larry kim's presentation for searchfest 2015, portland, oregon

The Top 10 PPC Marketing Hacks of All Time!Larry Kim, Founder/CTO, WordStreamFeb. 27, 2015

Three Things About Me (@larrykim)

1. Founder & CTO of WordStream

2. (Slightly) Obsessed with Quality Score

3. Had a Kid 9 Months Ago (#ppckid)

Larry Kim (@larrykim) #SEARCHFEST

Photos From My Commute from Boston This Morning


#10. HackingQuality Score in AdWords

Understanding the AdWords Auction

How Quality Score Impacts Ad Position

• AdWords is Like Real Estate: It’s all about Location!


Quality Score Impacts Cost Per Click


Quality Score Impacts Impression Share


Impression Share 2x More Competitive on Mobile


Quality Score Impacts Cost Per Conversion


So.. Get a High Quality Score!

Duh, Awesome!


How is Quality Score Calculated?!

This is The Expected Click Through Rate Curve…


Just Beat Account Avg. Expected Click Through Rate!!


Quick Recap So Far …

• Below Avg. CTR = Low QS

• Low QS means…– Less prominent ad

positions– Very low impression

share– Huge CPC penalties

(+400% Tax)

– High Cost Per Conversion (+64%)


# 9. Hacking Ad Click Through Rates

Google Expects (A Lot) More Of Your Ads


CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT DISTRIBUTE 19

Forest vs. Trees

Here’s a Map of the Forrest…


Donkeys vs. Unicorns

Percentile Vs. Average CTR Designation

Bottom 50% n/a DONKEYS

Top 15% 2x

Top 5% 3x

Top 1% 6x UNICORNS



Unicorns Ads(6x Avg. CTR - HOW?!)


Hunting Unicorn Ads

Keywords With High Commercial Intent


What About Dynamic Keyword Insertion? (DKI)


DKI Doesn’t Produce as Many Unicorn Ads


What About Ad Extensions?


How To Write “Unicorn Ads”?

(Top 1%, 6x Average CTR)

Most Ads (+90%) Suck.

29Larry Kim (@larrykim) #SEARCHFEST

The Hack: Ads That Trigger Emotions


This Ad Gets 6x Above Avg. CTR


Because Everyone Else Sucks


# 8. Quality Score for Twitter & Facebook Ads!

Leverage Quality Score in Social PPC!


Higher Engagement Rates = Lower CPEs!


Quality Score on Facebook, Too!


Paid Promotion Yields Organic Exposure


# 7. People-Based PPC Marketing!

Facebook “People Advertising”


Twitter “People Advertising”!


The Hack: Think of PPC More Like Email Mktg.

Email Marketing

• Limit Number of Blasts To Reduce Unsubscribes

• 0.5-2% Unsubscribes Each Blast

• People Need To Opt Into Your List

• Tons of Unqualified Emails on the List

People Based Marketing

• N/A

• N/A

• N/A

• N/A


Identity-Based Marketing Opens Up a TON of New

and Exciting PPC Advertising Use Cases!!

How Does Stuff Go “Viral”??


Article Published Friday at 5PM EST


Shared Story on My Social Media


Promote to My List of Influencers


Story Appeared in Marketing Land 2 Hours Later


Exponential Growth

Key Takeaway:You need interesting content + influential people finding your stuff

Identity Mktg Increases Chance of Getting Noticed

WordStream Articles

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WordStream Articles

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Identity Mktg Increases Chance of Getting Noticed


Identity + User Demographics = $$$



# 6. Quality Score for Google Display Network

A 0.1% +/- in CTR yields +/- 20% in CPC!

Quality Score Exists on Google Display Network!!

Higher CTR = Lower

CPC

Higher CTR = Lower

CPC


The Hack: Make Display Ads With Very High CTR


About Those “Display Ads”…

• 67.5% of Display Ads are Plain Text Ads!


CTR of “Display Ads” Based on Ad Format

Ad Format on Google Display Network

Click Through Rate

Text ads that are formatted as Images

0.23%

True Image ads 0.31%


Huge Tax on “Text Display Ads” vs. True Image Ads

Google Display Network Ad Format

CPC (USD)

Text $2.31

Custom Image $0.48


Push Display Ads To Your Offers


Do a Conversion Path Analysis

Define audience segments using the pages that most often lead to a conversion event


Conversion Rates vs. Ad Impressions


Conversion Rates Double With More Ad Impressions!

Push Display Ads to Content


~5% of Blog Content Gets ~50% of Social Shares

Promote These Top 5% of Articles!!!


These Emotions Make People Click on Things


The Hack: Make Display Ads Look More Like Content



# 5. Get 3x More Impressions on Google Display Network

14 Display Ad Formats on GDN

• Vertical rectangle: 240 x 400• Mobile leaderboard: 320 x 50• Banner: 468 x 60• Leaderboard: 728 x 90• Square: 250 x 250• Small square: 200 x 200• Large rectangle: 336 x 280• Inline rectangle: 300 x 250• Skyscraper: 120 x 600• Wide skyscraper: 160 x 600• Half-page: 300 x 600• Etc.


Different Ad Formats Don’t Compete With Each Other


Diversify Your Ad Formats = 3x Impressions

Ad Format Share ofImpressions

Leader board (728 x 90) 25.5%Inline rectangle (300 x 250) 25.1%Banner (468 x 60) 12.0%Wide skyscraper (160 x 600) 10.1%Large Rectangle (336 x 280) 8.6%Mobile leaderboard (320 x 50) 7.4%Half-page (300 x 600) 4.3%Square (250 x 250) 2.8%



# 4. Crazy Mobile Hack to Triple Conversions

Mobile is Very Different…

OMG a Call Button!!


Call Extensions Change Everything!!

Calls to Businesses worth on Average 3x More Than Clicks to Websites!!

4. Captured Lead

2. Calls Business

2. Clicks On Ad

Desktop Search Conversion Funnel

3% Avg. Conversion Rate

Mobile Conversion Funnel

1. Sees Ad 1. Sees Ad

3. Visits Website Landing Page

3. Lead Captured!!


Contact & Qualification Rate Evaporates Fast!


Yet Mobile is Much Cheaper Than Desktop Clicks


Forget Mobile Sites & Landing Pages!



# 3. New Gmail Ads!

Larry Kim (@larrykim)Larry Kim (@larrykim) #SEARCHFEST

Subject Line and Teaser …


Email Ad!


The Hack: Target Your Competitor’s Emails


# 2. YouTube Trueview Ads

YouTube TrueView Ads!


YouTube Ads Hack #1: Know Targeting Options

• Demographics: Age, gender, parental status.

• Topics: YouTube video or Google Display Network content targeted by category or sub-category.

• Interests: A few thousand categories of specific topics

• Affinity audiences: People with a strong interest in your brand, product, or service.

• In-market audiences: People in the process of buying something.

• Placements: Add unique websites or placements within those websites.

• Channels (YouTube Partner Channels)• Videos (YouTube Videos)• Sites on the Google Display Network

• Remarketing lists: Reach viewers based on their past interactions with your videos or YouTube channel or Website.

• Keywords: YouTube viewers’ search queries.


YouTube Ads Hack #2: Test Going Longform


YouTube Video Promotion = More Organic Visibility!


# 1. First Mover Advantage

+1000 New Features Every Year!!


+Post Ads for Google+


My Google+ Story…


Google+ Visibility Before and After!

AfterBefore


The Top 10 PPC Hacks of All Time!

1. Say No to Low CTR in AdWords

2. Unicorn Ads Get +6x Average CTR

3. Exploit Quality Score for Twitter & Facebook

4. People Based PPC Marketing

5. QS on Google Display Network = Cheap Clicks

6. Make Display Ads Look Like Content

7. Triple Conversion Rate with Mobile

8. Get in People’s Gmail Inboxes!

9. YouTube Ads Boost SEO Traffic, Too.

10.Always be First Mover!


You are Part of the Quality Score Rebellion … and a Traitor


Thank You #SEARCHFEST!

@larrykim
