EP246 - Staying Ahead of the Curve in PPC in 2023

0:00 Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of the PPC chat Roundup in today's episode. We have the lovely Julie bikini taken us on the Helm of a fantastic topic. Staying ahead of the curve, in PPC in 2023. Yeah, this is something that is very important to do. And I industry with things totally changing every couple of weeks, I'd say a few times a month, like a few times, several times in a few months. So just making sure that you're prepared for changes, making sure. Sure that yo you don't panic when changes happen things that you just, you know, make sure you're always prepared for things that you prepare your accounts for things. They way they prepare your clients or steps that, you know, that you need to take. When the new change happens, you know, those kind of things. I'm sure the things that we're going to discuss here. Now, I wasn't able to join because I was feeling a bit ill earlier on today.

0:53 Still not 100% but feeling much better now. Lots of liquids and vitamin C is keeping me on track. Well, yeah, it's really great to be able to read some of the answers people gave about what they say about, you know, feeling how they feel about the industry, how the how its evolving and how they're staying on top of it. So let's hear what the advice and hopefully you can take on some of that advice to ensure that you are also keeping on top of the PBC industry. Hello and a warm, welcome to this episode of the PPC chat round up a podcast where I round up the Twitter discussion that happens on Tuesdays at 5 p.m.

1:40 GMT. I'm your host, a new and I'm recording from my studio here in London UK. And I use this platform to share not just expert but also my ideas and considered best practices about paid media and the direction the digital industry is going in. So if you want to keep up to date with my tips and tricks in the industry, and get the latest on the podcast that has been called your go to even if you don't make it, if you don't make it to the PVC chat live discussions. And even if you do then like, follow share and retweet on, that's right. Twitter with my handle the marketing, a new or join us on our LinkedIn Group, which is the PPC chat Roundup podcasts. Or if you want to Instagram, why don't you check? Us out, at PPC, chat on the school, Round Up to get quotes. And It's from previous episodes.

2:27 So we have Julie taken us on another great topic talking about. Staying on top of the curve, staying ahead of the curve of the ever-evolving ever-changing. You know, PPC industry, not just from Google. But also from the likes of being and not just even like from those platform itself just about what the the industry is demanding. At the moment, I AI has really boomed. Chat GPT has also inspired What are you know, Google to come up with Bard who and all that kind of stuff. And yeah, I'm now on the waiting list to be able to use them because yeah, Chad GPT just seems to be down all the time. So yeah, I've not even had a chance to test that. I don't know whether that's embarrassing to admit. But yeah.

3:10 Who else hasn't had a chance to test it? I hope I'm not alone there as well. But yeah, dude, eat. First of all goes, how we doing gildner. A regular hair lately is joins us as well. Julia voice as well. Joins us dwane Brown as well. Macabre, here, she goes on finally hair. No conflicting appointments or meetings, I've missed you all, we've missed our meat as well Reva Minkoff as well joins us and yeah I'm sure plenty more Ashton clock as well as usual joins us. But yeah, before we get into questions we will start with Judy's usual. PSA going. This chat is intended for PPC, Professionals of all levels. If you have something you want to share, please do we are a friendly and supportive Community, please don't.

3:55 Be afraid to participate. Lurkers are of course always welcome to. Yeah, so let's go into the questions. I'm not going to, you know, bogged down with any of the intros that people give. Let's get straight to the questions and hear what the community has to say on this amazing topic. Julie asks, do you feel like you are ahead in the middle or behind the curve in PPC? These days? Meaning, do you feel like you're falling behind treading water or leading the pack? It's a mixture. I feel it's hard to always Like, you're on top of things. I always feel like in the, in the moment, the job that you're in, it always just depends on what what you're working on which client you're working with. If you're not going to be working on like a retail client, I feel like you are always going to feel like you're behind the curve because you're not necessarily going to be using performance Max. You're probably not going to be doing a lot of the shopping stuff.

4:46 You're not going to be using necessarily the whole you know band wide variety of tools that Google and being have to offer. So it can feel just because you're not using some of the big features like performance Max that you might be falling behind because there's nothing like knowing how to use a feature like using it itself that for me that's always the case. Sam response saying, I feel like I'm a little behind the curve especially with e-comm and that's someone saying is handles at CU + TM U FF ins. I'm not sure. He's on board correct chat. Anyway, moving on girl response a not arrogant enough to say. I'm leading the pack. In anything except for my deep Star, Trek knowledge, and my overall good looks. I love it.

5:30 But I'd say our team in general is a little ahead of the Google ads curve. We dedicate a lot of time and energy to keeping up. Yeah. Gordon respond saying a pack leader when it comes to modesty. Right. That was funny, reader response saying it depends on the day and the area of PPC. Right, exactly. I mean Cobra goes, if I'm being completely honest with myself and you all I'd say I'm Treading Water, all blessed Michio Oh, with go it a trust her, you know, trusted Circle head. Don't worry, she continues if we're talking about an account performance, and from the perspective of clients, I would say, we're leading the curve. I understand the questions from the platform perspectives. I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with all the changes.

6:11 Yeah, don't we? All right, Julie herself, girl, say I'd say a combo of ahead of the curve and treading water. If I'm totally honest, I had on crr stuff. My background before, PPC was web design. Treading water. On all the changes in the platforms and getting things to work well, across accounts consistently we will also continue seeing I feel like in a lot of ways, I'm ahead of the curve but we're also not doing a number of things that Google is pushing that we don't think are good for our clients. EG automatically applying recommendations broad match Etc, right? No one can be ahead of the curve. That way Julie response saying interesting text a distinction between being ahead of the curve in performance for clients or Stakeholders are not if you look from the lens of a platform like Google ads, absolutely. I think that distinction is very important because if you're doing well for your clients, even though you might not be ahead of the curve, you know, in terms of what Google are saying you should do.

7:10 You're doing well, we were continuously. That's just what I was going to ask. Whose perspectives, are we looking at it from? Are we behind if we're not using all the newest features in the platforms? But what if we don't think they improve performance or have found them to not? Improve performance. True Gina goes, when I wrote the question, I think I was thinking about how we are feeling in what you do day in and day out, we then have a system clock responding to question one saying, feeling kinda in the middle these days to be honest, but not for lack of trying. Some clients have had lower budgets this year, so it's been more difficult to test new platforms and campaign types as often trying to do as much as we can with the data and budgets.

7:52 We have though and he continues our internal Processes are also getting better, but a good percentage of clients are still somewhat small Niche. So it's difficult to justify expenses on cutting-edge Tech when they don't have that much data to work with in the first place. And then, yeah, we have question to from Julie. Going what aspect of PPC? Do you find most difficult to keep up with these days? What makes it challenging Gilda? Has wealth should respond saying I'd say lead-gen regardless of platform or technology. We're in e-commerce SAS so it's not really something we deal with but I don't envy those who are heavy in B2B or lead gen. Absolutely yeah if you need, Jen is going to be really hard to feel that you're getting the most out of Google. I feel and they are Lawrence.

8:42 Chase response to question. One saying, when big changes happen until I am able to get a bunch of testing in, it can feel like I am Treading Water a bit after I started getting the data though, I usually feel ahead of the the curb, I think this chat is very good for those people who might be feeling imposter syndrome because you've got people that I've been given answers from who have been in the industry for about 20 years plus. And if they are still saying that, they've been feeling like they're Treading Water a little bit. If you are feeling that way, don't worry, you are so not alone. Learn 10 continues with answering question to saying, we get to understand how SEO is have felt for years.

9:24 We used To be able to focus on ads audiences performance messages, Etc. Now, we have the algorithm to contend with along, with all the big changes happening in the platform's show. Nelly Response, Team all the platform changes, and what will be Auto upgraded and all the BS that has been flowing out of the platform's recently. Seems like every time I open my email, there are huge changes that don't benefit anyone. But the platforms Melissa respond saying I'm the opposite, I haven't done any calm in. Over 10 years. So I'm way behind there but I'm up to speed on lead Gem and B2B Julie respond saying. I feel behind on some aspects of automation like performance Max because they are harder to get rolling for liege an account and especially lead gen that have low conversion volumes and or long conversion Cycles during Brown response.

10:16 Question one saying having a great team that supports me as much as I support them, I do feel ahead these days, it's not easy but we are trying to stay ahead. Keep up with everything. Even getting ga4 set up in 2021, felt huge for our team, doing Brown response to question 2. Same elephant in the room, answer is still GA for weekly. Changing are coming out, we are seen a product get built in real time. Eric Square response to a question response to what doing just said saying, yeah, move fast and break things or build the plane while flying is for start-up startups. I don't think you say build the plane while flying. And that is not a sane.

10:56 I'll pass around. Because if anyone knows that you're building a plane while in the air of any of the passengers. No, but you're building while in the air. Now we tricky. Anyway. He says that's for startups, not so much. The leading analytics platforms. Ga4 is a big step backwards so far. Yeah, that is the general consensus. Even Julie goes up GA for some days. I feel like I can't even see the curve from where I'm sitting other days. I feel okay cuz we have it. Lead and sending conversion data back to the Mother Ship. Wow Dwayne response to that same take those wins when you can July is going to be a hard month for everyone. So yeah. Are you ready in July things are going to change up. We didn't have River responding to question to say, nice s GA for feel like it's changing every day and also that no one has enough training yet.

11:48 Even a Google were. Wow, that is not something. When I hear Julie then takes us on to Three saying, what areas of PPC? Do you feel like you're ahead of the pack on? What do you think has allowed you to achieve this? So yeah, hopefully, people give tips on how they are doing things girl, responds saying surprisingly, I'm pleased with our approach to P Max. We spent a lot of time and energy on this channel, lots of internal training on it. I really recommend it leaks. Pmax. Tough. As it's helped us a lot. Julie goes, yeah, that's awesome p. Michael P Max. Like so much of what Google ads develops is built for. Commerce and you have to figure out how to test it, for non-ecommerce. Yeah, figure it out for for non-ecommerce is how most of the products really work.

12:35 I'd say learns response to question, 3 saying, I feel ahead of I feel ahead on areas where we have the most data having clients who are willing to test really helps. So, we can get a lot of data points. Having great Brands, you work, with that have really smart folks, helps a ton of course then there is GA R, dot dot dot, right? So on every response to question, 3, second lead, tracking client, crms assistance, reporting small business accounts. These all stem from necessity. As these are the leads and clients we have been getting spending time in different crms and GTM to make sure we are tracking accurately and Lead scoring as best we can. And then Julie takes us on she'd really answers question 3 as well.

13:22 Same, one of my best guess is having Full marketing perspective on things including PPC and web background is so helpful in landing pages and cro, which I have been saying for some time now is only growing in importance for performance and conversions. She continued saying longer-term perspective. It's also a benefit of having working in marketing since before the internet. Yes, I am that old, but in seriousness, I seen multiple economic cycles and have experience to give good advice as things go with Anki again yeah, things always going wonky here, Lawrence as well respond saying I'm right there with you. Oddly enough. It does have its advantages sometimes especially as they start taking capabilities away from us and then we have Tim hollering responding to question once. And I think those hair are also cursed with knowledge. One PPC, Chatters, trending, water, Treading Water, even may still place them in the top. 10% of paid marketers. That's true, conversely.

14:24 Some Who doesn't optimized at all, but, is blessed with an amazing brand. May think they're God's Gift arrives. Yeah. And you Levi's goes yeah, it's important. To keep an open to keep that in mind because yeah, you never know, just depends on what you're working on. And yeah, if you're not doing a lot, you know, I don't know you're doing logo brand fully fully, fully matured brand that everyone knows about and PPC paid search, just seems to be so easy cheap cpc's. Everything is gray. Yeah, I've had how much are you actually really keeping on top of the curve? Anyway, I can clock Response. Team, tracking has been a struggle recently, particularly ga4 in response to question two. It's been tough trying to recreate reports and getting clicks to implement goals tags properly. There's also seems to be more reporting discrepancies, especially with social platforms, like LinkedIn and Facebook.

15:17 And he continues saying that yet, no Julie continues response to that saying. I have this little theory that Google no longer wants to be. The world's free analytics manager. So, this is the design and and iterate ga4 to meet privacy, compliance goals and don't really care. If it does. What Universal analytics did for businesses. Not the goal. Yeah, I'm Julia. Barnes goes. I mean, Adobe makes Bank on their paid analytics tools. It could be mmm. So yeah, but a lot of people are not happy with Adobe and how its it can be great once you've used it once, but it's not easy to be like, okay, I know. How to use it when you move to another company. It's almost like learning things from scratch in response to question 2.

16:01 Tim Halloran goes, yes staying ahead of the curve in enough for me to be able to train others on it. If I don't understand it well enough to teach it to my peers, then I need to dig deeper but that's difficult when changes happen faster than you can test or get significant data sets in that right Ashton clock response to question 3 saying we've tested campaigns on Reddit and Spotify over the past year. So feeling Ahead there because they are less mature platforms clients that are open to testing, as well as having enough budget and hours in their retainer are the main thing that makes this possible. Girl responds saying, read it adds are the bomb. We are not even in paid social but those things are money. If structured properly Angela goes, I'm trying to get someone from Reddit for bills to be a guest with us on PPC chat. So yeah, so that's in terms of Of when Ashton talked about campaigns on Reddit and Spotify.

16:58 So yeah, when we talk about PPC chat here, we talked about doing paid ads on any channel. So do not question for Julie, asks, have you done anything in the past year to improve your skills, courses groups, Etc? Is so please be specific. Also how has this helped you? I think Gil gonna mentioned leaks course and so that's Ed L. EA ke and that's a handle and I think that's he's definitely worth a follower. But Gil, also responds here saying lots of internal training and years pretty much the bee's knees when it comes to analytics, conversion goals reporting. So she has trained our team internally and a few outside sources. So yeah, at leaks course it is called. God tier adds in the past couple of months, so yeah, we go to god, tier adds.

17:46 You be able to find out more about his courses. Yeah, just Google it. I'm sure you'll find it. I doubt if anybody else has such a similar name, Into it so be very unique. I made Cobra response to question 3 saying between my team and I we have experience in all channels of marketing which I think gives us a bit of a leg up to my Helen responsive. Superior audience targeting tactics or Channel, mixed strategy is where I feel the most ahead. Plenty of things don't make this list though. You can only go so long in PPC before you get humbled by something better to remain aware of that eventually than bask in it. And because, well response to a question for senior, a few things I was invited into a PPC, slack group that has been amazing. I've been taken on more speaking gigs to help me research and learn more.

18:38 Yeah, so that has been really great as so I meet is probably talking about the PVC chat slack group. Or there's also the PSA slat Group which is a great one day, is very vibrant that people are talking about what was going on in paid search and how they experiencing PPC. So yeah, if you Join either of those ones on PC chair. Just look for the PPC chat or ask about it on Twitter. Someone will send you the link Melissa response to question 3 saying. We've done a lot of integration with offline CRM, like sales Ford Sales force and HubSpot. So I feel ahead of the game, there Julie them. Answers question for herself saying I read pretty much everything under the sun relative to the PC industry but also about the general General economy and I'm a privacy legislation nerd took g a fork. Says, with brie Anderson, so that's Breann disco. Eon disco Anderson, and that's be Rie. It has?

19:32 She spells it? Gotta get, gotta get oriented somehow. So, yeah. Choose someone's course and you'll get ahead with that, Dwayne Brown response to question three saying, ad platforms, feel easier to keep up with even Google ads. Does not have the changes that ga4 has coming out weekly. They are P, Max changes but those feel manageable Tim Halloran response to. Enforcing now, I'm doing more mentoring, and Leadership stuff, and building out Sops that I have in my head. Wow, a lot harder than I realize. There's so many caveats to every rule you also you almost need to mind map. You decision-making, has helped me improve this year. For sure, Julie goes. I'm laughing reading this and think about how many things I do that.

20:16 The answer would be do ex unless and the flowchart it would take would be messy. Tim goes. Yeah, my thing right. Now is, is it even worth it to create a decision? Making great. If everything is going to change and six months or would I have to teach critical thinking in PPC? Obviously the latter. Now I just get to figure out how to do that. Yeah. Reaver response to that saying. Yeah, I've also always done my courses around critical thinking in PPC. I've always done my courses around critical thinking a PPC though I never put it that way. The basic principles haven't changed but the details do and then Dwayne Brown response. Question forcing we have a notion page just on GA for resources. Everyone on the team is working through those free and paid options.

21:03 Tim Halloran goes when were required. Whatever you want. Just give me a please. Don't go slow. We don't have been were in Canada. Send me an e-mail. Tim I'll send you over. What we have gestures? Goes raises hand. Can I join too? Ah looks like Blaine is going to be sharing the love with people outside the community and Sean. Any response to question for same done courses, on Facebook, from Andrew Fox. All courses on j4 from Bri Anderson. Keep up with the marketing o'clock for platform changes on Weekly News, many GA for webinars ETC. The only thing I don't like these days are the webinars or events the actual platforms put on. Absolutely the events platforms put on.

21:43 Yeah. Can be dangerous. It's there's no way it's not going to come off as salesy as time clock as well response to question. Forcing participating in this community. More has been great for learning. And affirming tactics and strategies whether it's on Twitter. The slack Channel or elsewhere also joining paid search org. So yeah, that's their handles are paid search org. Yeah. We joined them, their slack Channel and attending various conferences like SMX or the psa1. Do you need and takes us on to question five saying, are you using more or different tools to help you stay ahead of the curve in PPC? These days if so, what has been helpful helping you any tools, you tried and banded, right?

22:25 Gilma Response Team third-party PC Tools. Basically just sock overall, with a few notable exceptions, we have some good product feed totals tools. We like and a few data Studio connectors but the further you get from Google's ecosystem, the worse, the tools gets and then Julia self response to question. Five saying, I just started playing with chat GPT this week. I like it as an idea generator going to test it for competitor things to sign. Stop for bård waiting list to yes. So you die? I use. So I do so that's swy the 04 reporting. Makes it easier and efficient. Tim Herron goes, oh no, I missed the most obvious one MN search, the best Regional PPC and broader search marketing monthly event membership on the planet.

23:16 It's a membership. Go to Eminem and search dot-org sign up for membership. Starting at 49 pounds for $9. Wow, amazing. In price Tim Heller and then response to question five saying home, not really anything new. I use Optimizer a decent amount. I like the audit to more lately. Still use spyfu for PPC, research and chat. GPT has been popping up more lately for validation of different things. Mostly those same stuff as a before and then we have Melissa responding to question five going. We use S AC 360 at Dallas has semrush, those are the big three. So yeah, as a 360, T, Google a dialysis.

23:57 And then semrush semrush has been coming up with some amazing functionality within their tools, which is not just specific to PC. They even have like a social media posting on there. I really am going to start using really making the most of it, especially with my scheduling of post. That will be really helpful. I'm sure. Anyway, we've come to the end of that chat there. It has been a great talk. I hope you found that useful, learn some new resources on things to use in regarding to staying ahead. The curve in paid search. And if you are specially what I said earlier on, if you're feeling like the Ikea, treading on water, don't worry. There's a lot of us in here, even though we've been doing this for many, many years that are also treading on water because it's really hard to keep up in a matter how long you've been doing this.

24:43 So, I hope you found that useful. If you have any corrections for me, please get in touch with me on the handle at the marketing, and IT on Twitter, or find me on LinkedIn. If you'd like to also this chat is going to be done again. On Thursday is going to be 4 p.m. Eastern to 4 p.m. at our time GMT because the US has changed time. We are going to get there at some point, but yeah, join us on Thursday, 12 p.m. eastern Time or 4 p.m. GMT. Also. Yeah, if you have been listening to this podcast for a long time, or a short period of time would really love for ya, you to leave a rating or review. It really helps with Team that this is a podcast or listening to you.

25:27 Say, we just go to link three.com /pb, see chat on the score round up. That would be an amazing support to the podcast. Also wanted me to make a little little plug here for PPC live UK. That is going to be happening next week on the 31st because of train strikes issues are happening. We had to move it to this Friday to next week, Friday. Just this one time. So it's next week Friday. The 31st of March 3, amazing. Female speakers are going to be talking. I've got some amazing catering from an African and Kate ra. So yes, we're going to have some Nigerian spices in there. We've also got the amazing platypus digital sponsoring us a really grateful for that.

26:07 They are an amazing digital agency who are helping Charities, get visibility through digital marketing. And three lucky winners are going to do a raffle. With three. Lucky winners are going to have money cash donations given to their Charities as well. I'm really excited for them for that. So yeah, if you want to be part of that, get some money from your Charities, eat some amazing Food Network with some amazing. Paid search folks. Yeah, please go to PC live UK.com to get tickets for that. They're only 20 pounds. Yeah, you're not going to get such a PPC party at such a cheap price in East London. There in one of London, you don't want to miss it. So please join us for that.

26:53 Finally, remember for York, Campaigns and businesses to Glide smoothly. There's a lot of hard work needed beneath the surface. So keep your swans kicking by and speak to you next week.