Professional Project Management For Paid Search Accounts By Brad Geddes

#SMX #24C3 @bgTheory

Brad Geddes | Co-Founder of AdAlysis

Professional Project Management For Paid Search Accounts

by Brad Geddes


I’ve got lots of data. What should I do with it?

How Most Accounts Are Managed


I’ve got a checklist. Luckily there are no dates – most of these are over a year old.

When they are slightly better managed…


Wouldn’t It Be Nice to be Done for the Day?


Checklists Can’t Be Completed. Calendars and Daily To-Dos Can


This is at least 1 hour of work. In many companies it takes 1-‐2 weeks. It must be audited quarterly. It will save you a lot of time and improve your performance.

This Exercise Seems Simple. It’s not.


•  Change search bids •  Change placement bids •  Add new keywords •  Examine search queries for negative keywords •  Test new ads •  Test new landing pages •  Create monthly reports •  Review geographic data •  Review time based data •  Review account goals •  Etc…

Brainstorm: What Must You Do? This list is different for every company.


•  I heard mobile dedicated is better than responsive design; should we test a mobile dedicated page vs responsive design

•  Try that new beta Bing invited us to •  Should we try GSP? •  What about that new experiment that Google did with YouTube and

TV; should we read that? •  What happens if we change our structure? Can we increase our QS? These are important questions; they just aren’t your primary responsibilities day-‐to-‐day.

This list Should Not include ‘want to try’


Twice a week: •  Change search bids •  Change placement bids Every Other week: •  Examine search queries for negative keywords •  Test new ads •  Test a new landing pages Monthly •  Create monthly reports •  Add new keywords Quarterly: •  Review geographic data •  Review time based data •  Review account goals

How Often do You Need to Do Your Required Tasks?


Twice a week: •  Change search bids on Tuesday and Thursday •  Change placement bids on Monday and Wednesday Every Other week: •  Examine search queries for negative keywords – Even weeks on Friday •  Test new ads – Even Weeks on Wednesday •  Test a new landing pages – Odd Weeks on Wednesday Monthly •  Create monthly reports -‐ First Tuesday of each month •  Add new keywords – Last Tuesday of each month Quarterly: •  Review geographic data – First Tuesday of each quarter •  Review time based data – Second Tuesday of each quarter •  Reexamine Goals: 2nd to last Thursday of each quarter

When Will You Do Each Task?


If any day has too much on it; revise your calendar. If you have multiple team members on the same account; use colors to differentiate everyone.

Make a Draft Calendar to Visualize Everything


Add Time or Resources for ‘Experiments’ (the ‘want to try’ items)

Online Manager

Data (sr)

Bid management (jr)

Optimization Strategy (sr)

Workflow

Multi-‐people (ad copy, org, QS,

placements, etc)

New keyword creation

Key Campaigns (mid level)

Experiments (sr) Testing (sr)

Ad Testing (jr)


There is no ‘Best’ PM system. There are just considerations: Templates: §  Create to do lists, milestones, etc. §  Easy to get new clients up and running Recurring vs Non-‐recurring Tasks §  Recurring: easy to set a task once and have it repeat at due dates

§  Non-‐recurring: Much more manual work to mark task as complete or change due date when finished

Speed & Ease-‐of-‐Use §  Helps get work done §  Feels like its in the way (but still gives insight to those not using it on a regular basis)

Time Tracking §  Useful for T&M projects or integration into billing system

3rd Party Integrations: §  Useful for billing, calendars, CRMs, etc

Pick a Project Management Software System


Inconsistent time Too much time on a task End goal: streamline processes

Why We Track Time


Example:

Step 1: Make consistent process Step 2: Follow process Step 3: Evaluate process Step 4: Determine automation possibilities


Our Automation Process


Every time you automate something; you must set a reminder to audit the process.

Check The Automation


•  Inconsistent process as determining SS is difficult

•  Hard to manage where you are/aren’t testing

•  Making decisions on poor data

•  etc

Example 2 Ad Testing: 3rd Party Software


When You Use PM Software When You Automate •  You have a daily task list •  A daily list can be completed •  It’s possible to finish your day

•  You have account notes •  It’s easy to add reminders •  Did X on Y day; check in 30 days

•  It’s useful to ‘switch’ places with someone for audit purposes.

•  Audit each other’s account •  Use a 3rd party for audits

Why We Go Through This Exercise

•  You can be done quicker •  You can be more efficient

•  You must check the automation

•  You must know what to automate


•  You know what to do •  You’re more consistent •  Things don’t get missed •  You can finish a day •  You can go on vacation

The Best Reasons to Manage PPC Like a Project?


SEE YOU AT THE NEXT #SMX

THANK YOU!

Marketing

Professional Project Management For Paid Search Accounts By Brad Geddes