How to Survive (& Actually Thrive at) SMB PPC

How to Survive (& Actually Thrive at)
SMB PPC.
State of Search, Dallas 2016

@PPCKirk #StateOfSearch
SMB
PPC

SMB
PPCNo Competition
Great Product
Great Content
Great Client

SMB
PPCNo Competition
Great Product
Great Content
Great Client
EXPLOSIONS

SMB
PPCCan SMB PPC really
work?
Or are we destined to
be outbid and out-
budgeted by the big
brands?
The Big Question About Little PPC
http://www.sportsmanagementdegreehub.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/06/5.-Greg-Grant.jpg

Kirk Williams
@PPCKirk
blogger: Search Engine
Land, Moz, PPC Hero,
Wordstream, Klientboost
speaker: SMX, Hero Conf,
Confluence Con, State of
Search, SLC DMC
Billings, MT

Kirk Williams
@PPCKirk
My Mother-
in-Law
says I do
PCP.
“Worthless
man.”

SMB
PPC
Definition of SMB

SMB
PPC(Often)
Local
Definition of SMB

SMB
PPC(Often)
Local
Definition of SMB
Simple
Account

SMB
PPC(Often)
Local
Definition of SMB
Simple
Account
Simple
Product or
Service

SMB
PPC(Often)
Local
Definition of SMB
Simple
Account
Simple
Product or
Service
Low Budget
< $2500

SMB
PPC
Caveat: My SMB PPC Today
= Search Engine Marketing

SMB
PPC
“This is how we are going to rock at SMB PPC.”

SMB
PPC
SMB PPC TIP 1
Set Yourself Up
Like Chuck
Norris Playing 1-
Man Volleyball.

SMB
PPC
The slower the getaway car,
the more you need a good head-start.
“It’s a setup!
Step on it,
Vinnie, drive!”

SMB
PPC
SMB requires skill, since you can’t “just throw
budget at it.”
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4
1,000
Visits
500
Visits
250
Visits

SMB
PPC
What about Account Structure?
HOTLY
DEBATED

SMB
PPC
Chuck Norris’ opinion (and mine):
WHACK

SMB
PPC
Chuck Norris’ opinion (and mine):
“Why, segment
SMB Campaigns
by Match Type,
by jove.”
MORE
WHACKS

SMB
PPC
Remarketing (more on this later)
Display
Remarketing
Search
Remarketing

SMB
PPC
Bing Ads: USE IT

SMB
PPC
SMB Website Logic:
IF
Website = SMB
THEN
Quality = BAD.

SMB
PPC
Bad Website? Try LPs

SMB
PPC
So Remember:
Set Yourself Up
Like Chuck
Norris Playing 1-
Man Volleyball.

SMB
PPC
SMB PPC TIP 2
Budget Like
You’re
UnAmerican.
“don’t buy
stuff you
cannot
afford!”

SMB
PPC
In SMB PPC,
Budgeting Well is as Essential as…

SMB
PPC
Account Organization & Budgeting
Separate
Campaigns
by Match
Type for
Budget
Control

SMB
PPC
My SMB Automated Budget Rule Strategy
Pause &
assign
campaign
labels
throughout
the month

SMB
PPC
My SMB Automated Budget Rule Strategy

SMB
PPC
Shared Budgets: An SMB Win!
 Keep TOP (or big
spender)
campaigns
separated
 Split Remaining
Campaigns into
Shared Budgets

SMB
PPC
Investigate Shape (formerly Steadybudget)
 Not a paid ad 
 Pull in Google +
Bing + FB to
control *total*
budget
 See projections

SMB
PPC
SMB Budget Requests
 Don’t be a
Google rep

SMB
PPC
SMB Budget Requests
 Don’t be a
Google rep
 Use. Data.
SCENARIO
Monthly Budget: $2000
Monthly Leads: 100
Avg CPA: $20 (Lowest possible)
Google: Missing 25% imp
Est loss: 25 leads per month

SMB
PPC
SMB Budget Requests
 Don’t be a
Google rep
 Use. Data.
 Make hard,
realistic recos
SCENARIO
Monthly Budget: $2000
Monthly Leads: 100
Avg CPA: $20 (Lowest possible)
Google: Missing 25% imp
Est loss: 25 leads per month
__________________
Suggestion: Raise to $2500

SMB
PPC
So Remember:
Budget Like
You’re
UnAmerican.
“don’t buy
stuff you
cannot
afford!”

SMB PPC TIP 3
Target Like Finn (100%) & Padme (84%), Not Stormtroopers.

SMB
PPC
Keyword Targeting
Prioritize
[exact]

SMB
PPC
Keyword Targeting
Build
out top
terms
into
SKAGs

SMB
PPC
SMB KW Research – No Monthly $$ Required!

SMB
PPC
Negative Keyword Tips
Neg KW
Lists?

SMB
PPC
NO

SMB
PPC

SMB
PPC
DOESN’T WORK

SMB
PPC
Negative Keywords
Use SQR/STR to find
“bulk” KW modifiers
when traffic is low.

SMB
PPC
Negative Keywords
Use SQR/STR to
find “bulk” KW
modifiers when
traffic is low.

SMB
PPC
Remarketing Audiences
SMB RLSA FTW

SMB
PPC
Remarketing Audiences

SMB
PPC
Remember, SMB Targeting = Control
1
Random bid modifiers =
monsters

SMB
PPC
1
monsters
2
Return customers ≠
new customers
353% Increase in ROAS
588% Increase in CVR
Shopping Client
vs

SMB
PPC
1
monsters
2
Return customers ≠
new customers
3 Budget control, FTW

SMB
PPC
Lists = User Behavior + Micro-Conversions

So Remember:
Target Like Finn (100%) & Padme (84%), Not Stormtroopers.

SMB
PPC
SMB PPC TIP 4
Report Like
You’re a
Tattletale
“your CPA rose
inexplicably”

SMB
PPC
SMB Reporting Rule Number 1:
Don’t be Han Solo

SMB
PPC It’s about the
client.
 IT’S ABOUT THE
CLIENT.
 Identify & Report
on THEIR KPIs
Don’t be Han Solo

SMB
PPC
Your clients are busy.
Don’t waste their attention with pointless metrics

SMB
PPC
E.g., bounce rate = pointless metric.
Also, consider combining Google/Bing into “PPC”

SMB
PPC
Don’t Over-report (Monthly)
Don’t waste your
or their time with
low budget weekly
reporting

SMB
PPC
SMB Reporting Rule Number 4
Show the Big Picture, too
SMB clients/owners L.O.V.E. seeing YTD

SMB
PPC
Make it Pretty
They don’t have time to page through excel files.

SMB
PPC
Make it Pretty
They don’t have time to page through excel files.
kerpow

SMB
PPC
My Reporting Tool Recommendation

SMB
PPC
So Remember:
Report Like
You’re a
Tattletale
“your CPA rose
inexplicably”

SMB
PPC
So, can SMB PPC Really Work???
Are we destined to be outbid and
outgunned buy bigger competitors?

SMB
PPC
YES, SMB PPC can work, if we:
 Set up our accounts well
 Target accurately
 Budget Intelligently
 Communicate well

SMB
PPC
“Yep,
we’re
good.”
Thanks,
mom

Thank You!
Questions, Ideas,
Insults?
Slides + Links:
zato.marketing/smb-ppc

How to Survive (& Actually Thrive at) SMB PPC

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