PPC is more competitive than ever.

According to Optmyzr, search CPCs are up 22 percent year on year.

Because it’s getting more expensive, if you want to generate ROI from search advertising, you need to be on your A game.

Remember, this is competitive. You need to be better than the other advertisers if you’re going to generate the highest ROI.

So, today we’ve brought a very special guest onto the Thinkplus podcast – Tom Goodwin, our head of PPC.

We break down some of the most expensive mistakes we see PPC advertisers making.

Timestamps

00:00 — Intro
01:37 — Not Bidding On Your Own Brand
07:01 — Ignoring Quality Score
13:47 — Spelling Errors
16:36 — Sending People to 404 Errors
19:58 — Offers That Expire
22:00 — Not Using Audiences
27:40 — Not Using Broad Match
34:14 — No Performance Max or Only Performance Max

What to Listen to Next:

• Google’s AI Overviews to Reach 1 Billion Users by Year-End ⁠⁠
• Why GEO is the New SEO (and How It Works) ⁠⁠
• The Best B2B Marketing Strategies for 2025

The post 8 Common PPC Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them) appeared first on Thinkplus.

TL;DR: A recent report has revealed Google’s manipulative tactics for squeezing more money out of PPC advertisers. We’ve long suspected it, but now we have concrete evidence. It’s time to ditch the illusion of partnership and recognise Google for what they are: a competitor vying for your marketing budget.

This isn’t just hearsay; it’s a documented fact.

A comprehensive 286-page report exposes how Google has been manipulating the PPC landscape, using underhanded tactics to inflate your ad costs. While Google Ads remains a powerful platform, it’s crucial to approach it with a healthy dose of scepticism and understand that their priorities may not always align with yours.

Here’s a deeper dive into their tactics:

• Artificial Inflation of Bids: Google has been employing tactics like “squashing” – artificially raising the LTV score of the second-place bidder, forcing the top bidder to pay more to maintain their position. They’ve also been using “randomised generalised price auction” (rgsp), which randomly switches the LTV scores of the top two bidders, again creating artificial competition and driving up costs. They’ve even admitted to incrementally implementing these changes to avoid alarming advertisers.
• Opacity Over Transparency: Google has been steadily shifting towards “smart bidding” and opaque ad products, giving advertisers less control and visibility over their campaigns. This makes it harder to understand what’s driving costs and optimise for true ROI. Remember when you could see the actual search terms triggering your ads? Those days are fading fast as Google pushes broader match keywords and limits transparency.
• The Illusion of Partnership: Don’t be fooled by Google’s friendly facade. While their representatives may seem helpful, their ultimate goal is to maximize Google’s revenue, not necessarily yours. They’ve even been known to encourage agencies to push their clients towards less transparent, AI-driven ad products that often benefit Google more than the advertiser.

Here’s how you can navigate this new landscape:

• Don’t Overvalue the Top Spot: Obsessing over the top position could be costing you dearly. Consider the overall ROI and explore whether a slightly lower position might deliver better results for your budget.
• Become a PPC Powerhouse: Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of PPC mechanics and optimisation strategies. Stay informed about industry changes (via the Thinkplus YouTube channel) and continuously refine your campaigns to maximise effectiveness.
• Choose Your Agency Wisely: Be wary of agencies that boast about their close relationship with Google. A truly effective agency will prioritise your interests and be willing to challenge Google’s recommendations (when necessary).

The bottom line? Google Ads can still be a highly profitable channel, but you need to be a savvy and informed marketer to navigate their increasingly complex and less transparent system. Stay vigilant, stay agile, and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.

Want to explore the future of search and learn how to rank in AI-driven search engines like Google’s AI Overviews? Check out our how-to video:

This summary was compiled by Dale Davies and, in part, with Google Gemini.

What To WATCH Next

What To LISTEN To Next

• How To Get Qualified B2B Leads Using SEO
• How To Use Performance Max Like a NINJA
• NEW Google Algorithm Update + AI Overviews Hits the UK

What To READ Next

• How to Triple Your Leads in 2024
• How to Use Performance Max like a NINJA
• 5 Powerful Lead Generation Strategies for 2024

Is your marketing underperforming?

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The post Google Is Artificially Inflating Your PPC Costs (#328) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode…

When it comes to running ads on search and social media, the main issues we see with B2B marketing in particular are around creativity and targeting.

The key to pay-per-click advertising is always the same, no matter your industry — getting great ads in front of the right people at the right time.

To do this well in B2B you need to start by looking at the conversion funnel your customers are going through and understand the pain points they have throughout this funnel.

Ready to smash your competitor’s PPC out of the park?

What to Watch Next

What to Listen to Next

Copy This OVERPOWERED PPC Strategy in 2024 (Extra #038)

#203: The 3-Stage PPC Strategy You Need to Maximise Your Ad Spend

What to Read Next

• How to Use Performance Max like a NINJA
• How to Market a Service-Based Business
• How To Create a PPC Strategy

The post How To Get Qualified B2B Leads using PPC (#323) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode

Do your Google Ad campaigns leave you wanting more?

Well, Google’s Performance Max ads may be for you.

Google likes to tell people that Performance Max ads are just plug-and-play, but we know you can get more from them by using a clever strategy.

In this video, we share some of the winning Performance Max strategies we use with clients so you can get the most from your ads.

What to WATCH Next

What to LISTEN to Next

• Tesla’s PPC Marketing Mistakes
• Copy This OVERPOWERED PPC Strategy in 2024
• The Reason Your PPC Isn’t Working

What to READ Next

• How to Use Performance Max like a NINJA
• How to Triple Your Website Traffic
• How Google Gemini Will Change the Future of SEO (Probably)

The post How To Use Performance Max Like a NINJA (#318) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode…

In this episode, Tim and Jess are joined by special guest, Nicola Tuxford, Thinkplus’s Head of PPC, to talk you through how to do powerful, high-ROI PPC in 2024.

Key Takeaways

• The new Google feature, Performance Max (pMax), allows for more efficient, full-funnel marketing campaigns, with automated, machine learning-backed optimisation.
• While pMax can provide significant benefits in terms of time savings and streamlined campaign management, it requires careful monitoring and patience during the initial learning curve for the best results.
• Creativity plays a key role in pMax campaigns, with a strong emphasis on quality videos and digital assets, as well as up-to-date merchant feeds.
• Adjusting the customer acquisition settings in pMax campaigns can significantly impact performance, allowing businesses to decide whether to target new and/or existing customers.
• Performance Max may be beneficial for Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), offering tailored advertising options and making strategic use of real-time, first-party data provided by users.

What to Watch Next

What to Listen to Next

• How Google Ads Will Work in 2024 (#295)
• The Importance of PPC in an AI Search World (#286)
• How to Spy on Your Competitor’s PPC Ads (#246)
• Reduce Your CPA by up to 87% (#241)
• The 3-Stage PPC Strategy You Need to Maximise Your Ad Spend (#203)

What to Read Next

• 10 Best B2C Marketing Strategies for 2023 and Beyond
• Best B2B Marketing Strategies in 2023
• How to Create a NINJA Content Strategy
• Why 65% Of Businesses Aren’t Getting an ROI from Digital Marketing (Here’s How to Improve Your Marketing)
• What Is Digital PR? (And How It Can Improve Your SEO)

The post Copy This OVERPOWERED PPC Strategy in 2024 (Extra #038) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode…

Google Ads has changed a lot since the start of 2023.

Things that used to work aren’t working as well.

New ad formats, like Performance Max, have appeared and you’re not getting the same results.

But don’t worry. The team at Thinkplus have been experimenting with these new ad types for a while and we know what works.

So watch this video if you want to run the best ads you ever have.

End Q4 with a bang.

You May Also Enjoy…

• Best B2C Marketing Strategies for 2024 and Beyond!
• How to Plan Your Marketing Budget
• These Mistakes KILL Conversion Rates

The post How Google Ads Will Work in 2024 (#295) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode…

With more AI being used in search results, we expect that PPC will become an even more important tool in the marketer’s toolbox.

But how can you compete when everyone can make ads using AI?

In today’s episode, Tim explains how you can create the best online ads, with or without AI.

He explores:

• The main ways PPC can help you get more traffic
• How AI will impact PPC
• How to make the best ads and stand out against AI-generated ones

Related Links

• AdClarity*
• How To Find Your Target Audience in 6 Questions

You May Also Enjoy…

• Why Digital PR is the FUTURE of Search
• Will Google’s AI Search KILL SEO?
• AI Search is About to STEAL 40% of Your TRAFFIC

*Some links within this article are affiliate links which Thinkplus receives a fee for promoting (these links are not sponsored). Thinkplus only promotes services we already use within our marketing stack.

The post The Importance of PPC in an AI Search World (#286) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In this episode…

Join Tim and Jess as they discuss the huge news about YouTube’s billion-dollar ads blunder, Twitter’s rate limit, Meta’s new Threads app and how people are using Bing Chat now the AI hype has slowed down.

You May Also Enjoy…

How “Normal” Businesses Can Grow Using YouTube

Create Content That Gets EXPLOSIVE Results

How £1M+ Businesses use ChatGPT

The post YouTube Ads Scandal…and More Marketing News (Extra #018) appeared first on Thinkplus.

In This Episode…

Tim looks into the success of our agency’s UK Paid Media Awards-winning campaign for The Tool Store Canada, a bricks-and-mortar store with an expanding digital presence.

The target of the campaign was to double monthly sales using a multi-faceted pay-per-click ads campaign, driven by Google Ads.

The campaign was a huge success.

And there are lessons every business can take from the campaign to not only increase leads and sales but improve PPC campaign performance.

Timestamps

00:00 — We won
01:37 — Before you set anything up
04:49 — Know the game
06:52 — Setting up
08:00 — Conversion rate hacks
09:28 — Sell what you’ve got

Related Links

• 208% Revenue Increase in 5 Months for The Tool Store Canada

You May Also Enjoy…

• 10 Ways to Increase Your eCommerce Conversion Rate
• How To Increase Customer Lifetime Value

The post #241: Reduce Your CPA by up to 87% appeared first on Thinkplus.