This is how Google describes broad match in their Google Marketing Live 2023 recap. Wait, what? Broad match gives the most relevant reach? PPC marketers know it inherently can’t be the most relevant – or at least that was the conversation within our team at the time. Our team and clients extensively discussed the idea of a “keywordless” future heading our way, especially in the context of Performance Max campaigns. We’ve also observed that the exact match type has become more lenient with “close variants.” This made me want to uncover how paid search accounts perform at the match-type level. Here are some key observations and what they mean for PPC marketers. Looking at Google Ads account performance per match typeI pulled data across our client accounts for the past 12 months. Here are four key takeaways from my analysis. Broad match has the lowest CPCThis is expected. The theory is that the less targeted you are, the less competition and the lower the cost. The data confirmed this theory, showing that the least expensive match type was nearly a dollar cheaper than others. Exact match drives the highest click-through rateThis data point matches the theory that the more specific you are, the more relevant the ad. The more relevant the ad copy is for consumers, the higher the response rate. Phrase match is the worst performing match type with a slight exception for CTRPoor phrase match. This one seems just trapped like a middle child. It can’t seem to do anything right. It had the highest CPC and cost per conversion. It was only slightly better in CTR than broad match, which isn’t really much of an endorsement. Broad match has the lowest cost per conversionThis one was the most surprising. However, if broad match has the lowest cost per click, it can have a lower conversion rate and still have the lowest cost per conversion. That is exactly what the data suggests. Broad match has the lowest conversion rate, but the cost to acquire the traffic offsets the lower conversion rates. The data suggests that performance has remained fairly consistent with the introduction of more AI tools. There's no clear indication that users or advertisers use these match types differently over time. Although I only share CPC data, the other graphs for different data points show similar patterns. The data showed that only ~11% of the total impression volume accounted for just 8% of the clicks. Interestingly, exact match had the highest volume of both impressions and clicks. Considering that broad match had the lowest cost per conversion, I'm keen to analyze the entire data set to identify potential opportunities for performance improvement. How to use broad match in Google Ads effectivelyBroad match can be a great way to reach a wider audience with your ads, but it's important to use it carefully. If you use broad match extensively, your ad could show for irrelevant searches, and you could end up wasting money. Here are some tips for using broad match effectively:
Make data-driven decisions in your Google Ads accountBroad match can be a powerful tool, but it's important to use it wisely. By following these tips, you can leverage broad match to reach a wider audience with your ads and achieve better results in your Google Ads campaigns. As we move toward a “keywordless” future, the fate of various match types remains to be seen. For now, data-driven decisions are crucial so we can make smarter optimizations. The post Google Ads broad match: What the data reveals for PPC marketers appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/f9Haobj
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Meta’s ad revenue increased by 12% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the year-earlier period, surpassing expectations. Advertising revenue for Q2 2023 was $31.5 billion compared to $28.2 billion in the same period in 2022. This success helped drive total Meta revenue to grow 11% year-on-year from $28.8 billion in Q2 2022 to $32 billion in Q2 2023. Daily active users. Meta’s Q2 2023 performance also showed impressive growth in user engagement.
“Year of efficiency”. Meta’s strong performance comes after Zuckerberg implemented a string of cost-cutting measures across the business, including laying off more than 21,000 staff members. He also cut spending in some divisions and restructured the hierarchy of the company. Why we care. This is the first time that Meta has achieved double-digit growth since the fourth quarter of 2021, with much of its strong performance driven by growth in ad revenue. This sends a clear message that digital advertising is bouncing back after it took a setback due to the economic downturn. Now, forecasters are predicting increased ad spend for later on in the year, which will create more opportunities for marketers. Earnings report. You can review Meta’s full report here. The post Meta’s ad revenue up 12% in Q2, exceeding expectations appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/tYKwCrz Microsoft’s advertising business failed to perform as well as expected in the second quarter of 2023. Advertising and news search revenue rose by $86 million – an increase of 3% – including traffic acquisition costs that Microsoft pays to publishers. Meanwhile search and news advertising revenue – excluding traffic acquisition costs – was up by 8%. The company attributed the increase to higher search volume and its acquisition of Xandr, the ad-buying platform it acquired from AT&T. However, despite signs of growth, Microsoft noted that these figures are “a bit behind expectations” due to lower ad spend. Microsoft didn’t report its revenue in dollars (although we will update this article as soon as it does), but did confirm that LinkedIn revenue surpassed $15 billion for the first time in Microsoft’s 2023 fiscal year, following a 5% increase and 7% increase in constant currency. The company attributed the increase in revenue to growth in Talent Solutions, with some continued bookings impacted from the weaker hiring environment in key verticals. However, despite the increases, these numbers were still below what had been forecast for Q2 as growth was partially offset by a decline in Marketing Solutions, again, due to lower ad spend.
Why we care. Following a slump in demand for digital advertising earlier on in the year, analysts had predicted that Q2 would be a more successful quarter due to continued investment in AI. However, the company’s latest results show that growth was slower than anticipated due to a drop in ad spend. Perhaps those expecting AI investment to deliver instant, more significant revenue results have been too presumptuous. Earnings report. Read Microsoft’s full Q2 performance report for more information. The post Microsoft Search and Advertising revenue up 3% amid ad spend drop appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/RLPDf64 OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier is no longer available. The tool failed to accurately classify whether a human or AI wrote submitted text, the company confirmed. Page not found. The classifier page now shows a “Page Not Found – We couldn’t find the page you were looking for” message, rather than the tool. What happened. OpenAI added a note to the original blog post announcing the AI Text Classifier:
Why we care. AI content detectors have become popular among marketers, editors and SEOs since the rise of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. However, OpenAI’s tool (like other similar tools) often fail at their only job – detecting AI content. R.I.P. Text Classifier, 2023-2023. OpenAI announced the tool Jan. 31. It didn’t even last a full six months. At launch, OpenAI warned that it was “impossible to reliably detect all AI-written text” and the company had “not thoroughly assessed the effectiveness of the classifier in detecting content written in collaboration with human authors.” The post OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier no longer available due to ‘low rate of accuracy’ appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/gcPBehy Microsoft has begun to officially roll out dark mode for Bing Search and Bing Chat. We reported this was coming, along with support for Bing Chat in Chrome and Safari browsers. Microsoft’s Jordi Ribas posted on Twitter “We are starting to roll out desktop dark mode for Bing over the next few days.” What dark mode looks like in Bing Search. Here is a screenshot of what dark mode looks like in Bing Search: What dark mode looks like in Bing Chat. Here is a screenshot of what dark mode looks like in Bing Chat: How to enable dark mode in Bing. To enable dark mode in Bing Search or Bing Chat, click on the menu bar at the top right of the page and under the “appearance” section check off “dark.” You can also default to your system settings for dark or light mode: Why we care. Jordi Ribas from Microsoft said, “We heard the requests for dark mode and are excited for everyone to experience this feature in Bing Search and Chat.” So this is a much-requested feature and we know Google Search supports dark mode, as does Google Bard. The post Bing Search and Bing Chat officially rolling out dark mode appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/oraNpW4 Online dating, two-day delivery, binge-watching a series on TV. SEO is like the slow-food movement in a fast-food world. How long do you have to wait, though? This article will discuss:
What are SEO ‘results’?First, let’s talk about what “results” mean before discussing how long it takes to get them. At the outset of your SEO program, you will want to set goals that outline what you want your SEO program to accomplish. Revenue may be one of them. SEO can drive many things, including revenue. However, for the purpose of this article, there is only one important metric to measure SEO success: Organic traffic. So when I refer to the timeframe to see SEO results, I am referring to a significant uptick in organic traffic because that is how I have always measured SEO success. Yes, you want to see organic traffic driving revenue. And the good news is that when SEO drives targeted traffic, that traffic can be one of the biggest revenue drivers for a website. But so many factors (many of which are outside of the scope of SEO) can contribute to whether you get a conversion on a website. For example, your price point, landing pages and sales process. That is why I believe traffic is the best indicator that your SEO program is working. How long does it take to see SEO results?It typically takes several months up to a year to see measurable SEO results. Your mileage may vary. This is a general consensus and what I typically see with clients. Google suggested a similar timeframe in this video: And research from Ahrefs supports this, too: Here are some real-world examples: Ecommerce siteAn ecommerce furniture business lost significant search rankings and traffic after launching a redesigned website. We worked with them and identified the primary cause of the problem was a bloated index. After implementing our recommendations, here is a timeline of the results:
B2B siteA manufacturer’s website suffered from lost rankings and dwindling organic search traffic; they didn’t know why. After an in-depth analysis, we recommended improving user experience, internal linking and content quality. After implementing our recommendations, here is a timeline of the results:
B2C siteA nationwide drug-screening company reached out to us to improve their underperforming website. Our recommendations included on-page optimization, technical SEO, user experience and content improvements After implementing our recommendations:
What factors impact time to SEO results?Where any one website falls into the timeframe largely depends on several factors. Three of the most important are:
1. Your actionsThe “SEO results” clock starts ticking once you implement the program, not when you hire someone, and not during the time that strategies are being formulated. Many businesses have failed at SEO even after hiring SEO experts because of their inability to implement the recommendations. This is a significant cause of failures. This can happen for many reasons, including SEO “buy-in” or if IT needs to make a technical change to the website. Regardless of the reason, for every month that is wasted not implementing SEO strategies, it’s a month that you can expect not to see results. 2. The websiteIf you’ve got a really challenging website, digging yourself out of a hole will usually take longer before you are in good enough shape to compete in the search results. Maybe you:
Or you might have a new domain, which typically can take a little longer to see results than a more established site. These are all reasons why it might take longer to see results, but what about quick fixes? These are more rare but they can happen. For example, it’s not unheard of for there to be a robots.txt file that’s accidentally blocking the search engines from accessing the site. Yes, this still happens. Something like this can be resolved fairly quickly and produce fast SEO results. 3. The competitionI’ve always said that SEO should aim to beat the competition, not the algorithm. And depending on what space you’re playing in, the competition can be tough. Sometimes your competition will have more resources than you, so they can work faster. (All is not lost in these situations, as long as you can stay nimble and creative.) Or maybe you are in a your-money-or-your-life industry where you will be held to a higher standard by Google and it might take more effort to compete. Or maybe you’re after top rankings for million-dollar keywords. It took my company two years to get a client to Position 1 for a short-tail keyword. And to say it was worth the time and effort for the client is an understatement. How to get better SEO results, fasterWhile you’ll probably never get faster results than the timeframe outlined in this article, there are ways to speed up the process.
Initial SEO results are good, but ongoing results are betterThe SEO results you see within several months to a year are not necessarily the best results you will ever get. And because SEO is never done, you can expect better results as time goes on, so long as your SEO strategy is solid. The post How long SEO takes to work appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/AIuDkh3 Search marketing has evolved rapidly in the past 12 months. This trend will likely continue to accelerate over the next two years. Automation and AI have already revolutionized the search industry, and it’s worth considering what other changes could be coming our way in the future. Based on recent history and other indications from platforms like Google and Microsoft, here’s what might be in store for our PPC campaigns. 1. Match type consolidation into broadGoogle and Microsoft want advertisers to migrate to broad match. It’s no secret. Eventually, phrase and exact match will likely be phased out in favor of broad match. PPC platforms have augmented these match types’ functionality in the last three years. No longer the stalwart of search query control, the operation of exact match may show on searches that have the same meaning or same intent as the keyword. When Google retired modified broad match in 2021, it also augmented the functionality of phrase match. Phrase match may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The purpose of the keyword can be implied, and user searches can be a more specific form of the meaning, according to Google. The changes to exact and phrase have weaned advertisers away from the theory of total control. Advertisers now use a broader range of queries matching their targeted terms. Historically, advertisers have not preferred the lack of query control with broad match. Google has updated its broad match keyword program for 12-18 months. Automation is changing everything in paid search, and match types will be impacted. Within the next 12 months, Google will announce the retirement of another match type. Given the advancement in automated bidding and the pairing of “Search + Performance Max,” I think phrase match is the next to go the match-type graveyard. When making large-scale changes, Google will give advertisers 8-12 months to adjust their accounts. We still have time before this change, but time is not on our side. Exact match may survive the consolidation steamroller. Advertisers will still have control over their high-value, mission-critical keywords. Dynamic search ads (DSAs) will eventually migrate to Performance Max. Their functions overlap and may deliver against each other, especially when advertisers run broad match, PMax and DSAs. One of them will have to go. This evolution will continue as we march toward a broad-match-focused world. 2. Channel consolidation into blended campaignsPerformance Max has been a hot topic in the PPC industry since its launch in 2021. However, many search marketers have hesitated to adopt this new campaign type due to valid reasons:
Despite these challenges and concerns, Google remains committed to improving its capabilities and offering advertisers more control and options. Microsoft has announced its own version. Many advertisers need help optimizing their campaigns and achieving better results due to cross-channel attribution and optimization challenges. Google recognized this and has addressed the issue by increasing investment throughout the marketing funnel and introducing data-driven attribution. In September 2021, Google launched data-driven attribution (DDA) for Google Ads. It is an intelligent machine-learning system that analyzes historical data to determine how much credit each ad interaction should get for a conversion. Google Ads has made DDA the default attribution setting for new conversion actions since October 2021. DDA is the key to unlocking the power of Performance Max. By taking into account all ad interactions before a conversion, DDA provides a more accurate understanding of how your ads impact conversions. This new approach to measurement will also lead to the consolidation of channels across the Google ecosystem. Performance Max is just the start of a new era of blended campaign types. Google Marketing Live unveiled exciting developments in their ongoing efforts to consolidate channels. Two new blended campaigns, demand gen campaigns and video view campaigns, are now available to cover the entirety of the buyer's journey. Video views campaigns are designed to increase brand awareness, while demand gen is focused on driving mid-funnel consideration and discovery through discovery and YouTube placements. Finally, PMax will capture demand at the bottom of the funnel, generating sales across all Google properties. These new campaigns and Google's data-driven attribution system are ushering in a new era of more intelligent, more effective advertising. While discovery campaigns are a separate product, their inventory delivers across all three blended campaign types. This suggests it may eventually become integrated into the broader campaign structure, streamlining the process further. Google's commitment to consolidating channels and optimizing its data-driven attribution system is paving the way for more effective and efficient advertising strategies. As a result of consolidation, campaign types may eventually look like this:
3. Optimization score suggestions into auto-applied recommendationsThe last area of disruption due to automation and AI is optimization scores (or OptiScore) within Google Ads. Currently, Google provides auto-generated optimization ideas within the Recommendations sections of their ad platform. Advertisers can choose which recommendations they want to activate or dismiss these suggestions. In April 2021, Google Ads launched auto-apply recommendations (AAR). This feature allows advertisers to automatically apply recommendations to their accounts without manually reviewing and approving each. Advertisers remain mixed on AAR. Advertisers I've spoken with do not want to relinquish even more control to automation. We've heard stories of when AAR changes resulted in accounts going haywire in some fashion. Google continues to invest in and promote the AAR product. It's only a matter of time before AAR is folded into the core automation feature set for Google Ads. By this, elements of AAR may apply directly to accounts without being able to turn them off. This prediction is based mainly on the fact that Google promotes AAR frequently, often indicating their focus and direction. They may not require every AAR feature, but a subset of features could exist. Automation and AI will continue to transform PPC campaign managementAutomation and AI are driving significant evolution in the industry, potentially leading to the consolidation of broad match and the retirement of other match types like phrase match. Additionally, Google's commitment to optimizing its data-driven attribution system is fueling channel consolidation into blended campaigns like Performance Max, which provides advertisers with more control and options. As automation progresses, auto-applied recommendations may become mandatory in Google Ads, further altering the dynamics of paid search. The continuous integration of automation and AI technologies will undoubtedly shape the future of PPC campaigns. The post 3 ways PPC campaign management could soon change appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/1yDFrVM At any one time, 95% of your potential customers are not in the market looking to buy, according to research by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and LinkedIn’s B2B Institute. Only 5% of your audience is “in-market” now looking to buy, so your advertising largely hits buyers who will not buy anytime soon. How can marketers be top-of-mind for buyers at whatever point they decide to buy? One great way to do this is through always-on marketing, which seeks to build awareness and create brand-relevant memories through messaging. Here’s what you need to know about always-on marketing and how to apply it in your search marketing campaigns. What is always-on marketing?Always-on marketing is a strategy that aims to keep your brand consistently visible in the market through ongoing campaigns. The main objective is to ensure your target audience knows your brand and its solutions even before they are ready to purchase. Always-on marketing enhances brand awareness and boosts brand equity. It uses metrics from the full marketing funnel to judge performance, from reach all the way down to revenue. Why always-on marketing mattersShort-term lead generation campaigns continue to dominate the marketing landscape. These campaigns result in brief revenue spikes, followed by stagnant revenue growth. So, why do most marketers prioritize these short-term strategies? That’s because they often respond to the immediate revenue needs of businesses, which demand quick results. In recent times, marketing, particularly on the digital side, has leaned heavily toward strict “performance-based” campaigns, expecting rapid results within just two weeks. Success is then solely measured based on lead generation. Instead, marketers should use always-on marketing programs incorporating full-funnel campaigns for long-term durations. If embraced, this approach can elevate marketers from reactive short-term campaign executors to strategic long-term builders of brands and drivers of revenue. Always-on marketing requires more planning, content, creativity, budget and time over standard short-term lead generation campaigns. All of this should be exciting to any marketer, but it will take time and persuasion to convince your company, especially your finance team, to approve. Testing new marketing approaches is key to learning and growth. Making big bets can yield big returns. Always-on marketing in paid searchAlways-on marketing for paid search runs across the entire marketing funnel from top of funnel (TOFU), middle of the funnel (MOFU) to bottom of the funnel (BOFU) to ensure your brand is always in the marketing funnel while your target audience searches. This approach moves well beyond traditional paid search campaigns that are conversion focused with target cost-per-conversions or conversion volume goals. Always-on paid search campaigns include optimizing for those “performance marketing” metrics. Still, they also include optimizing your campaigns for TOFU awareness metrics like impression share and MOFU engagement metrics like click-through rate. An always-on approach to paid search involves a full-funnel execution of:
From a content strategy perspective, TOFU and MOFU landing pages should have ungated content that:
BOFU content should only be gated if it is extremely high-value. Examples are signature research reports or annual surveys with valuable and original data. Gone are the days of gating standard ebooks, whitepapers, checklists, etc. Give that type of content away without gating it during the TOFU and MOFU stages. Budget allocation is another important consideration. When allocating your budget between funnel stages, 60-40 is a good rule of thumb.
This allocation ensures your brand has visibility across the entire search journey to build awareness and drive revenue. Always-on paid search keywordsDividing keywords into TOFU, MOFU and BOFU is not an exact science. There are keyword research tools that can help aid in this process and complement your knowledge of your audience and your experience as a paid search marketer. After initial testing, you should always re-evaluate the stratification of your keywords and make adjustments as needed. Below are practical recommendations on how to begin to segment your keywords by stage of the funnel. TOFU keywords
MOFU keywords
BOFU keywords
Always-on duration and budgetThe always-on marketing approach needs to be both full funnel and long duration to be impactful to your brand. That said, always-on paid search can be costly, so be strategic. When the budget is limited, cut back based on the performance metrics relevant to each funnel stage. Do not just cut the budget of TOFU and MOFU keywords. Focusing just on BOFU keywords will land you again in the cycle of short bursts of revenue followed by flat growth. Push back, say “no,” and advocate for strategic budget allocations based on long-term brand building and revenue growth. Champion always-on marketingNow that you have an understanding of always-on marketing, test it. Give it a try at your organization via a six-month or nine-month-long paid search pilot. Move beyond short-term campaigns promoting a webinar or a gated whitepaper. Embrace a full-funnel, long-term view of paid search. Implementing such a trial will not be easy but begin with socializing and advocating for the idea. Paid search marketers can and should be more than reactive campaign executioners, so champion always-on marketing and become a strategic brand builder and revenue driver. The post How to use always-on marketing in paid search appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/Fio0YIT Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, reported higher advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2023, year on year. A 2% gain in search revenue was accompanied by an increase in revenue for YouTube ads (4.4%). However, Google’s advertising network was down 5%.
Although results surpassed expectations, the single-digit growth percentages suggest that digital ad spend has yet to fully recover to its former glory. Experts predict that this should happen in Q4 of 2023. Why we care. The better-than-expected performance might suggest that confidence and trust in digital advertising is finally stabilizing following the economic downturn. This is great news for digital advertisers as it suggests ad spend is set to grow as we look toward the hugely important holiday period in Q4. Leadership in AI. Google’s ad revenue increased by $1.85 billion from the previous year, while YouTube ad revenue was $7.67 billion, up from $7.34 billion in 2022. Google’s Chief Business Officer, Philipp Schindler, added that the company will continue to invest heavily into AI as the business enters into its seventh year as an AI-first company.
Stepping down. Alphabet confirmed in its Q2 financial announcement that Porart, who has been with Google for eight years, will be stepping down as CFO. On September, she will take on the newly-created position of president and chief investment officer. In her new role, Porart will be responsible for Alphabet’s “other bets” and will continue working closely with CEO Pichai. She will be responsible for strengthening the company’s relationships with policy-makers and helping shape its corporate investments to have a maximum economic impact. Earnings report. You can read Alphabet’s full second quarter 2023 results report for more information. The post Google search revenue rises 5%, slight increase in total ad revenue appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/6x20pPm In a content-driven era, marketers continue to revolutionize themselves, creating a vibrant spectrum of stories that need to be told. Every day, content creators, social media managers and industry professionals spend significant resources on generating unique, high-quality content to attract, engage and inspire. Yet, as the volume of content grows, the challenge of managing these diverse assets effectively becomes increasingly critical. It’s time to redefine how we manage our creative assets and use innovative solutions designed to unify, streamline, and amplify the content management processes. Learn how by registering and attending “Don’t Underestimate the Power of Content Management,” presented by Acquia. Click here to view more Search Engine Land webinars. The post Don’t underestimate the power of content management appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/1EDiLv0 |
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