaints

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023

Google has pushed out a fix to resolve some of the inappropriate or unexpected site names selections displayed in the Google Search results. This comes days after Google posted a web form asking for user feedback about site names that were inaccurate, inappropriate, or wrong, as we reported earlier this week.

As a reminder, Google added site names months ago on desktop and last year on mobile search.

The issue. Google can sometimes disregard the specified site name and replace it what it thinks the site name should be. For example, when it came to searching for [salesforce], Google was showing a space between “sales” and “force,” and the CMO of Salesforce called it “extremely damaging to our brand.”

The fix. Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, posted an update in the Google support forms saying a fix was pushed out that resolves some of the issues. He wrote, “We recently rolled out a change that seems to be helping with some of the cases reported here and through our form (and likely some others that weren’t reported).” “This change may take time to populate so that internal pages also reflect updated sitenames,” Sullivan added.

It resolved the issue for Salesforce, as you can see from this screenshot below:

However, this did not resolve all the issues reported by all users. Glenn Gabe shared some examples of site names not resolved by this fix on Twitter. “Here are 3 examples of site name problems that were not fixed with the changes rolled out by Google yesterday. The worst is DNN Software that says “Weight Loss Forum”. The others are just wrong & one is causing legal issues,” he wrote:

Controlling site names. Google back in October explained that Google Search uses a number of ways to identify the site name for the search result. But if you want, you can use structured data on your home page to communicate to Google what the site name should be for your site. Google has specific documentation on this new Site name structured data available over here.

Upgrading the favicon. Google also recommended revisiting the documentation for favicons for the latest best practices. Google is now also suggesting you provide an icon that’s at least 48 pixels and follows the existing favicon guidelines.

Ads. This is also rolled out to the Google search ads on desktop, so the size of the site name, favicons, and also the ad label will be more prominent in mobile search. In fact, Google rolled out the “Sponsored” label in mobile search last October and today on desktop, officially replacing the “Ads” label from January 2020.

Why we care. When Google gets your site name, it can not only be upsetting and unprofessional, but it can also cause confusion and legal issues for some businesses.

It is good that Google is collecting feedback about the issues and working to address most, if not, all the reported issues.

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How to outsource link building: Benefits and tips to follow by Admix Global

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023

Are you tired of spending countless hours on link building for your website only to see minimal results? In this article, you’ll find some risk-free tips on outsourcing link building effectively, so you can sit back, relax and watch your website rise to the top of search engine rankings.

The role of link building in SEO

Are you ready to rock your SEO game? Well, you better be because Hubspot reports that a whopping 64% of modern enterprises are investing in SEO to stay ahead of the competition.

And what’s the secret sauce to SEO success? It’s link building! A study by Ahrefs found that the number of referring domains to a webpage strongly correlates with its search engine ranking position. In other words, the more quality backlinks you have, the better your chance of ranking higher.

However, over 41% of digital marketers think link building is like rocket science. It’s confusing, time-consuming, and sometimes downright frustrating.

So, there are numerous advantages that SEO experts can reap by outsourcing their link-building efforts.

Saves time and resources

According to Seotribunal, 65% of marketers affirm link building is the most challenging SEO tactic. Partnering with a reliable provider can relieve the pressure of executing complex link-building campaigns while freeing valuable time and resources.

Provides access to specialized expertise

Link building is no child’s play. Seasoned professionals know their onions and have the required skills and expertise to execute effective linking campaigns. What’s more, their extensive network of contacts enables them to procure links with greater speed and efficacy.

Link acquisition based on experience. Source: Authority Hackers

Cost savings

When securing top-notch links, you have two ways: hire an in-house team of seasoned link builders or outsource the job to experts in the field.

Building an in-house team may only be financially viable if you have a substantial number of projects to undertake. Otherwise, attempting to build such a team could drain your resources dry in no time.

Undoubtedly, the most significant expense of running an in-house link-building team is typically the salaries. Here are figures gleaned from the Glassdoor website:

The average link builder salary. Source: Glassdoor

Imagine hiring a full-time link-building specialist. With all the time and effort they’ll be putting into research and outreach, you can expect 13-15 backlinks per month. The cost of each of these precious links can skyrocket to an eye-watering $500-$700 per placement.

Moreover, expect additional expenses such as benefits, recruitment and hiring, tools and technology, training and overhead costs. So, with an in-house specialist, one link can cost you $800+.

When outsourcing to a third-party agency, companies only pay for the services rendered and are free from worrying about employee salaries, benefits, incentives and overhead costs.

Ready to give outsourcing a shot? Here are tips on how to achieve optimal results from outsourcing your link-building endeavors.

How to outsource link building without risk

Now, let’s delve into the essential steps to take on your journey toward prosperous link-building outsourcing.

Prepare your website

Your main task is to prepare a favorable ground for link building. To prepare your website, follow these steps:

• Organize your site structure with a clear hierarchy and easy navigation;
• Create engaging content with multimedia, which can increase indexed pages by 434%;
• Optimize content for SEO with relevant keywords, fast loading time and mobile-friendly design;
• Build a strong internal linking structure to improve visibility and ranking;
• Fix technical issues, including broken links, for easy crawling by search engines.

Some link-building agencies offer to help their clients with site audits or content creation.

Choose an experienced contractor

A quick jaunt over to Clutch and a search for “link-building agency” reveals an avalanche of almost 12,000 potential collaboration options on that site alone.

Search results for “Link Building” on Clutch. Source: Top link-building companies and services

Now, let’s take a closer look at the critical factors you should keep in mind when selecting an agency to partner with.

Pricing

While you might be able to find a bargain-basement deal on some shady corner of the internet, you’re probably better off investing in a reputable agency that can deliver real results.

Take a look at this screenshot from Fiverr, where a search for “Link Building” shows these surprising prices:

Search results for “Link Building” on Fiverr

If an outsourcing agency promises to get you 10 backlinks for only $100, they might be talking about low-quality links from forums or comment sections (Google ignores them in its ranking algorithm). Here’s what John Mueller, a senior search analyst at Google, says about it:

“You could go off and create millions of links across millions of websites if you wanted to, and we could just ignore them all.”

For example, at Editorial Link, a top-rated link-building agency on Clutch, one quality link starts at $350. Sticking only to white-hat techniques, the Editorial Link team builds high-authority editorial links to create strong portfolios and bring natural traffic to linked websites.

Through outreach efforts, the Editorial Link team gets top-quality backlinks from highly authoritative sources with a significant online presence: g2.com, Hubspot.com, Cloudways.com, Clickup.com, monday.com, Wordstream.com, Similarweb.com and many more.

They do not charge a prepayment and invoice the clients only after link placement approval. The team strives for maximum transparency and is not willing to sell dozens of low-quality links (which will not make any impact on the results of their clients) for the same amount.

Transparency

It’s crucial to evaluate an agency’s level of transparency before engaging in any business with them.

Some important questions to ask:

• What methods and strategies will they use while working on your project?
• Do they charge upfront or only when results are delivered?
• Are they willing to share the results of their successful campaigns?
• Does the agency disclose domains before publication?

The last point is especially critical. In this way, you get a chance to personally check whether the site is suitable for you to get a backlink. It’s not rare for domains with high DR (70+) to sell the opportunity to place a guest post or a link. It is advisable to steer clear of websites that engage in the sale of guest posts and are monitored by Google.

Generating spammy backlinks has the potential to harm search engine rankings, painting such a bleak picture:

Traffic drop on a site that was sanctioned by Google in February 2020

Working with a transparent agency can help minimize your risk and ensure you don’t end up worse off than when you started.

Monitor the process

While trusting a provider, it’s important to keep an eye on the work process and make sure the agency follows the agreed guidelines and techniques.

• Regular communication. Regular communication allows you to receive updates on the progress of your campaign and discuss any concerns or feedback you may have.
• Performance metrics. To track the success of your link-building efforts, ask the agency to provide regular reports detailing the metrics you care about most. This could include information on the number of links acquired, traffic generated, and rankings improved.
• Quality control. While your agency may be responsible for acquiring links for your site, it’s important to review the quality of the links they’re obtaining. Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz or Majestic for that.

Red flags

Once you know how to act to mitigate the risks of cooperating with a link-building team, it’s time to tell you what you shouldn’t overlook as you prepare to accept the provider’s offer:

• Need for speed. Building high-quality links is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Beware of services that claim to get you links in just a few days. They’re likely using shady tactics like link farms.
• False promises. If a service is 100% guaranteeing you a spot on the first page of Google, they might as well be claiming they can turn lead into gold.
• The curious case. Transparency is key in this industry, and anyone unwilling to present you with the results of their previous campaigns is likely hiding something. Insist on openness and honesty from the get-go.

Conclusion

Link-building outsourcing is a cost-effective and efficient way to hit marketing goals and improve SEO results. The key to this is trust-based reliable relationships with the right link-building service provider.  

The post How to outsource link building: Benefits and tips to follow appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

How to uncover the root cause of PPC performance changes

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023

At some point, your PPC performance will take a nose-dive. Once you’ve managed PPC campaigns long enough, you will likely navigate numerous crises. 

Pinpointing the source of a specific issue can be challenging. Here’s how PPC managers can embrace root cause analysis to mitigate performance issues and get things back on track.

Root cause analysis for PPC accounts

Root cause analysis is necessary to identify the underlying factors impacting PPC account performance.

The process involves a systematic approach to identifying the problem, collecting data, analyzing the data, and determining the root cause of the issue.

For reference, here is a quick list of the steps you should follow to conduct root cause analysis within your PPC account:

Define the problem

Clearly state the problem and its impact on your PPC campaigns. Make sure everyone involved understands the issue.

Gather data

Collect relevant data about the problem, such as when it started, how often it occurs, and what factors are involved.

Identify potential causes

Brainstorm all possible causes of the problem. Use fishbone diagrams or the “Five Whys” technique to identify the root cause.

Test the cause

Analyze the data to see which potential reason is most likely to be the root cause. Test your hypothesis by implementing a solution and measuring its effectiveness.

Implement a solution

Develop and implement a solution that addresses the root cause. Monitor the results in your PPC account and adjust the solution as needed.

Finally, document the process so you can learn from it and prevent similar issues in the future.

This process can be applied to almost any business challenge. However, this process is highly relevant when diagnosing a PPC account. 

Getting to the core issue of your PPC account

The third step in our root cause analysis process mentioned the “Five Whys Technique,” a tool used to identify the underlying cause of a problem. It’s a general principle that is relevant to our PPC analysis process. 

The technique involves asking “why” five times to drill down to the root cause of the issue, based on the idea that there is always a deeper cause to every problem. 

For example, here is a thought exercise when analyzing a PPC account: 

• Conversions dropped by 25% between April 15 and April 18. Why? 
• Let’s analyze PPC traffic first. Traffic remained steady, and other metrics appeared stable, but the average conversion rate dropped. Also, there were no significant changes to targeting, bid algorithm, or audience signals. Why else?  
• Website traffic isn’t an issue. Let’s look at the website. Engagement metrics such as bounce rate and time on site look stable. Site engagement was steady, but purchase rates declined. Why? 
• Let’s ask the website team if any site changes were made. Yes, they did make changes to the site during that. Why? 
• The development team removed a series of popular products due to low inventory. They still needed to have a chance to notify all the teams. 

Of course, diagnosing a PPC account can take many different routes. But you can see how this process pushes account managers to continue digging for the right solution.

Isolating the impacted timeframe

The first step in identifying and analyzing an issue within a PPC account is isolating the timeframe where a change occurred.

This makes it easier to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and develop an effective strategy to address it. 

Account managers can thoroughly analyze the data by narrowing down the period, including the keywords, landing pages and ad copy, to identify the factors contributing to the decline.

This analysis can help account managers develop a tailored strategy to improve performance and prevent future declines. 

Additionally, isolating the timeframe allows search marketers to measure the effectiveness of any implemented solutions and ensure performance remains stable and positive going forward.

Determining macro and micro issues

When analyzing account performance, it is crucial to differentiate between macro and micro issues. 

Macro issues affect the entire account and can result from external factors such as changes in search algorithms or the introduction of new competitors. Examples of macro issues include:

• Problems with targeting or ad messaging.
• Lack of budget.
• Issues with landing pages. 

Resolving macro issues can lead to significant improvements in account performance. 

External factors such as changing search algorithms, user behavior, or seasonal changes can also affect account performance. 

Therefore, teams should consider these factors to develop an effective root cause analysis process to determine potential issues within a PPC account.

On the other hand, micro issues are specific to individual campaigns and require a different level of attention. Examples of micro issues include:

• Low click-through rates.
• High bounce rates.
• Low conversion rates. 

Nevertheless, identifying and addressing micro matters can significantly improve campaign performance. 

Tools for PPC root cause analysis

Root cause analysis is an excellent framework for diagnosing your PPC campaigns. However, you will need tools to help activate this process. 

Below are a few tools that can help you analyze issues as they arise within PPC.  

Account change history

A performance change in your PPC account can often be traced back to a specific campaign change. The account change history log is the first place you conduct your analysis within Google and Bing. 

Account reporting

As mentioned in our five-step process, isolate the timeframe and affected campaigns. 

Your Google and Bing advertising accounts contain the data and the reports you need to get you started (and perhaps finished) with your root cause analysis. 

Pair your account report to isolate the time and campaigns with your change history log to understand if a specific change is the cause of your issue. 

Google Analytics

As part of your root cause analysis, you should also look at how all digital channels are trending. Google Analytics helps analyze traffic sources, including paid, organic, social, and referral. 

If you need to diagnose a performance issue, you first isolate the impacted timeframe and then review Google Analytics to understand if multiple channels have been affected. 

Google Trends

We have discussed macro-trends influencing account performance. Google Trends helps understand high-level trends within your industry/vertical. 

This tool varies in its usefulness. Google Trends is the highest level of data you can review and the least personalized to your specific account. 

Still, it can provide industry trends as you conduct your analysis. 

A systematic approach to analyzing PPC issues

A robust root cause analysis process is critical to identifying the underlying factors affecting PPC account performance. 

By following a systematic approach to identifying the problem, gathering relevant data, analyzing it, and determining the root cause of the issue, PPC marketers can develop a tailored strategy to improve performance and prevent future declines. 

When performance fluctuations arise (and they will), remember not to panic and take a methodical approach to solve the problem.

The post How to uncover the root cause of PPC performance changes appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Google now supports 25 more countries with new return policy structured data

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023

Google expanded displaying shipping and return information in its search results last week and added new return policy documentation in the product structured data help section specific for merchant listings. Today, Google has expanded the number of countries that can use applicableCountry required property from 25 countries to a total of 50 countries.

What changed. Google updated the return section of this structured data help document to write, “You can specify up to 50 countries.” Previously it said, “up to 25 countries.” Here are before and after screenshots:

Before it said 25 countries.

Now it says 50 countries.

More shipping and return snippets. Some are now noticing more search result snippets in Google Search showing the shipping and return snippets. Here is one example:

Why we care. If you are using this markup and your country is supported, you may soon start to see the shipping and return information show up within your search result snippets in Google Search. Check out the new markup and make sure to validate the markup in Search Console to ensure it will work as expected.

These small snippet changes can potentially have a large impact on your click-through rate from Google Search to your web site.

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Google announces new validations for ad account names

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

Beginning in June 2023, new Google Ads accounts will no longer be able to include a URL in their account names.

What’s changed. Specifically, when creating a new Google Ads account through the Google Ads API or updating an existing one, if a URL is found in the descriptive_name field, an ACTION_NOT_PERMITTED error will be generated, causing the operation to fail. This change, however, will not impact the descriptive_name field of existing accounts.

Dig deeper. You can read more about the change on the Google Ads Developer Blog.

Why we care. Adhering to new naming conventions is crucial to maintaining a seamless ad experience. By adhering to the new rules, advertisers can avoid encountering errors when creating or updating their accounts, thus ensuring a smooth account setup process, preventing potential delays in launching campaigns, and fostering a more organized and consistent naming convention across the platform.

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

10x productivity with chatbots, prepare for GA4, and more at SMX Advanced

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

With the steady rollout of algorithm updates (hello, March core update), significant changes to tried and true platforms (farewell, UA), and unprecedented advancements in generative AI and other machine learning technologies, one of the biggest challenges search marketers face today is staying up-to-date with the latest tactics and adapting their strategies accordingly.

Attend SMX Advanced, online June 13-14, for free, to keep a finger on the pulse of the ever-changing search marketing industry, validate your ongoing initiatives, and stay a step ahead of the competition.

Here’s a sneak peek at the expert-level program:

• Exploring recent major Google algorithm updates and preparing for what’s next with Glenn Gabe, SEO Consultant at G-Squared Interactive

• AI prompt engineering for greater PPC productivity and performance with Amy and James Hebdon of Paid Search Magic

• Using ChatGPT to drive technical SEO efforts with Eric Enge, President of Pilot Holding

• 10X your keyword research with chatbots with Aleyda Solis, founder of Orainti

• Inside Google Marketing Live 2023: Announcements and analysis with Julie Friedman Bacchini, President at Neptune Moon LLC

• PMax for lead generation with Menachem Ani, founder of JXT Group

Check out more agenda details here!

Your free pass unlocks the entire program, including…

• 40+ tactic-rich sessions, keynotes, and live Q&As (Overtime!) with speakers
• Instant on-demand access so you can train at your own pace
• Coffee Talk meetups that connect you with a community of passionate search marketers
• A personalized certificate of attendance showcasing your commitment to continued learning

… and much more. What are you waiting for? This is your once-a-year opportunity to learn from and connect with advanced search marketers who are passionate about what they do and are ready to share what it takes to win. Secure your free pass now!

Psst… Have you heard? The 2023 Search Engine Land Awards are open for entries! Don’t miss your opportunity to boost team morale, attract new business, and stand apart from the competition… enter now!

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing