This Search Best Practice Checklist has been put together to provide a comprehensive list of optimization and account management tips which you should follow to drive the best possible results from your clients campaigns.

The page is split into the 4 major sections that influence search campaign performance:

  • Ad Text
  • Budgets
  • Bids
  • Keywords

Each section has a list of best practices which can positively impact the results of your search campaigns.

Keywords

Title
  1. Structure
  2. Coverage-Brand
  3. Coverage
  4. Coverage
  5. Creative
  6. Creative
  7. Seasonality
  8. Seasonality

 

Level

Beginner

 

Best Practice
  1. Structure account(s) to mirror site
  2. Include brand terms
  3. Cover all products
  4. Include relevant negatives
  5. Deep link to relevant landing pages
  6. Relate the creative to the keywords
  7. Have annual seasonal plan
  8. Have seasonal keywords and creatives ready,
  1. Structure
  2. Structure
  3. Structure
  4. Coverage – Brand
  5. Coverage
  6. Coverage
  7. Coverage
  8. Coverage
  9. Coverage
  10. Coverage
  11. Coverage

Intermediate

  1. Delete duplicate keywords
  2. Separate campaigns for converting keywords
  3. Separate campaign for top volume drivers
  4. Include brand misspellings
  5. Use generic keywords to drive awareness
  6. Use generic keywords to boost conversions
  7. Understand queries matched by keywords
  8. Keep reviewing kw set to capture new queries
  9. Keep reviewing kw set to filter unwanted clicks/queries
  10. Match keywords to search queries to enable targeted ad text
  11. Use product specific keywords to drive conversions
  1. Structure
  2. Structure Automation
  3. Coverage – Brand
  4. Coverage – Automation
  5. Seasonality Automation

Advanced

  1. Create testing environment for new keywords
  2. Flag keywords which are performing well and restructure if necessary
  3. Include brand territory terms
  4. Pull data from logs and automatically populate existing campaigns with relevant keywords.
  5. Flag queries which spike. Add keywords/incorporate them following year

Adtext

Title
  1. Creative
  2. Creative
  3. Creative
  4. Creative
  5. Creative
  6. Creative
  7. Creative
  8. Creative
  9. Seasonality
  10. Seasonality

 

Level

Beginner

 

Best Practice
  1. Include special offers in ad text
  2. Test brands in ad text
  3. Test DKI/static in ad text
  4. Test CTAs in ad text
  5. Test seasonal creative
  6. Match online and offline messaging
  7. Deep link to relevant landing pages
  8. Relate the creative to the keywords
  9. Have annual seasonal plan
  10. Have seasonal keywords and creatives ready,
  1. Creative
  2. Creative
  3. Creative
  4. Creative
  5. Creative
  6. Creative
  7. Creative

Intermediate

  1. Include delivery details in ad text
  2. Test offline messaging in ad text
  3. Test prices in ad text
  4. Test no. of products in ad text
  5. Include Third-Party Awards where possible
  6. Test capatilisation variations
  7. Keep trialling different creatives,

Bids

Best Practice
  1. Have annual seasonal plan
  1. Separate campaigns for converting keywords
  2. Separate campaign for top volume drivers
  3. Set CPC’s to appear in the most profitable position
  4. Be prepared to raise CPCs during seasonal peaks
  1. Create testing environment for new keywords
  2. Flag keywords which are performing well and restructure if necessary
  3. Keep up with ROI figures and alter CPCs accordingly

 

Level

Beginner

Intermediate

 

 

Advanced

Budgets

Search/Content
  1. Search & Content

 

Title
  1. Seasonality

 

Level

Beginner

 

Best Practice
  1. Have annual seasonal plan
  1. Search
  2. Search
  3. Search
  4. Search
  1. Structure
  2. Structure
  3. Bidding and Budgeting
  4. Bidding and Budgeting

Intermediate

  1. Separate campaigns for converting keywords
  2. Separate campaign for top volume drivers
  3. Budget for maximum return
  4. Raise your budget caps to take advantage of positive ROI
  1. Search
  2. Search
  3. Search
  4. Search and Content
  1. Structure
  2. Structure Automation
  3. Bidding and Budget Automation
  4. Seasonality

Advanced

  1. Create testing environment for new keywords
  2. Flag keywords which are performing well and restructure if necessary
  3. Automate daily budget reports
  4. Keep up with seasonal trends and one off events that may lead to traffic spikes