What 54 Google Ads experiments taught me about lead gen

For 2 years, my group ran 54 Google Ads experiments in a single lead gen (non-ecommerce) account, testing numerous options, together with:

This text delves into these assessments, explaining the rationale behind them, the outcomes achieved and the implications to your personal Google Advertisements accounts.

TL;DR

• We ran 54 experiments over two years protecting a spread of options for a lead era enterprise.
• Key assessments coated bid methods, match sorts and advert copy.
• Actual match key phrases nearly at all times carry out higher than phrase match key phrases.
• Maximize conversion technique tended to underperform different bid methods.
• Goal CPA bidding helped us hone in on an optimum CPA stage for us. 

What are Google Advertisements experiments?

Google Advertisements experiments enable advertisers to check modifications inside their campaigns earlier than absolutely implementing them. 

These experiments, performed on the marketing campaign stage, present a structured framework to simply arrange these modifications, check for significance and apply the modifications to the entire marketing campaign if they’re efficient.

For extra detailed data, the official Google Ads support pages supply further steerage.

Experiment setup overview

Throughout two years, we performed 54 experiments, testing a wide range of levers in Google Advertisements. Under are just a few examples of the experiments.

Key check classes 

• Bidding: Testing completely different bidding strategies towards one another. For instance, maximize conversions vs. goal CPA or goal CPA of $90 vs. goal CPA of $120. 
• Advert copy: Pinning sure advert copies down, testing sure copies or new touchdown pages.
• Key phrase match: Testing precise match key phrases vs. phrase match.

Timings

There was no set time for every experiment, however we tried to run every experiment for at the very least 30 days. 

Nonetheless, generally when the outcomes have been clear in much less time, we decided. Lots of the experiments ran for over three months, and most ran for over two months. 

Analysis

We evaluated all experiments based mostly on conversion fee, conversion quantity and price per acquisition – balancing these metrics to decide. (For advert copy assessments, we additionally used CTR.) 

Experiment outcomes 

1. Actual match vs. phrase match 

Actual match key phrases carried out higher on all standards when in comparison with phrase match. That they had decrease CPAs and better conversion charges and maintained comparable conversion volumes to phrase match key phrases.

Insights

• Though precise match key phrases have been dearer, they nonetheless nearly at all times had larger conversion charges and decrease CPA than phrase match key phrases. 
• Whereas sure phrase match key phrases will be helpful, when taken as a grouped marketing campaign, it was at all times higher for us to run precise match key phrases solely. 
• Phrase match has a spot and will be helpful for search time period discovery and in new campaigns, but when there may be sufficient quantity for precise key phrases, the latter ought to at all times be most well-liked. 
• Actual match key phrases typically carry out higher than phrase match key phrases as a result of Google hides many search phrases on phrase match key phrases. 
• In lots of circumstances, we discovered as much as 80% of search time period impressions and clicks are hidden when in comparison with key phrase impressions and clicks. 
• You may see this on the search phrases report. The share hidden on precise match is much decrease as a result of the search time period prospects are far decrease. 
• With phrase, you don’t truly know lots of the key phrases you’ve gotten bid on and are unable to unfavorable out many search phrases, which additional lowers the standard of those key phrases.

2. Maximize conversion bidding vs. different bidding methods

In the entire experiments the place we ran maximize conversions towards a goal CPA technique, the goal CPA technique at all times outperformed, driving extra leads on the identical value. 

After we ran maximize conversions towards guide bidding, maximize conversions carried out higher. 

Insights

• In case you are utilizing guide bidding and you’ve got sufficient conversion knowledge, then you must transfer to automated bidding. Both goal CPA or maximize conversions can be a very good choice. 
• In case you don’t have plenty of conversion knowledge, you must wait or check maximize conversion bidding. Usually, we discovered that in comparison with tCPA, maximize conversion bidding drove bids too excessive to be efficient. It allowed Google to set bids too excessive, generally excessively so.
• Google’s recommendation right here was that the bids would stabilize over time. Nonetheless, we ran these assessments typically for 3 months and didn’t see bids come down. 
• It’s doubtless most advertisers, like us, wouldn’t be capable to maintain such excessive bids for this lengthy. 

3. Goal CPA vs. goal CPA at completely different ranges 

Basically, we examined tCPA at completely different ranges (e.g., tCPA 90 vs. 120). Roughly half of our goal CPA experiments failed and half succeeded.

Insights

• The outcomes confirmed {that a} goal CPA of round 120 produced the most effective outcomes. 
• Exams with goal CPAs decrease than 120, resembling 110, didn’t enhance efficiency. 
• The 120 goal CPA persistently delivered larger conversions at a greater value per conversion.
• For our account, which is closely lead-based, tCPA tends to be the most effective mannequin. 
• We discovered the optimum goal CPA that maximizes leads inside our finances. Your aim with experiments must be to search out your personal optimum goal CPA, which can differ.

Subsequent steps

Whereas our outcomes present worthwhile insights, keep in mind that each PPC account and marketing campaign is exclusive.

Testing these methods in your particular context will assist affirm whether or not our outcomes apply to your state of affairs.

Our experiments can function a place to begin for optimizing your lead gen campaigns. By leveraging our findings, it can save you effort and time in your personal testing course of. 

Validate our outcomes with your personal knowledge, and if the outcomes align, confidently implement these modifications in your account for improved efficiency.