{"id":5607,"date":"2022-08-17T16:28:24","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T16:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/"},"modified":"2022-08-17T16:28:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T16:28:24","slug":"driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving SEM success: Lessons learned from $1 billion+ in ad spend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Luanne Marek has been working in the digital customer acquisition space for 12 years. Throughout her six years leading the media buying team at Centerfield, Marek and her team have managed about a billion in ad spend, half a dozen Fortune 100 companies, several dozen Fortune 500 companies, and many other brands in the B2B, ecommerce, wireless and insurance industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At SMX Advanced, Marek shared ways they have been successful with some of the world\u2019s leading brands by sharing six lessons her team has learned over the last several years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#1_Test_your_campaigns\" >1. Test your campaigns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#2_Measure_with_third-party_tools\" >2. Measure with third-party tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#3_Always_be_experimenting\" >3. Always be experimenting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#4_Optimize_your_real_estate\" >4. Optimize your real estate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#5_Personalize_the_experience\" >5. Personalize the experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#6_The_buyer_journey_isnt_linear\" >6. The buyer journey isn\u2019t linear<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/17\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend\/#3_key_takeaways\" >3 key takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Test_your_campaigns\"><\/span>1. Test your campaigns<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"445\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.08.24-AM-800x445.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387247\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>Because branded campaigns are lower funnel and high converting, many brands don\u2019t think there is a reason to make changes. Marek didn\u2019t go into detail on what tests should be conducted, but she explains that on tests they performed, they were able to increase sales by 122%, as well as increase the quality of the sales by another 313%.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Measure_with_third-party_tools\"><\/span>2. Measure with third-party tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.08.41-AM-800x444.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387248\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>Once you decide to take the step and test your campaigns, making sure your data measurement is laid out correctly is the next step. <\/p>\n<p>Too often they see tests flop because the data was not well laid out. <\/p>\n<p>There is also a lot of emotional attachment to the results from the people that have been managing or working with the search campaigns. When that happens, Marek explains, it makes it difficult to look at the data in an unbiased way. <\/p>\n<p>Marek suggests bringing in a third-party that specializes in this type of data analysis is the ideal way to:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Correct baselines<\/li>\n<li>Create balance<\/li>\n<li>Use symmetrical data and measurement<\/li>\n<li>Ensure there are clear performance-based outcomes<\/li>\n<li>Allows the test to be run without emotional attachment to the readouts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Always_be_experimenting\"><\/span>3. Always be experimenting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"448\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.08.54-AM-800x448.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387249\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>Marek and her team perform thousands of tests a month on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keywords.<\/li>\n<li>Campaign structure.<\/li>\n<li>Bidding strategies.<\/li>\n<li>Ad copy.<\/li>\n<li>Landing pages. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>About 80% of the tests don\u2019t pan out, and the winners typically win by only 5-10%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When a winning test is found, scale it across other campaigns. Test additional iterations, and make sure you can measure it through to your end goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the example they provide, Marek explains that while the submit button resulted in more form submissions, the see package button resulted in the most sales per page view and ultimately won by 33%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Optimize_your_real_estate\"><\/span>4. Optimize your real estate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.09.08-AM-800x446.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387250\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>One of the areas Marek and her team see many brands fall apart is not taking full advantage of the real estate provided in the paid search results.<\/p>\n<p>She suggests testing multiple branded positions. <\/p>\n<p>Because other brands can show up in your results, adding a second paid branded position into the SERP will push those conquesting to the bottom of the page and instead of a user looking for your brand and seeing a compelling message from one of your competitors in between your paid search ad and your organic ad, they\u2019ll only see your brand\u2019s message.<\/p>\n<p>Testing this method resulted in a 121% increase in sales and only a 9% increase in CPA for Marek and her team.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Personalize_the_experience\"><\/span>5. Personalize the experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"445\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.09.23-AM-800x445.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387251\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>Adding a bunch of keywords to your landing page just isn\u2019t enough anymore. It\u2019s the bare minimum. <\/p>\n<p>Marek suggests personalizing the entire experience. She suggests using a technology that can personalize and speak to the user about what\u2019s important to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Her advice: Look for a technology platform that flows throughout the entire user experience, including the landing page. Choose one that offers contextualization and AI to personalize every step of the users\u2019 journey to keep them engaged.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_The_buyer_journey_isnt_linear\"><\/span>6. The buyer journey isn\u2019t linear<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-17-at-10.09.33-AM-800x449.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-387252\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<p>The market is increasingly competitive. Users will often have three or more touch points before making a conversion.<\/p>\n<p>Using automation and omnichannel optimization to meet the customer at every stage of the buying journey is the way forward, especially with the loss of cookies and other third-party data.<\/p>\n<p>Marek gives us the example of using chat and SMS, which did not exist as a conversion channel a few years ago. Marek suggests getting ahead of the trends before your competition does and letting the consumer be reached where and how they want to.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_key_takeaways\"><\/span>3 key takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Set up tests.<\/li>\n<li>Validate results with a third-party vendor.<\/li>\n<li>Give consumers choice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThere are many options out there, so test your current paid brand search strategy against others. And facilitating the testing is the next best option. And lastly, push the envelope on giving consumers choice. Just because one conversion path has worked well for you doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the only one you should focus on. It\u2019s not about spreading the same conversions amongst alternatives,\u201d Marek said.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/driving-sem-success-lessons-learned-from-1-billion-in-ad-spend-387245\" target=\"_blank\">Driving SEM success: Lessons learned from $1 billion+ in ad spend<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Luanne Marek has been working in the digital customer acquisition space for 12 years. Throughout her six years leading the media buying team at Centerfield, Marek and her team have managed about a billion in ad spend, half a dozen Fortune 100 companies, several dozen Fortune 500 companies, and many other brands in the B2B, ecommerce, wireless and insurance industries.\u00a0 At SMX Advanced, Marek shared ways they have been successful with some of the world\u2019s leading brands by sharing six lessons her team has learned over [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5607\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}