I will unashamedly say that the inspiration of this blog came from a source I use regularly for expert knowledge about Paid Search - SEMRush. I was thinking - what should I write about next on my blog. After doing a quick google search I was drawn to this article.
It’s a 2015 article, yet it is still ranking above the fold on Page 1. A lot of people must still be interested in it. As I was reading through the blog - I thought, I have some answers to these problems. So here they are.
1. Increased Ad Spend
Years ago - I wrote a blog about my favourite 5 scripts to save money in your Paid Search account. So for this one, I will be directing you straight there. There are several ways to ensure you aren’t spending too much money on your Paid Search accounts. Google, after all, is trying to make money so the more you spend the better for them. I have been one of those that have convinced clients to spend more when I have been convinced that spending more would increase their ROI, but I am also very communicative when I know we have reached a point of diminishing return and the funds they are trying to get me to spend would be better spent elsewhere. There’s a time to spend more in Paid Search but there’s also a time to divert the spend.
2. Expert Knowledge
The idea that just anyone can do Paid Search is something I know infuriates a lot of Paid Search experts in my community. Whether it’s hiring an in-house team/agency or agencies hiring to work on client accounts - it’s really important to hire the right skill level and pay it well. Good employees are not just there for the benefits but to feel they are earning their worth.
3. Trust Issues
PPC works - the proof is in the data and any Paid Search expert worth their money will always start with - let us measure what we are doing and then I’ll show you how well Paid Search can work for you. Every Paid Search expert is always keen on ensuring that we are measuring the right metrics, not just the ones driving traffic to your site but the ones that are delivering business goals. Not every Paid Search tactic will work for your client, but if tested properly and spend is only put in the efficient areas - it is easy to prove and trust Paid Search.
Conclusion
The last paragraph of the SEMrush blog talks about alternatives to Paid Search but I think it’s important at this stage to note that Paid Search does NOT work in a silo and that it is important to explore the marketing mix that should work well for a business. Paid Search should be run alongside Paid Social, Programmatic, CRO, SEO, etc, not as an alternative. Where the Paid Search performance starts looking like it’s not working efficiently, don’t just turn it off, but look at where some of the funds can be diverted so that the whole marketing mix continues to drive revenue for your/your client’s business.