Traditional search methods include keyword bidding within specific geographies. This approach positions a brand for those seeking services in Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Those seeing the brand’s results within their SERPs (search engine results pages) know they are reaching those already in the market for their product, because they are typing specific words or phrases into their browser. Put differently, a traditional search campaign targets those at the very bottom of the sales funnel, converting them into customers when they are ready to buy.
What’s Good Can be Better
Using traditional search, we’ll find those looking for services “right now.” But optimizing the campaign to include the use of Performance Max, we can target searchers based on key characteristics qualifying them as intenders for our client’s products or services. That means we can engage an audience with search advertising while they are in the consideration stage—higher in the funnel.
Performance Max was designed as a compliment to traditional search. It won’t conflict with an advertiser’s existing keyword targeting, but rather expand the portion of the funnel covered by the campaign. It adds a layer of strategy to conquest additional audiences based on internet and search behaviors during their consideration phase.
By changing a 100% traditional search campaign to a 70/30 split of traditional to Performance Max, we tested this model in a client campaign. Here’s what we saw.
Same Spend. Better Results.
The gain in clients and conversions was entirely performance based. No additional investment was required for the search campaign to be augmented in this way.
Other Optimizations To Consider
Beyond the search optimization phase, our team knows that paid search, when combined with display can improve results from even the smartest of search campaigns. Bundled search and display campaigns perform better than standalone and are more cost-effective. Because your display investment drives more clicks in the search channel AND organic traffic to your website, those incorporating display in to an already successful search campaign may find they need to spend less over time.
Ad Choices
