How to create an ROI-based management approach for paid search success

Pay-per-click (PPC) practitioners with mediocre skills simply maintain accounts.

Average practitioners step up the game a little by optimizing accounts.

The truly effective pro, however, has the critical ability to scale and grow search accounts in an organized and calculated manner. Those top performers can increase budgets and maintain a return on investment (ROI) because they have honed strong approaches to account management and optimization. They have established a solid account foundation and are much more apt to drive meaningful value.

Abiding by an ROI-based account management approach when entering or optimizing search accounts yields benefits beyond cost efficiencies. It aids in prioritization, strategic direction, innovation and performance consistency.

This article underscores the value of ROI-based management and how to shift paradigms when approaching search accounts with long-term prosperity in mind.

Setting the table for success

Stepping into an inherited account is the business equivalent of approaching an emergency situation: Triage, speed and intuition are paramount.

Cut off any performance bleed by pausing areas blatantly hindering performance. Next, assess what is working and look to highlight any quick wins or opportunities. This may be a set of keywords, a specific campaign or a combination of tactics.

At this point, communication and clear understanding of goals and objectives are crucial to establish a successful management approach:

1. Are stakeholders interested in hitting specific cost-per-action (CPA) goals?

2. Are they interested in return on advertising spending (ROAS)?

3. Do/will capabilities exist to track back-end performance metrics?

These foundational aspects will define expectations for the search team — what they are responsible for and how to best move forward.

If a 10x ROI goal is assigned to paid search, assessing down-funnel conversion rates allows the team to back into the supplemental top-of-funnel goal metrics and the recommended budget.

Once the team is aligned on goals and objectives, integration will become the overarching focus — integrating front-end data with third-party data sources, as well as the team’s efforts with advanced business intelligence.

Budgets and breakouts

It is common for organizations to have multiple services or products that must be promoted across a variety of search platforms. This is where referencing defined g…

[Read the full article on Search Engine Land.]