{"id":8293,"date":"2023-02-22T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T14:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/"},"modified":"2023-02-22T14:09:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T14:09:00","slug":"3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"3 ways to stay on top of PPC performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Digital advertising is dynamic. It requires us to make the best possible account adjustments at the right time.\u00a0But to make informed decisions, we must fully understand micro and macro trends. <\/p>\n<p>The correct data, analysis and insights drive optimizations that positively impact <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/guide\/what-is-paid-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PPC<\/a> performance.<\/p>\n<p>This is why creating a holistic monitoring plan that considers all relevant data points is key to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/guide\/ppc\/tracking-and-measurement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tracking PPC metrics and results<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This article shares ways to comprehensively monitor your paid search performance by setting up automated reports, custom dashboards and performance alerts.<\/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\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#1_Automated_reports\" >1. Automated reports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Set_clear_objectives\" >Set clear objectives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Choose_the_right_tools\" >Choose the right tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Take_action_quickly\" >Take action quickly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/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\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#2_Custom_dashboards\" >2. Custom dashboards<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Efficient_data_analysis\" >Efficient data analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Real-time_monitoring\" >Real-time monitoring<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Improved_decision-making\" >Improved decision-making<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Customization\" >Customization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Communication_and_collaboration\" >Communication and collaboration\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Getting_started_with_dashboards\" >Getting started with dashboards<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#3_Automated_alerts\" >3. Automated alerts<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Real-time_monitoring-2\" >Real-time monitoring<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Time-saving\" >Time-saving<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Data-driven_decisions\" >Data-driven decisions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Flexibility\" >Flexibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Setting_up_automated_alerts\" >Setting up automated alerts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/22\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance\/#Monitor_your_PPC_campaigns_to_make_the_right_optimizations\" >Monitor your PPC campaigns to make the right optimizations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Automated_reports\"><\/span>1. Automated reports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Automated reports deliver regular updates on campaign performance, giving you a clear picture of what is and isn\u2019t working.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can set up automated reporting in Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising if you are starting or re-imaging your reporting program.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To set up an automated report in Google Ads:<\/p>\n<p>Build and customize your report within the Reports tab.<\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cSchedule\u201d on the top right of the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Select who should receive the report. (You can select users in your Google Ads account.)<\/p>\n<p>Determine your preferred report frequency (i.e., one-time, daily, weekly, monthly).<\/p>\n<p>Choose your preferred document format (CSV, Excel, XML).<\/p>\n<p>You can follow a similar process in Microsoft Advertising to establish an automated report for your team.<\/p>\n<p>Within the Microsoft Ads interface, navigate to \u201cReports.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Build a new, customized report.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On the top left, select \u201cScheduling frequency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Within the screen, you can choose the frequency (i.e., daily, weekly, monthly).<\/p>\n<p>And you can decide who should receive the report (users within your account).<\/p>\n<p>To make the most out of automated reporting, follow these tips.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Set_clear_objectives\"><\/span>Set clear objectives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Before automating your reports, you must set clear objectives for your campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This will help you determine which metrics are most important to track and ensure that you focus on the right areas.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Choose_the_right_tools\"><\/span>Choose the right tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Many tools are available so choosing the right ones is essential. Consider factors such as ease of use, integration with other tools, and cost when selecting.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Take_action_quickly\"><\/span>Take action quickly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A key benefit of using automated reports is that you can identify underperforming areas quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When you spot an issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ppc-management-checklist-daily-weekly-monthly-reviews-393344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">take action as soon as possible<\/a> to minimize the impact on your campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This might mean adjusting your targeting, changing your messaging, or trying a new approach altogether.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Custom_dashboards\"><\/span>2. Custom dashboards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Dashboards provide a more detailed look at individual metrics and how they trend over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a result, you can quickly identify any underperformance areas and take corrective action.<\/p>\n<p>Here are more benefits of using PPC dashboards.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Efficient_data_analysis\"><\/span>Efficient data analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dashboards provide a centralized location to view your paid search campaign data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They help you quickly identify trends and patterns in your data, saving time and resources compared to manually reviewing individual reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Real-time_monitoring\"><\/span>Real-time monitoring<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dashboards can display data in real-time, so you can keep a close eye on your campaigns as they run.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0You can identify performance issues as soon as they occur so that you can take corrective action immediately.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improved_decision-making\"><\/span>Improved decision-making<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>By having a clear and concise overview of your paid search campaigns, you can make data-driven decisions that will enhance your ROI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Dashboards can provide a high-level view of your campaign metrics, making it easier to spot improvement areas.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Customization\"><\/span>Customization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dashboards can be customized to show the metrics that matter most to your business goals.<\/p>\n<p>Customized dashboards can help you view the most relevant data to your campaigns and focus on the KPIs that matter most.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Communication_and_collaboration\"><\/span>Communication and collaboration\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dashboards can be shared with other team members, such as executives or stakeholders, to inform everyone of campaign performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Facilitate communication and collaboration with your team, making aligning goals and strategies easier.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_started_with_dashboards\"><\/span>Getting started with dashboards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Building customized dashboards for paid search can be fast and easy. You have various tools to get you started or help revamp your dashboard approach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Google Ads<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can build customized dashboards directly within the Google Ads interface.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Within the \u201cReporting\u201d section, you can navigate to \u201cDashboards.\u201d Then, you can add custom modules to your dashboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Microsoft Ads<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The interface has no separate section for customized dashboards. However, you can customize the Overview tab of your account.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can select a series of modules that work best for your needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looker Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-looker-studio-ppc-dashboard-must-haves-389191\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">create customized reports and dashboards<\/a> within Looker Studio. <\/p>\n<p>While this process will require a bit more work, a key benefit is that you can report on all of your paid search campaigns in Google and Microsoft in one platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Automated_alerts\"><\/span>3. Automated alerts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another critical component of a holistic monitoring plan is setting up performance alerts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These alerts can notify you when specific metrics fall outside of an acceptable range, allowing you to take action before any significant negative impact on your advertising performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Automated alerts are mission-critical for paid search management. Here are a few benefits of establishing alerts for your account.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Real-time_monitoring-2\"><\/span>Real-time monitoring<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Automated alerts can notify you immediately when specific metrics fall below or exceed a certain threshold, providing real-time monitoring of your campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can take quick corrective action to optimize your campaigns and prevent further damage.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Time-saving\"><\/span>Time-saving<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Manually monitoring metrics can be a time-consuming and tedious task.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Automated alerts save time by watching the metrics for you and sending notifications only when necessary, allowing you to focus on other essential tasks.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Data-driven_decisions\"><\/span>Data-driven decisions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Automated alerts help you stay informed about the performance of your campaigns and enable you to make data-driven decisions based on the insights provided.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By staying current with your campaign performance, you can identify trends and patterns in your data and make informed decisions on optimizing your campaigns.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Flexibility\"><\/span>Flexibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Automated alerts can be customized to track the metrics that matter most to your business goals, allowing you to focus on the most relevant KPIs to your campaigns.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Setting_up_automated_alerts\"><\/span>Setting up automated alerts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Setting up automated alerts within your Google Ads and Microsoft Ads campaigns is easy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Google Ads<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Within any screen of your Google Ads account, you can create an automated rule which serves as an automated alert.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>You can create automated rules to take specific actions within your account and establish rules to trigger email notifications when particular criteria are met.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the example below, this campaign will email me if conversions are less than one during any day.<\/p>\n<p>You can set up an alert like this to run hourly, but you will likely trigger false alerts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remember to develop alerts relevant to your account&#8217;s volume and performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monitor_your_PPC_campaigns_to_make_the_right_optimizations\"><\/span>Monitor your PPC campaigns to make the right optimizations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Making the proper account adjustments at the right time is critical to maintaining and improving your advertising performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When managing PPC campaigns, you must create a holistic monitoring plan considering all relevant data points. <\/p>\n<p>Creating dashboards, setting up performance alerts and running automated reporting will help you make informed decisions and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving paid search landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/3-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-ppc-performance-393386\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3 ways to stay on top of PPC performance<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Digital advertising is dynamic. It requires us to make the best possible account adjustments at the right time.\u00a0But to make informed decisions, we must fully understand micro and macro trends. The correct data, analysis and insights drive optimizations that positively impact PPC performance. This is why creating a holistic monitoring plan that considers all relevant data points is key to tracking PPC metrics and results.\u00a0 This article shares ways to comprehensively monitor your paid search performance by setting up automated reports, custom dashboards and performance alerts. [&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-8293","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\/8293","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=8293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8293\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}