Your AdWords New Year Resolutions
It’s the end of another year, and with that comes time for us to reflect on the year we’ve had, and start planning for the next one. We all do it in our personal lives. We decide that we’re going to lose weight, or quit smoking, or be a better parent. But when it comes to business, and online marketing, we sometimes forget. Instead of using this time as a break from the crazy year, I encourage you to revisit some of the achievements you’ve had and start working on some goals.
This 3-step process will ensure you’ll start the New Year with a good idea of where you want to go. It’s worthwhile talking to your Client Manager through these points, so that way you’ll both be on the same page when it comes to the direction of your online marketing strategy. By doing this together, you’re ensuring a collaborative approach, a more vested interest by both parties and, plain and simple – more commitment to achieve!
Where have you come from?
Think about where you were in January 2014. Where was the business at? What did your marketing plan look like then? What does it look like now? Your online marketing – what were you doing then? What changes to your strategy did you make during the year and why? What are the key successes, failures and learning experiences you can claim this year? What changes did your business undergo over the year? Did your recruit more staff? Downsize? Diversify your range? Did you get a business coach?
Everything that has happened in the last year has helped you get to where you are now. By having an awareness of how your online marketing ties into the actual activities of your business helps you begin to look at your AdWords as more than just a campaign on the side and rather as a business tool to drive your business.
- What information do you have at hand?
How much data do you actually have at your fingertips? Has your campaign been running for years, or only a few weeks? Either way, you essentially have the invaluable data. No matter where you are on your AdWords journey you can use your current data to identify opportunities and achievements.
Some of the key points to notice and take note of are:
- Where are the most conversions happening? What time of year did they happen? What time of day? What is your cost per conversion? Do you even have conversion data?
- What keywords are getting the most impressions and clicks? Are their ad groups super-relevant?
- What search terms are getting the most impressions and clicks? Are they relevant to you and your business?
- Set some goals for the New Year.
Your Client Manager can help you devise some goals here based on the information from above, but from a business perspective, it’s super important that you are just as involved as they are when it comes to setting goals. I like to focus on conversion data because at the end of the day you could be getting hundreds of clicks a day, but if they’re not converting into sales or enquiries then you’re just wasting your money. The focus is always to spend your money on the right keywords, and those keywords that convert.
So if you don’t have conversion tracking – get it set up. Make this priority number one. The more conversion data you have, the better for you and for your Client Manager. If you do, think about what each conversion is worth to you. How much are they costing you at the moment? Are you happy with this? Is it profitable? What keywords are more profitable for you?
All these questions and more can help you devise some goals for the New Year. Working with your Client Manager on these will ensure you’re both on the same page and working towards a common goal. We love being on your team, so working together and setting goals is a great way to kick off the New Year!