How to Survive (& Actually Thrive at) SMB PPC.

State of Search, Dallas 2016

@PPCKirk #StateOfSearch

SMBPPC

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SMBPPCNo Competition

Great Product

Great Content

Great Client

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SMBPPCNo Competition

Great Product

Great Content

Great Client

EXPLOSIONS

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SMBPPCCan SMB PPC really

work?

Or are we destined to be outbid and out-budgeted by the big brands?

The Big Question About Little PPC

http://www.sportsmanagementdegreehub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/5.-Greg-Grant.jpg

Kirk Williams@PPCKirk

blogger: Search Engine Land, Moz, PPC Hero, Wordstream, Klientboost

speaker: SMX, Hero Conf, Confluence Con, State of Search, SLC DMC

Billings, MT

Kirk Williams@PPCKirk

My Mother-in-Law

says I do PCP.

“Worthless man.”

Kirk Williams@PPCKirk

My Mother-in-Law

says I do PCP.

“Worthless man.”

NOT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW

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SMBPPC

Definition of SMB

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SMBPPC(Often)

Local

Definition of SMB

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SMBPPC(Often)

Local

Definition of SMBSimple

Account

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SMBPPC(Often)

Local

Definition of SMBSimple

Account

Simple Product or

Service

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SMBPPC(Often)

Local

Definition of SMBSimple

Account

Simple Product or

ServiceLow Budget

< $2500

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SMBPPC

Caveat: My SMB PPC Today = Search Engine Marketing

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SMBPPC

“This is how we are going to rock at SMB PPC.”

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SMBPPC

SMB PPC TIP 1 Set Yourself Up

Like Chuck Norris Playing 1-

Man Volleyball.

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SMBPPC

The slower the getaway car, the more you need a good head-start.

“It’s a setup!

Step on it, Vinnie, drive!”

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SMBPPC

SMB requires skill, since you can’t “just throw budget at it.”

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4

1,000 Visits

500Visits

250Visits

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SMBPPC

SMB requires skill, since you can’t “just throw budget at it.”

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4

1,000 Visits

500Visits

250Visits

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SMBPPC

What about Account Structure?

HOTLY DEBATED

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SMBPPC

Chuck Norris’ opinion (and mine):

WHACK

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SMBPPC

Chuck Norris’ opinion (and mine):

“Why, segment SMB Campaigns by Match Type,

by jove.”MORE

WHACKS

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SMBPPC

Remarketing (more on this later)

DisplayRemarketing

SearchRemarketing

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SMBPPC

Bing Ads: USE IT

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SMBPPC

SMB Website Logic:

IFWebsite = SMB

THENQuality = BAD.

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SMBPPC

Bad Website? Try LPs

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SMBPPC

So Remember:Set Yourself Up

Like Chuck Norris Playing 1-

Man Volleyball.

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SMBPPC

SMB PPC TIP 2 Budget Like

You’re UnAmerican.

“don’t buy stuff you cannot afford!”

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SMBPPC

In SMB PPC, Budgeting Well is as Essential as…

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SMBPPC

Account Organization & Budgeting

Separate Campaigns by Match Type for Budget Control EXACT RLSA

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SMBPPC

My SMB Automated Budget Rule Strategy

Pause & assign

campaign labels

throughout the month

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SMBPPC

My SMB Automated Budget Rule Strategy

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SMBPPC

Shared Budgets: An SMB Win!

Keep TOP (or big spender) campaigns separated

Split Remaining Campaigns into Shared Budgets

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SMBPPC

Investigate Shape (formerly Steadybudget)

Not a paid ad

Pull in Google + Bing + FB to control *total* budget

See projections

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SMBPPC

SMB Budget Requests

Don’t be a Google rep

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SMBPPC

SMB Budget Requests

Don’t be a Google rep

Use. Data.

SCENARIO

Monthly Budget: $2000Monthly Leads: 100Avg CPA: $20 (Lowest possible)Google: Missing 25% impEst loss: 25 leads per month

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SMBPPC

SMB Budget Requests

Don’t be a Google rep

Use. Data.

Make hard, realistic recos

SCENARIO

Monthly Budget: $2000Monthly Leads: 100Avg CPA: $20 (Lowest possible)Google: Missing 25% impEst loss: 25 leads per month__________________

Suggestion: Raise to $2500

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SMBPPC

So Remember:Budget Like

You’re UnAmerican.

“don’t buy stuff you cannot afford!”

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SMB PPC TIP 3 Target Like Finn (100%) & Padme (84%), Not Stormtroopers.

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SMBPPC

Keyword Targeting

Prioritize [exact]

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SMBPPC

Keyword Targeting

Build out top terms into

SKAGs

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SMBPPC

SMB KW Research – No Monthly $$ Required!

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SMBPPC

Negative Keyword Tips

Neg KW Lists?

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SMBPPC

Negative Keyword Tips

NO

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SMBPPC

Negative Keyword Tips

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SMBPPC

Negative Keyword Tips

DOESN’T WORK

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SMBPPC

Negative Keywords

Use SQR/STR to find “bulk” KW modifiers when traffic is low.

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SMBPPC

Negative Keywords

Use SQR/STR to find “bulk” KW modifiers when

traffic is low.

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SMBPPC

Remarketing Audiences

SMB RLSA FTW

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SMBPPC

Remarketing Audiences

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SMBPPC

Remarketing Audiences

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SMBPPC

Remember, SMB Targeting = Control

1 Random bid modifiers = monsters

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SMBPPC

Remember, SMB Targeting = Control

1 Random bid modifiers = monsters

2 Return customers ≠ new customers

353% Increase in ROAS588% Increase in CVR

Shopping Client

vs

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SMBPPC

Remember, SMB Targeting = Control

1 Random bid modifiers = monsters

2 Return customers ≠ new customers

3 Budget control, FTW

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SMBPPC

Lists = User Behavior + Micro-Conversions

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So Remember:Target Like Finn (100%) & Padme (84%), Not Stormtroopers.

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SMBPPC

SMB PPC TIP 4 Report Like

You’re a Tattletale

“your CPA rose inexplicably”

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 1: Don’t be Han Solo

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SMBPPC It’s about the

client.

IT’S ABOUT THE CLIENT.

Identify & Report on THEIR KPIs

SMB Reporting Rule Number 1: Don’t be Han Solo

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 2:Your clients are busy.

Don’t waste their attention with pointless metrics

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SMBPPC

E.g., bounce rate = pointless metric.

Also, consider combining Google/Bing into “PPC”

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 3:Don’t Over-report (Monthly)

Don’t waste your or their time with

low budget weekly reporting

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 4Show the Big Picture, too

SMB clients/owners L.O.V.E. seeing YTD

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 5:Make it Pretty

They don’t have time to page through excel files.

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SMBPPC

SMB Reporting Rule Number 5:Make it Pretty

They don’t have time to page through excel files.

kerpow

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SMBPPC

My Reporting Tool Recommendation

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SMBPPC

So Remember:Report Like

You’re a Tattletale

“your CPA rose inexplicably”

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SMBPPC

So, can SMB PPC Really Work???

Are we destined to be outbid and outgunned buy bigger competitors?

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SMBPPC

YES, SMB PPC can work, if we:

Set up our accounts well

Target accurately

Budget Intelligently

Communicate well

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SMBPPC

“Yep, we’re good.”

Thanks, mom

Thank You! Questions, Ideas, Insults?

Slides + Links: zato.marketing/smb-ppc