Often a prospective client will ask me to take a look at their Google AdWords account. A typical scenario would be that they have been running it for a few years with one staff member that seems to know what they were doing, but they have since left the company and someone else has taken over. The results are now mixed and performance has suffered. The request usually is for me to review the account and then tell them how to improve its performance.
If this sounds like your organization and you have an e-commerce site then read on.
After reviewing the account the impression I have is that the staff member that set the account up initially learnt, on the job, the basics of what was required. You know; write an ad for the product or service, use the keyword tool to find some keywords, decide geographically reach, put the settings to default and allocate some budget to some campaigns. It produced lots of impressions at the beginning, and over time the click through rate improves, quality score improves, ad position is better, and cost per click comes down. The staff member learnt a new technique or skill as time moves on, implements the concept and the account performance gets better.
In their rush to get the account up and running, obviously they're busy and under pressure with other marketing tasks, they overlook one of the most important aspects of AdWords, and that is account structure. If you're an e-commerce site then the best account structure is to mirror your website product categories. One good reason for doing this is that budget allocations and spend strategy is set at this account level.
Let's say you're a shoe store with a wide range of shoes for men, women and children. One way to organize the account is to have a campaign for men, women and children. With ad groups for sports, casual, and fashion, etc. Another way would be to have well known branded men's and non-branded men's at the campaign level and similar for women and children. Again with ad groups for sports, casual, and fashion etc.
The idea is to have tightly themed campaigns and ad groups around a specific product with matching keywords related directly to the ad test and ads that link to that particular products page in your website. This account structure improves Quality Score, improves click through rate and overall account performance.
The account structure is the framework upon which all future refinements and optimization will occur so it's important to consider the structural options and take some time getting it right at the very beginning.
About this Author
Peter L Davies
SEO/SEM consultant focused on Google AdWords, Search Engine Optimisation, On Page and Off Page best practice techniques working in beautiful New Zealand.
For more Google AdWords info
http://www.seoppcrank.co.nz
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