2013 PPC Resolution Check‑in
Back in December 2012, I wrote a blog post that covered my 2013 New Year’s Resolutions for PPC. And with the year nearly come and gone, I figured I could take stock of what I committed myself to – and it was a mixed bag. There are definitely a few items I can confidently check off my list, but with others I’m sad to say, I know I could do better. So I set out to grade myself.
Resolution #1: Commit to reading industry blogs fully and completely.
Goal Complete Rating: 67%
It seemed like this goal would pay for itself in spades. I learn a TON of new PPC management techniques, tips, updates and much more from the leaders in our industry. Reading their blogs helps me to regroup my ideas, get new ones, or just excite me when there is a new case study that is posted. I started out pretty strong. For months I was doing just that. But by mid-year, I had waned. You see, when you read too much, you have the unfortunate consequence of information overload. When I realized that I was reading blog posts more for the sake of reading than for the sake of learning, I knew I needed to pull back. Now, I read with more of a purpose – to answer a question or learn about a new tool or report available. If I don’t have time to read articles, I simply bookmark it and read it later.
Resolution #2: Be more involved in the online PPC community.
Goal Complete Rating: 72%
This was a tough one. It was also one that started off with a strong lead. But things get busier and time becomes more precious. And quite honestly, my lunch time or breaks I would rather spend away from the computer and getting some fresh air. I realized that that time is important for me to gather my thoughts and rest my eyes. I still check in on different forums and chats, but not as frequently. However, I do realize the value of an online PPC community to generate ideas, get help and, well, commiserate/celebrate with when there is a new AdWords update. This resolution will certainly carry into 2014.
Resolution #3: Spice up my PPC routines.
Goal Complete Rating: 85%
I feel fairly confident that I accomplished this goal. Earlier in the year, our new PPC Manager, Alyssa DiLoreto, was brought on board. With her experience she brought in a whole new set of techniques to test and ways to accomplish daily tasks. And while some things remained the same in many ways, the process by which we accomplished them were entirely different. Example: Instead of a run-of-the-mill budget sheet I was keeping, she introduced to me a concept that married both a budget and a, gasp! calendar. Simple enough and something I hadn’t considered before for whatever bizarre reason.
Resolution #4: Test new ideas.
Goal Complete Rating: 92%
I can say with confidence that this one resolution I completed and then some. And I suppose if I could’ve succeeded in anything, it would be in testing. (Phew!) A few things that I’ve done this year:
- Match type testing
- DSA campaigns (a surprising result from this test, but definitely not finished yet)
- Geo-target bid adjustments (saw some really cool successes here)
- New keyword ideas in steady-as-she-goes accounts
- GDN targeting testing
One thing that I didn’t test as much as I wanted to were bidding techniques. But that will likely soon change with the encouraging results that my co-worker, Steven Kapusta, has seen with eCPC with a client of his. I’m excited to see what 2014 will hold! Judging by the wild year that 2013 was for Google AdWords, I’ll be interested to see what other changes we can expect that will shake up our routines and make us look at the data differently.
