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8/6/2019 Search Marketing Now SEM Campaigns
1/10
Adding Efficiency to Your SearchEngine Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:
Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
A Search Marketing Now E-Book
8/6/2019 Search Marketing Now SEM Campaigns
2/10
Introduction
GGood search engine marketing (SEM) takes time, lots of time. There are constant updates; reams of data
reports to read, analyze and act upon; and clients or marketing directors always asking why their keyword
performance isnt better.
SEM is one of the most technologically driven disciplines in the digital marketing landscape. Ideally, search
marketers want to keep all search marketing data in one place where it can be easily analyzed and formatted into
meaningful reports that benefit the entire organization. For some search marketers, that data resides in an Excel
spreadsheet. At some point, however, it becomes necessary to add efficiency using automated tools to manage all
of your search marketing data.
This E-Book looks at how to become more efficient at SEM -- whether you're using Excel or an automated campaign
management tool. We'll start with fundamental best practices in reporting, then look at some tips and tricks in Excel,
and finally examine when -- and how -- to select an automated PPC management tool.
Our thanks go to the following Search Engine Land columnists, who provided valuable insight for this e-book: Josh
Dreller, Vice President of Media Technology, Fuor Digital; Bonnie Jo Davis, owner, Your Marketing Assistant (a
division of Davis Virtual Assistance); Andrea Harris, SEM manager, Carfax Vehicle History; Brad Geddes, founder,
bgTheory; Mona Elessaily, director of marketing strategy, Page Zero Media; and George Michie, co-founder and
principal, Rimm-Kaufman Group. And thanks to Karen Burka, who compiled this report. I
1 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
8/6/2019 Search Marketing Now SEM Campaigns
3/10
Best Practices in SEM
Reporting
SEM success depends largely on the ability to quickly
and efficiently gather and analyze data, then turn
that data into actionable strategies that improve
account performance. But as technology has made data
gathering easier, it has also created data overload for
online marketers, as well as a plethora of data that have
become meaningless without insightful analysis.
Data in and of itself is not useful. Interpreting what data
means so that you can make better business decisions is
what creates value. Great reporting does the following:
Creates measurability. Digital marketing is trackable and
accountable.
Tracks performance. Metrics and
measurability show context and
growth.
Analyzes data. Data analysis is a
point of connection with teams,
peers, and managers
Builds relationships. Skilled
reporting opens the door to
longer-term planning and
increases your value (and
potentially budget) within theorganization.
SEM reporting is also time-
consuming; daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly reports
demand continuity and scalability in order to build out
results and grow bottom lines. With leaner staffing and
greater expectations for marketing ROI, you need to
maximize the efficiency of your reports. Here are seven
best practices to improve your reporting skills.
1. Start With a StrategyPerhaps the most critical factor in SEM reporting success
is to have a plan that clearly sets out campaignrequirements for strategy, format, frequency, tracking,
metrics, accountability and the communication chain of
command. The goal is to better align your staff with
campaign objectives and derive more granular,
quantifiable metrics.
As part of the process, create a timetable for each major
action and associated task that is needed. Its important to
think everything through before you start since some
tasks will influence others and you dont want to create
inefficiencies or redundancy. There are always going to
be things you cannot plan for, but having a solid plan is a
must.
The next step is to manage expectations within the
organization. Whether this is a new or long-runningcampaign, you are going to make changes that will affect
its performance. Be sure to let your superiors know what
youre doing every step of the way. Strive for consistent
but progressive quality, and set up the campaign
structure to give you enough levers to control your
success.
2. Organize Staff for SuccessAn honest assessment of skill sets will allow you to more
clearly define responsibilities around planning, campaign
management, data compilation, report assembly and
more. Even if you are operating shorthanded, a few
adjustments to roles and team engagement models willencourage collaboration and help
you better manage workload and
flow. Exhausted analysis shows; its
easier to keep your analysis and
reporting fresh by enabling
creative thinking.
Regardless of role, motivate each
staffer involved in the SEM
campaign to think strategically and
think big, particularly those who
are scoping the opportunity, setting
the campaign framework, leadingthe analysis and drafting the
reports.
It is also a good idea to meaningfully engage with vertical
experts at the search engines and third-party tool
providers. They typically can provide additional layers of
value and marketplace context to boost the caliber of
your reporting.
3. Interpret and Analyze DataToo many SEM professionals mistake Excel keyword
dumps for data, data for analysis and rote analysis forbrilliant insight. The fact is that attributing straight traffic
volume numbers by site is only interesting if that
comparative is a metric.
Analysis is critical for reporting performance, identifying
trouble spots and finding your next great opportunity. In
fact, wed expect SEM professionals to spend 20 percent
or more of their time reporting and analyzing data. If
youre spending less than 20 percent of your time
reporting and analyzing search data, you are probably
missing key information about your campaigns.
2 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
SEM reporting is also time-
consuming; daily, weekly,monthly and quarterly
reports demand continuityand scalability in order tobuild out results and grow
bottom lines.
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that changes or stands out, not on data that remains the
same week after week or month after month. In addition,
this approach cannot and should not be automated. It is
time consuming, but will make the difference when your
contract is set to expire.
7. Automate When PossibleOn the flip side, automated tools can save a tremendous
amount of time and build efficiency into many aspects of
an SEM campaign. The les time you spend manually
pulling out data and aggregating key reports, the time
you can spend on analysis. There are numerous
automated search management tools now available that
enable on-the-fly campaign changes, as well as create
SEM data repositories that store all your information in
one place. A careful RFP process will show you what
tools are available to meet your particular SEM needs.(See What to Look for in an Automated Tool later in
this report for more information.) I
Building Excel Efficiency
TFor manual report processes, the first step toward
creating great reports is to increase your knowledge
and mastery of Microsoft Excel. Most SEM
professionals use Excel every day, yet few search
marketers receive any formal training in using this
software. Knowledge of Excel usually grows out of need.You may be in the middle of a task and think, There has
to be a better way to do this. Chances are, there is you
just dont know it yet.
Whether it is learning to use keyboard shortcuts, ribbon
icons or the right click menu, there are probably two or
three ways to perform any Excel task. But it is the right
combination that can turn an average Excel user into a
power user who can maximize its potential and minimize
how much time it takes. Here are six ways to improve
your knowledge of and efficiency with Excel:
1. Keyboard ShortcutsWhen using Excel, keep one hand on the keyboards left
side and one hand on the mouse. Using your pinky on
CTRL, your other fingers can reach about 75% of the most
important keyboard shortcuts you will use all of the time.
From flipping through worksheets to inserting columns or
even spell checking, the seconds gained from using can
add up to hours over the course of the year.
For example, CTRL + Z is Undo, CTRL + X is Cut, CTRL + B
is Bold, CTRL + A is Select All. Here are several more
shortcuts that will save you time:
Next Sheet: CTRL + Page Down
Previous Sheet: CTRL + Page Up
Go to: CTRL + G
Delete Column or Row: CTRL + K
Insert Todays Date: CTRL + Semi Colon
Insert a New Worksheet: SHIFT + F11
Extend Selection to the Next Blank Cell: Shift + CTRL
+ Arrow (any direction). To select all the cells of a table
go the top left cell and use this shortcut right and then
down.
Quick AutoSum: In the cell below a group values use
ALT + EQUAL Sign
Edit Data in a Cell: F2
2. Select Only Visible CellsHave you ever filtered a table and then tried to copy and
paste it only to find out that it has copied the hidden cells
as well? By default, Excel copies hidden or filtered cells in
addition to visible cells. To be more efficient, select just
the visible cells before you click COPY.
Here's how: Select the cells then go to the HOME ribbon,
FIND and SELECT, choose GO TO SPECIAL then click
VISIBLE CELLS ONLY. Then copy and paste as you would
normally. A second way to have a Select Visible button
in Excel is to click the Microsoft logo and choose EXCEL
OPTIONS down at the bottom right of the dialogue box.
Then choose CUSTOMIZE, ALL COMMANDS (top dropdown) and Select Visible Cells. (see screenshot below.)
Youll choose ADD to the right side. Click OK and you will
see the black flag with white cross on it symbol. This
4 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
Figure 1
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way whenever you select cells and then click that button,
youll only copy the visible cells.
3. MacrosMacros are extremely versatile and can be used for anyrepetitive task that requires multiple actions to perform.
You dont have to know any programming to build basic
macros; you literally press record, do one of your tasks as
normal and then assign that task to a keyboard shortcut.
To use macros, first access the DEVELOPER ribbon in
Excel. To display it, click the Microsoft Office button and
then click EXCEL OPTIONS. In the POPULAR category,
under Top Options for working with Excel, select the
SHOW DEVELOPER tab in the Ribbon check box, and
then click OK.
From the DEVELOPER ribbon in the Code group, clickRecord Macro. In the MACRO name box, enter a name for
the macro. Follow the directions for shortcuts and saving;
when you are ready, click OK to start recording. Perform
the actions that you want to record and click the square
STOP button on the mini-floating toolbar (see screenshot
Figure 2).
Note that macros can only be used on macro-enabled
workbooks. Save your files in that format by clicking
SAVE and choose the option from the drop down menu
under the file name. Macros can also be run from a
keyboard shortcut or the DEVELOPER ribbon, MACRO
option. You can set any shape or image to run a macrowhen clicked. Just right click the shape/image and choose
ASSIGN MACRO. Lastly, some email systems wont
accept macro-enabled workbooks since theyre
incorrectly identified in virus scans. It happens
infrequently, but be aware that it might when you try to
email macro-enabled workbooks.
4. Protecting Worksheets and Workbooks.Have you ever received back your workbook from
someone only to find they accidentally changed things
and saved over your original? To prevent a user from
accidentally or deliberately changing, moving or deleting
important data from a worksheet or workbook, you can
protect certain elements with or without a password.
Heres how: First, choose which cells you want locked; toselect every cell on a sheet, click CTRL + A. Once youve
chosen the cells you want protected, right click and
choose FORMAT CELLS. Click the PROTECTION TAB on
the dialogue menu that pops up and check the LOCKED
option. By default, the locked option is checked (see
Fugure 3).
Next, go to the REVIEW ribbon and click PROTECT
SHEET. You have many options here but choosing
SELECT LOCKED CELLS will ensure future users wont be
able to change your important data. You will have to
enter a password to continue (see screenshot). Now you
wont be able to select any of the cells you chose to lock.To unlock, click UNPROTECT SHEET and input your
password.
5. Custom ListsEvery Excel user has to type in the same list over and
over at some point. Whether its the days of the week, a
core group of keywords or the names of your colleagues,
this is a common spreadsheet task. You can create your
own list of values, which you can access quickly at any
time. The following day-of-the-week and month-of-the-
year lists are built in to Excel:
Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct.,
5 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
To prevent a user from accidentally or deliberately changing, movingor deleting important data from a worksheet or workbook, you can protect
certain elements with or without a password.
Figure 2
Figure 3
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Nov., Dec.
January, February, March, April, May, June, July,
August, September, October, November, December
To access these built-in lists, type one of the lists values
in and then drag the HANDLE (found when you hover
over the bottom right corner of any cell) in any direction.
You can go up, down, left or right. The list will auto fill in
order so if you start with a value in the middle of the list
(for example, June), the next value auto filled will be the
one after it in the custom list (for example, July).
To create custom lists, first create the list and select it.
Then, Click the Microsoft Office Button , click EXCEL
OPTIONS, click the POPULAR category, and then under
Top Options for working with Excel, click EDIT CUSTOM
LISTS.
In the Custom Lists dialog box, verify that the cell
reference of the list of items that you selected is displayedin the Import List From Cells box, and then click IMPORT.
The items in the list that you selected are added to the
Custom Lists box. Click OK twice. Now you can access
your custom list anytime by typing in any value of the list
and dragging the handle.
Once you create a custom list, it is added to your
computers registry, so it is available for use in other
workbooks. If you use a custom list when sorting data, it
is also saved with the workbook, so that it can be used on
other computers, including servers where your workbook
might be published to Excel Services.
6. Named Ranges
By naming a cell or group of cells, you can easily usethem anywhere in the workbook interchangeably with the
actual cell reference(s). For example, youre working with
your February SEM budget and youll be referring to that
cell often in the document in many tables. You can name
that value FebBudg and make formulas such as
=FebBudg/28 to get the daily amount. Or if you get
word that your budget might be going up by 25%, you
can simply use =FebBudg+(FebBudg*.25) to see what it
would be.
It might seem like a hassle in these simple examples, but
once you start naming ranges, youll see how efficient
you can be. Imagine: =YearBudget-(FebBudg+MarchBudg) versus having figure out what
cells those values are in. In this case, the formula makes
more sense.
Excel also autosuggests the range as you begin typing
the named range. In the example above, simply typing
Fe would bring up FebBudg in a drop down menu.
To create named ranges, look for the Name Box on the
Formula bar, right above columns A and B. Select your
cell(s) and type in the name (see Figure 5). I
What to Look For in anAutomated Reporting Tool
Some campaigns can be run using just Excel, but
there comes a time when it is more efficient to
automate using an outside reporting tool. When
you manage hundreds, thousands or millions of
keywords across multiple engines, you need campaign
management tools that can handle that volume of data.
6 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
Figure 4
Figure 5
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At some point, you will need to invest in an automated
solution so that you can devote more time to analysis and
effective campaign management.
Here are 10 capabilities that every automated PPC tool
should have to make your job easier:
Remote access that lets you manage your campaigns
from anywhere in the world, at any time.
A simple and intuitive interface that does not require an
engineering degree.
The ability to manage the most popular PPC advertising
vehicles: Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search
Marketing.
A wizard or step-by-step instructions on setting up an
account and campaigns, determining a budget,
selecting keywords and writing ads. The option of monitoring multiple campaigns with
multiple goals at the same time.
The ability to set goals and use several different bidding
strategies automatically.
The flexibility to fine-tune campaign keywords, ads,
goals and budget at any time.
The option to set up e-mail alerts for performance
changes defined by your own criteria.
A history or summary screen that provides an overall
picture of campaigns without running reports.
A robust reporting function that generates reports
using many different variables chosen by the user.
Additionally, there are automated tools on the market
from vendors such as Adobe that provide more
advanced functionality for work flow, tracking and
optimization, as well as management and reporting.
Here are 10 more features that can improve your SEM
optimization, performance and time management, as
well.
1. Platform integration. Integrating your search tool with
other tools, such as your ad server and email tool, creates
greater efficiencies when it comes to cross-channel
reporting and being able to use the same tracking
pixels/scripts. Most importantly, an integrated system is
critical for conversion attribution modeling, which
increasingly requires search engine marketers to track all
of your digital media in one place to see how users are
engaging your advertising before conversion.
2. Virtual groups. Several SEM tools now allow you to
segment elements of your account into virtual groups. If
you add in new promotional creative to several ad
groups, you can aggregate them all into a virtual group
and follow their performance without moving them into
new groups. The same is true for keywords that appear in
many places in your campaign; you can put them into a
virtual group and track them.
3. Landing page rotation. An increasing number of SEM
tools let you include multiple destination URLs for each
keyword to find the best combination that increases
conversions.
4. Analytics integration. To gain seamless analysis into
how your SEM traffic is performing on site, look for an
SEM tool that integrates with your web analytics tool.
This can prove valuable in understanding what keywords
drive high engagement (i.e., more page views, more time
on site, more repeat visits) versus just tracking
conversion. Integrating analytics with your SEM will also
show you how your paid and organic search traffic iseither working together or against each other.
5. Instant campaigns. Shadow campaigns let you
segment your campaigns to new geo-targets or day-
parting targets automatically, without having to
download a bulksheet, copy and paste, manipulate and
then re-upload. For example, if you want to split a
national campaign out to seven top states, you simply
choose those states via geo-targeting and the SEM tool
technology automatically creates seven shadow
campaigns in the engines instantly.
6. Sync Buttons. Most SEM tools require you to perform
all engine actions on their platform. If you dont, the tool
wont know youve made any changes and youll have
incomplete data. Having a Sync Button allows you to go
into the engines, make bid changes or add keywords,
then go back to your PPC tool and click Sync. This
offers great workflow efficiency as sometimes users are
more comfortable in the engine platforms.
7. Intra-day bidding. Most PPC management tools wait
each morning to pull down the previous days engine
7 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
Additionally, there are automatedtools on the market from vendors
such as Omniture that provide moreadvanced functionality for work flow,tracking and optimization, as well as
management and reporting.
8/6/2019 Search Marketing Now SEM Campaigns
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data. However, more are providing the ability to pull
impressions, clicks, click costs and average position
directly from engines every two to four hours, allowing
you to make changes and optimizations throughout theday.
8. Giving credit to assisting keywords. Auto-bidding
tools are becoming more accurate because they are
utilizing technology that follows not only the converting
keywords, but the other keywords that ultimately end up
converting users, even if they werent the last keyword
clicked. The result is that the tools dont end up
completely bidding down the top-of-the-funnel general
terms that actually have value, even if they dont show up
as converting keywords.
9. Competitive ads. More SEM tools can help youunderstand what other advertisers are bidding on your
keywords, as well as show you what ads they are
running. This feature allows you to see what is working
for your competitors or can help you craft ads that stand
out on the page by not doing what everyone else is
doing.
10. Not all conversions are equal. Margin-based bidding
allows you to set different weighted values on each
conversion metric to bid more efficiently. For example,
conversions resulting from white paper downloads or
newsletter sign-ups are probably not as valuable as actual
sales. You want your bidding methodology to take thatinto account.
Choose the Tool Thats
Right for You
Dont be overwhelmed by the number of automated
tool choices and capabilities. Take it one step at a
time, with the first step being to make a choice that
is right for your organizations SEM needs. The main
points that usually influence final decisions are the price,
technology, track record, interface, bells and whistles, and
support. For organizations short on resources, an SEMtool that offers a full-service approach may be most
important. Online retailers may decide that the most
important factor in choosing a PPC automated tool is bid
optimization that can handle millions of keywords toward
a CPA goal.
Have an internal dialog to establish the most important
criteria in choosing an automated tool for your SEM
team. Everyone who is going to be using the tool should
have some say in the final decision. Once youve gotten
to the vendor short list, have each one take your team
through their demos and urge your team to address
every question or concern they have.
Customer support is always one of the most criticalfactors in making a decision. Will you get an experienced
account manager or is the tool more of a self-service
solution? Can you reach an actual technical support
person on the phone 24/7 or just during business hours?
Or is it an email ticket system where you may have to wait
hours for an answer? Also find out what level of initial
training is provided. What is available to you after the set-
up phase? Training videos or a robust knowledge base?
You should also remember that no one tool will address
100% of your needs. If you find an automated tool that fits
most of your needs, consider yourself lucky. The goal of
your review is to find the best tool that is available foryour organization. Dont just choose the first vendor in
the door. Do your due diligence. Even if the first demo
seems like its the right fit, you owe it to yourself and your
team to make sure you look at least one or two others to
see whats out there.
When it comes to pricing, find out exactly what the deal is
-- including hidden soft costs such as set-up fees or
overages. Be aware of your minimum spends, i.e. some
tools need to have monthly/quarterly/yearly minimums in
place to make sure they have enough support bandwidth
in place to handle the volume of business. What happens
if your spend levels drop? Will you have to pay themthousands of dollars at the end of the quarter? Minimums
are a good business practice but you should know what
youre getting into. Just in case, make sure you have an
out clause, that is fair to both parties but gives you the
opportunity to break the contract with 30-days notice.
Lastly, utilize word-of-mouth recommendations from
other SEM professionals they are going to be your best
source of data. Try to find an SEM pro that you respect
and get their opinion. Find out what tools they use and
why. You may uncover some excellent information to
help you make your decision. I
8 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
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9 2010 Third Door Media, Inc. http://searchmarketingnow.com Email: whitepapers@searchmarketingnow.com (203) 664-1350
Adding Efficiency to Your Search Engine
Marketing (SEM) Campaigns:Tips and tactics on reporting, using Excel,and selecting an automated tool
Summary
With time at a premium, creating efficiencies in your SEM reporting can enable you to focus more on big-picturecampaign strategy and less on time-consuming rote tasks. Two ways to do that are to improve your knowledge and
use of Excel as well as your ability to choose automated tools that fit your business model and client needs. The best
practices and suggestions presented in this e-book can help you, if you take the time to follow them and incorporate
them into your daily work. I
About the Adobe Online Marketing Suite
The Adobe Online Marketing Suite, powered by Omniture, offers an integrated and open platform for online
business optimization, a strategy for using customer insight to drive innovation throughout the business and en-
hance marketing efficiency. The Suite consists of integrated applications to collect and unleash the power of cus-tomer insight to optimize customer acquisition, conversion and retention efforts as well as the creation and
distribution of content. For example, using the Suite, marketers can identify the most effective marketing strategies
and ad placements as well as create relevant, personalized and consistent customer experiences across digital mar-
keting channels, such as onsite, display, email, social, video and mobile. The Suite enables marketers to make quick
adjustments, automate certain customer interactions and better maximize marketing ROI, which, ultimately, can pos-
itively impact the bottom line.
Search Marketing Now webcasts and white papers provide authoritative and actionable education about search
engine marketing issues. Register today for one of our free webcasts covering topics about search engine optimiza-
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Search Marketing Now is a division of Third Door Media, which publishes web sites, and produces in-person
events and webcasts. Each of the four brands - Search Engine Land, Search Marketing Expo, Search Marketing
Now, and Sphinn - fosters continuing education, evolution and engagement for the community we serve.
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