With nearly a decade of experience at a digital marketing agency, three of those years focusing exclusively on PPC, I’ve learned a lot. There’s always more to master, but I hope these early insights can help you avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way.
1. Understanding the Business is Critical
To create successful campaigns, you must first understand the business you’re working for, including its goals and its customers. While industries may have similarities, every business has unique elements that set it apart from competitors. Taking the time to grasp these distinctions will allow you to create campaigns that are tailored to the client’s needs and effectively reach their target audience.
2. Broader Marketing Knowledge is a Game-Changer
While honing your PPC skills is crucial, having a foundational understanding of broader marketing concepts can be incredibly valuable. Whether it’s knowing how the Search Engine Results Page works, understanding the basics of copywriting, or grasping which channels are better for capturing or generating demand, this broader knowledge can help you improve your PPC management and offer useful insights into other marketing strategies.
3. Focus on the Basics, Not Just on Quick Fixes
It’s tempting to chase after shortcuts or advanced hacks, but a thorough understanding of the PPC fundamentals—like ad copy, targeting, landing pages, and conversion tracking—is far more important. Without a solid grasp of these basics, you’ll struggle to identify when and how to use advanced tactics, and if something goes wrong, you won’t know why.
4. Tap Into the PPC Community
One of the best ways to learn and grow in PPC is by engaging with others in the industry. Whether through LinkedIn, webinars, or PPC-specific communities, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with experts and stay informed. Follow leaders in the space, like Adriaan Dekker and Miles McNair, or get involved with active communities such as The PPC Hub and PPC Profit Lab.
5. The Importance of the Landing Page
The landing page is just as important, if not more so, than the ads and targeting. Don’t overlook it when crafting campaigns. Tools like HotJar or Microsoft Clarity can help analyze and improve landing pages, which can make or break your campaigns. Sometimes, the quality of the landing page is what drives success—even if the campaign strategy isn’t perfect.
6. Data Trumps Best Practice
While best practices are useful, they’re not the ultimate guide. Real performance data should take priority. Sometimes, unconventional strategies work, even if they don’t align with textbook best practices. Take the time to understand why something is performing well and test new approaches cautiously before making major changes.
7. Think Beyond Google Ads
While you’ll likely spend most of your time in-platform when starting out, some of the biggest opportunities for improvement lie beyond Google Ads. Consider optimizing the business’s offer or refining its lead intake process to improve results. The entire customer journey matters, and even external factors, like shipping fees or response times, can make or break a campaign.
8. Use Checklists to Stay on Track
PPC is increasingly complex, and using checklists can help ensure that nothing is overlooked. Borrowing from professions like doctors and pilots, who rely heavily on checklists, this practice will help prevent avoidable mistakes and keep your campaigns running smoothly.
9. Don’t Get Distracted by Optimization Scores or Ad Strength
Early on, it’s easy to get hung up on metrics like Optimization Score or Ad Strength, but these don’t always correlate with business performance. While they offer insights, such as identifying weak ad creative, Quality Score is a much more meaningful metric that should guide your campaign management.
10. Be Selective About Google Rep Calls
You don’t need to jump on every call from a Google Ads representative. While reps can offer valuable insights for enterprise clients, their main goal is often to encourage increased ad spend, not necessarily better performance. Be cautious when taking their recommendations, especially if you don’t fully understand the reasoning behind them.
Navigating the world of PPC can be overwhelming, especially early on, but these lessons can help you avoid common pitfalls and set you up for success. By focusing on the fundamentals, engaging with the community, and always putting data above theory, you’ll be on your way to driving excellent results for the businesses you work with.
