How to think differently about Search: Search Stories

TL;DR

Industry leaders share their experiences in overcoming skepticism and testing new strategies in online advertising, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and collaboration.

Transcript

Hi. Trying something new or giving something another shot can take some convincing. Especially if you've had a bad experience in the past. So you may not have tested broad match since it’s been redesigned or you may not have been testing it with Smart Bidding, for example, but changing minds takes work. And that's why we've asked industry leaders ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔍 Testing new strategies can be met with skepticism, but it's important to overcome doubts and give them a try.
• 📊 Broad match can be effective when combined with smart bidding and automated bidding. Trust the system to manage queries just as you trust it with managing money.
• 🔁 The approach to keyword matching has shifted from constructing specific matches to using additional signals like conversion and location data.
• 💡 Testing new strategies can yield instant results and help advertisers reach their business goals. Innovation is appreciated by clients, so be transparent and show them how algorithms work.
• 💼 Collaborate with your agency or team, dig into data points, and have productive discussions to convince skeptics about trying something new.
• 📈 Overwhelmingly positive results from testing can change the perception of skeptics and make them advocates for new strategies like broad match.
• 📊 Embrace a data-driven mindset and avoid making assumptions. Use data to make informed decisions and optimize performance.
• 🔄 Instead of constantly tinkering with your account, focus on understanding the system, feeding it valuable information, and giving it room to learn for a holistic approach.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did industry leaders overcome their skepticism towards using broad match in online advertising?

Industry leaders overcame their skepticism by testing and seeing improved results with the development of automated bidding and the inclusion of additional signals. They began to trust broad match as a tool to manage queries effectively, just as they trusted it to manage their money.

Q: What strategies can advertisers use to convince their clients or teams to test new advertising approaches?

Advertisers can convince their clients or teams by being transparent and showing them the different signals and algorithms at work. Collaborative discussions, looking into data points, and demonstrating how the new approach aligns with the business goal can help overcome skepticism and encourage testing.

Q: How did the perception of broad match change among the team members once they tested it?

Initially skeptical team members became big fans of broad match after running tests and seeing its effectiveness. This shift in perception highlights the importance of testing and experiencing the results firsthand rather than relying on assumptions.

Q: What mindset shift is crucial for advertisers to overcome skepticism and embrace new strategies?

Advertisers need to shift from a tinkering mindset to a holistic understanding of how the system works and how to provide valuable information for the algorithms to learn from. This shift allows for a broader view of the impact on the business and facilitates data-driven decision-making.

Q: What data can advertisers feed into the system to improve the effectiveness of their advertising strategies?

Advertisers can feed data such as conversion values, first-party data, or offline conversions into the system to enhance the relevance and performance of their advertising strategies. Having conversations to gather and utilize this data is crucial for success in online advertising.

Answer: Overcoming skepticism in online advertising requires testing and experiencing the results firsthand rather than relying on past experiences or assumptions. By embracing data-driven decision-making, transparency, collaboration, and continuous learning, advertisers can successfully test and implement new strategies to achieve their business goals.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Industry leaders discuss their initial skepticism towards using broad match in online advertising and how they overcame it by testing and understanding its improved capabilities.

• Automated bidding, along with additional signals like conversion and location data, helped improve the relevance and effectiveness of broad match.

• Transparency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making are essential to convince clients and teams to test new strategies and embrace innovation in online advertising.