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Google Ads Strategy When Taking Over a Failing Campaign Part 1

John Moran analyzes a failing campaign in this live internal training with the Solutions 8 team. Listen to this episode as he thoroughly examines the campaign's performance and suggests ways to turn it around.

In the first part of this two-part series, he shares the actions Google Ads strategists or managers should take when taking over an account. He assesses the account metrics and strategies applied to the campaigns. He then suggests strategies to improve performance and emphasizes the importance of generating demand.

Learn about the Solutions 8 Digital Marketing Services here: www.sol8.com/digital-marketing-services

Transcript

John Moran: 00:00:10

I can't generate demand.

: 00:00:12

That's not what PMAX does best.

: 00:00:13

So it's simply just attributes.

: 00:00:15

It's not going to be able to attribute

as high of a row as it did before.

: 00:00:19

This actually has nothing to

do with actual backend metrics.

: 00:00:22

This is just the audience.

: 00:00:23

It can go after how valuable was it?

: 00:00:25

How warm was it?

: 00:00:26

And where did it come from?

: 00:00:27

We all don't have any answers

to that just as of yet.

: 00:00:35

When we take over a campaign,

two things will take place.

: 00:00:39

One it is previously probably used to

remarketing, especially with, and we

: 00:00:46

don't know the levels though of meta.

: 00:00:49

What is, we have access to GA4?

: 00:00:50

Yep, we do.

: 00:00:51

What is the volumes between social and

paid, search look like for last 30 days?

: 00:00:58

What I'm going to slightly assume

is that there is potentially

: 00:01:02

a pay, social traffic as well.

: 00:01:04

All right.

: 00:01:05

So we have a three 90.

: 00:01:06

the highest is from

organic and cross network.

: 00:01:10

It's not showing anything about social.

: 00:01:12

Let's do user acquisition.

: 00:01:13

All We don't know if they're

using any sort of UTMs,

: 00:01:16

though, inside of paid social.

: 00:01:19

Yeah, we'll need to see

what he's doing on meta,

: 00:01:24

at least just from a spend level.

: 00:01:25

because what this is saying, he's not

doing any meta, which I don't believe is

: 00:01:30

correct, because it could be using landing

pages, that could be doing something

: 00:01:33

else that we just don't see here.

: 00:01:35

that's part two, where we'd like to get a

little bit more, a little more data there.

: 00:01:39

Moving back over to the Google ads point.

: 00:01:41

Okay.

: 00:01:41

Yeah.

: 00:01:42

a couple of things, this campaign here,

is on a steady decline, but they're

: 00:01:48

fairly equal of costs and conversions.

: 00:01:50

This is since January.

: 00:01:51

Now, one thing to note is the conversion

value by cost has fallen below a three

: 00:01:57

90, right after we took over here at

two 67 and two 80, but this I would

: 00:02:03

imagine is there, there's a trend here.

: 00:02:05

That's bigger than what we can see.

: 00:02:06

this one is going to be a downtrend.

: 00:02:09

In terms of, is it a seasonality

B R T row as targets have always

: 00:02:15

been a little bit too high.

: 00:02:17

This right now at three 90, when we're

getting a two 60 and two 70 is just,

: 00:02:21

is going to cost some underspending.

: 00:02:22

So if we look at like the last seven

days and we segment by day, we can see

: 00:02:26

that with a T row as, and I actually just

put a target here, a target row as this

: 00:02:31

will tell us what that target row as a

set to, and you'll see that there's a.

: 00:02:35

This is okay.

: 00:02:35

Get three 90.

: 00:02:37

And so it's miss.

: 00:02:37

We got it here.

: 00:02:38

but because the average is two 80,

it's going to say, the only way to get

: 00:02:41

up to three 90 is by spending less.

: 00:02:44

The problem though, is if this

is not doing actual cold traffic,

: 00:02:47

this thing is just going to react

to demand, not generate demand.

: 00:02:50

And just drag itself down with it.

: 00:02:52

this one here is at a also three 90.

: 00:02:55

and there would be remaining products.

: 00:02:57

Sometimes it will hit it.

: 00:02:58

Sometimes it will not.

: 00:02:59

but because the average

on last seven days, 3.

: 00:03:01

24, where a time lag is two days.

: 00:03:03

it's going to cause also an additional

underspend, but what we don't know

: 00:03:07

is what was PMX doing before we know

that it had a bunch of remarketing

: 00:03:10

audiences and we know that it can

take credit for any touch point.

: 00:03:15

And because this may have.

: 00:03:17

Taken all of our warm traffic

and simply just removed it.

: 00:03:20

It's not going to be able to attribute

as high of a row as it did before.

: 00:03:24

This actually has nothing to

do with actual backend metrics.

: 00:03:27

This is just the audience that

can go after how valuable was it?

: 00:03:30

How warm was it?

: 00:03:31

Where did it come from?

: 00:03:32

We all don't have any answers

to that just as of yet.

: 00:03:36

So this is essentially saying

take all the warm traffic out,

: 00:03:38

but still get me what you used to.

: 00:03:40

It says, I can't generate demand.

: 00:03:42

That's not what PMAX does best.

: 00:03:44

So it's simply just at atrophies.

: 00:03:45

usually I would say drop that T

ROAS goal, but because the client

: 00:03:49

is only going to measure us by

in app T ROAS, can do two things.

: 00:03:54

One, have long, hard conversations

with the client by saying, here's

: 00:03:58

why you hired us and what we can do

and how we can grow your business.

: 00:04:01

Or two, acquiesce to his requests

and simply throw in brand and

: 00:04:07

remarketing audiences, existing

customers, and just fluff that up

: 00:04:10

until his business maybe stabilizes or.

: 00:04:13

Dies, but it's going to

be heavily on that too.

: 00:04:16

Yeah.

: 00:04:16

he'd be totally willing to have

that, do this or things go down

: 00:04:20

the tubes real fast conversation.

: 00:04:23

Cause he's he, I just didn't

like, I was covering for any while

: 00:04:26

she was gone with family stuff.

: 00:04:28

And he basically just emailed us

Friday or Saturday and said that.

: 00:04:32

he's already in the position where they

have to make a decision about whether or

: 00:04:34

not they want to even keep going or not.

: 00:04:36

So it's better to have

the hard conversation now.

: 00:04:40

Yeah.

: 00:04:41

Yeah.

100

: 00:04:41

And I think we don't have any sort of

metrics on CAC or all the other stuff.

101

: 00:04:47

that's where we'll definitely want

to say, Hey, that's the one thing

102

: 00:04:49

to know with everyone is P max not

always rarely, generates demand.

103

: 00:04:54

it will capture.

104

: 00:04:55

very well.

105

: 00:04:56

Will it generate demand?

106

: 00:04:57

Not as often.

107

: 00:04:58

It's just a good rule of thumb to think

about when you're developing a strategy

108

: 00:05:02

is will this generate demand or will

it react to demand on a downtrend of a

109

: 00:05:09

business and in a campaign that won't

react or won't generate demand that's

110

: 00:05:13

where you start to see that kind of like

pushing rope thing where it's just going

111

: 00:05:16

to slowly decay from 100 down to 30.

112

: 00:05:19

As the client's volume dies off, at these

levels here, it's hard to pay our own fee.

113

: 00:05:25

So those are the thing is, always just

keep that in the back of your mind,

114

: 00:05:27

which is, are we able to generate demand?

115

: 00:05:29

Not maybe necessarily

the standard shopping.

116

: 00:05:31

We only spend a hundred bucks.

117

: 00:05:32

in the last week out of 1000.

118

: 00:05:34

So we may be really, we have 95 cents.

119

: 00:05:38

So it's okay.

120

: 00:05:39

like these aren't really doing much.

121

: 00:05:40

so we do have standard shopping, but

I think by measuring in app, that's

122

: 00:05:44

where we chase our tail into submission.

123

: 00:05:47

what I would say is.

124

: 00:05:49

In order for us to come back

to him and say, Hey, we have

125

: 00:05:52

to have the hard conversations.

126

: 00:05:54

I would definitely point

to this trend here.

127

: 00:05:56

When there is cost, there is conversions.

128

: 00:05:58

But since January, you've been

on a slow and steady decay.

129

: 00:06:02

If we're looking at chasing

ROAS into the ground.

130

: 00:06:04

and chasing ROAS into the ground

means that, even expand this one here

131

: 00:06:07

and be like, that is not gonna help.

132

: 00:06:10

That chasing row has is where we will

win the battle and you'll lose the war.

133

: 00:06:17

So you'll pay us until

you can't pay us anymore.

134

: 00:06:19

so that's always that kind of hard

conversations that we would end up in,

135

: 00:06:22

but, what we say is looking at, new lead

generation and new client acquisition.

136

: 00:06:27

we had to flip this graph.

137

: 00:06:28

We have to start to spend up,

restricting it by don't spend unless

138

: 00:06:32

you can does not generate demand.

139

: 00:06:35

that is reacting to demand and

that's true across every platform.

140

: 00:06:39

if you don't spend unless you generate

demand, it's like a car before the horse.

141

: 00:06:44

It's Hey, go tell all those

people about this new product.

142

: 00:06:46

And they're like, okay, but don't

tell anybody that's not interested.

143

: 00:06:50

How how do I introduce with restrictions?

144

: 00:06:54

So it's like an oxymoron for Google.

145

: 00:06:56

So that means that it'll just

it'll head off into the, there

146

: 00:06:59

is not a Forex here, so I will

just stop spending kind of thing.

147

: 00:07:02

the detailed part of this is we

don't necessarily know how this has

148

: 00:07:05

been trained since, the inception.

149

: 00:07:08

which means if we look at all time.

150

: 00:07:09

These campaigns have been

trained since June of: 2022

151

: 00:07:14

this will take, approximately 90

days to quote unquote relearn.

152

: 00:07:18

And they may never really relearn

if we keep the restriction here by

153

: 00:07:24

saying, don't learn, So it's yeah,

so that's, and again, this isn't a,

154

: 00:07:28

this is me, not me beating it up.

155

: 00:07:30

it was me just saying here's some

good ways to think about this with

156

: 00:07:33

when we go to the client and say,

Hey, Nfroez is cool, but, we're

157

: 00:07:37

using omni channel campaigns in a.

158

: 00:07:39

A known omni channel marketing

platform, which is your business.

159

: 00:07:44

And we don't know where

these are coming from.

160

: 00:07:46

We know we can generate demand, but if

this actually can head in the really

161

: 00:07:49

right direction, if they spike meta or

if meta does better, or if meta is doing

162

: 00:07:52

well, this will start to react to that and

it'll look like a really good high rise.

163

: 00:07:56

And we've all been privy to that when

people are like, Oh, we spend five

164

: 00:07:58

times more than us on meta and they're

increasing spend is doing really well.

165

: 00:08:01

And we just ride on those coattails.

166

: 00:08:03

That's what PMX will normally do.

167

: 00:08:04

but yeah, this is just a good,

I'm glad you brought this one up.

168

: 00:08:06

Thank you.

169

: 00:08:07

Ready?

170

: 00:08:07

I know this is you're like in the

hot seat, but not really, cause

171

: 00:08:09

this is never anything personal.

172

: 00:08:10

It's just more of how to leverage

Google's, algorithms, I guess I would say.

173

: 00:08:15

yeah, the insights reports look good.

174

: 00:08:17

the, good non brand cold traffic.

175

: 00:08:19

This may actually work really well.

176

: 00:08:20

If you just switch this over to

maximize conversion value, honestly.

177

: 00:08:24

This could be as simple as that.

178

: 00:08:26

the only reason why this is not

necessarily performing is just because

179

: 00:08:28

there are two rows restrictions

are too high in a channel.

180

: 00:08:31

or in a company known as

Google that doesn't attribute,

181

: 00:08:34

completely well, Glenn, what's up?

182

: 00:08:36

And, I was actually just thinking of

that just before you said it, what about

183

: 00:08:41

changing the, the max conversion value?

184

: 00:08:46

Yeah.

185

: 00:08:47

Then set up a search for shopping.

186

: 00:08:50

YouTube display RLSA, and that

handles all the retargeting.

187

: 00:08:54

That's the only Let the PMAC do the

prospecting, theoretically, with no T

188

: 00:08:59

ROAS, and then set up RLSA other channels.

189

: 00:09:03

And that's exactly right.

190

: 00:09:04

The first thing I honestly would do is

just take off the T Row as, see if this

191

: 00:09:08

can generate any demand on its own.

192

: 00:09:09

If it cannot, because even though,

yes, there is no remarketing signals

193

: 00:09:14

in there, it will still do remarketing.

194

: 00:09:15

that's something I've proven so many

times with my own campaigns where I'm

195

: 00:09:19

like, all right, I'm now suggesting

things that Google is just ignoring.

196

: 00:09:23

And then, and sometimes for good reason.

197

: 00:09:25

but I think what's interesting

about this is here's the good news.

198

: 00:09:28

Is the blue line and the

red line are matched.

199

: 00:09:32

And that's where I see light at the

end of this tunnel is if the blue line

200

: 00:09:35

was like this and the red line was like

that, Oh, but this could be that, if you

201

: 00:09:39

flip this graph around and we took off

the T row as, and the blue line and the

202

: 00:09:43

red line did this, then problem solved.

203

: 00:09:46

Because search terms that

we can see look decent.

204

: 00:09:48

Like they don't look bad.

205

: 00:09:49

That's what I'm saying is this is not

something I think that is, it's super

206

: 00:09:53

specific, like to a really crazy degree,

which is why I think TRO as is doing what

207

: 00:09:58

it's doing, it's ha, I found somebody

and then it converts them, we're really

208

: 00:10:03

not pushing in areas that were unknown.

209

: 00:10:06

So it's like, all right, we got one

conversion from Legrand tango violin.

210

: 00:10:10

How many clicks did we get on that one?

211

: 00:10:11

One.

212

: 00:10:12

that's what t roas is doing.

213

: 00:10:13

It's I found a person, and

then, boop, converts them.

214

: 00:10:16

Which, okay, good.

215

: 00:10:17

It knows people.

216

: 00:10:19

How many doesn't know?

217

: 00:10:21

We have to find out by

removing that t roas.

218

: 00:10:23

And that's when I see this thing

is not that's what I'm saying.

219

: 00:10:24

It's not generating demand.

220

: 00:10:26

It is reacting to demand with less than 10

clicks and they in any sort of direction.

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Google Ads Strategy When Taking Over a Failing Campaign Part 1

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