Every year, it seems like THIS year will be the biggest year of change for PPC management, especially for B2B businesses. But this year, this claim is more than hyperbole. The growth in AI and a continued emphasis on data privacy are reverberating across our industry, leaving many advertisers wondering what to do in this time of change. In this article, I’m going to outline three PPC strategies that your B2B business can use to navigate these changes and stay ahead of the curve in 2024. 3 PPC strategies to try in 2024 1: Use video marketing for more than brand awareness Video continues to gro ..read more

Many marketing leaders see Google advertising as a cost item rather than an investment in the business. This is especially true when Google Ads performance is sluggish. It’s only when their Google advertising leapfrogs in performance that they start to conceive of the value Google advertising can bring. Sadly, there’s no magic formula to achieve this leap in performance and change the minds of leadership. However, if you’re looking to take your Google Ads performance to the next level and beyond—here are three areas I would explore. 1. Vertical video ads YouTube is a great place for many adve ..read more

Many nonprofits enjoy a spike in donations at the end of the year. And so, they focus their digital marketing programs on November and December. But here’s a secret: If you want to pull in donations at the end of the year, you need to lay the groundwork now – and keep it going through the spring and beyond. Here are my recommendations for how to do that with PPC advertising. Keep budgets consistent With an emphasis on year-end giving, many nonprofits will pause all advertising until November. That’s not a great long-term strategy. As with all Google advertising, consistency is key – even for ..read more

In past years (2015 and 2021 specifically), I’ve written about the myths that surround Google advertising.  Surprisingly (and somewhat dishearteningly) many of these myths continue to circulate.  In 2015, for example, I wrote about these five myths:  You don’t need ongoing Google Ads management Google Ads can save a dying business Google knows best Results happen right away Google Ads is too expensive  Then, in 2021, I expanded on these four myths: Google advertising doesn’t work when the decision is long and/or emotional Google advertising only works in the short-term Y ..read more

The world of B2B digital marketing is always in a state of perpetual change, and 2023 was no exception.  We had a lot to talk about! And so I committed myself to continue writing about our industry and sharing my insights based on the work we do at Group Twenty Seven.  I’ve shared those insights here on my website, in my newsletter, through my LinkedIn posts, and as a contributor to Search Engine Land.  I truly hope this content has been useful to my clients and colleagues—and any B2B advertiser with a Google Ads program. I’ve certainly gotten a lot of value by following other p ..read more

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to compile my annual wishlist of things I’d like to see in Google Ads and the digital marketing industry in the coming year.  For this year’s wishlist, I have wishes for: Our industry Women in our industry B2B advertisers Google 1.   My wish for the digital marketing industry: More constructive conversations Social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, are a great place for digital marketing professionals to congregate and share their knowledge and experiences.  If you have a question you want to ask other experts or have a ..read more

Why will people click on one ad — and not another? Obviously, lots of factors go into the decision. But one factor that’s essential is trust.  If your ads look slightly “off” or a little bit suspicious, people are much less likely to click on them. When you unintentionally set off internal alarm bells, people will scroll on by in the split second it takes for them to make the click/no click decision.  So how can you make sure that your text ads—and your business—look as legit as they actually are? Here are five things you can follow to inspire greater confidence. 1. Display seller r ..read more

If you’ve ever audited a Google Ads account, you know you’re likely to find a few obvious, and very correctable, issues—especially if you’re working from a checklist. Things like:  Newer campaign types (such as PMax and Demand Gen campaigns) are missing important guardrails that could improve performance and reduce wasted ad spend.  Assets (formerly ad extensions) aren’t associated with their intended campaigns. Customer lists are uploaded but not utilized. Ad messaging has typos or spelling errors Keyword and bidding strategies are outdated At the same time, you may also find tell ..read more

While my team usually works with enterprise B2B businesses these days, we still take on smaller clients occasionally.  We enjoy these clients. Improvements can happen very quickly when the client is responsive, and it’s rewarding to see them succeed.  Most of these clients started by managing their Google Ads accounts themselves. Some did well for a while but then hit a wall or experienced a sudden drop in performance. Others struggled to even get out of the gate.  With so much talk about Google Ads automation in the air, I’m not surprised that these small business owners tried ..read more

When most of us think of online advertising, we think of Google Ads.  Or, if we’re talking retail and shopping, we might think of Amazon, Walmart, or Target ad buys.  And, if you’re a B2B, you might think of Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn Advertising. And that just about covers it, right? Not so fast!  There’s yet another type of advertising that’s often overlooked: programmatic advertising.  Why do many advertisers tend to forget about programmatic advertising? Probably because it’s not a great fit for everyone—and it has a reputation as a platform solely for big brands with b ..read more