
1. Search Queries
Clicking on the “Details” drop down box while in your Keywords section will bring up the list of searches that were done to trigger your ads and bring people to your site. Going through search queries is a great way to come up with new keywords (and even ideas for new ad groups or campaigns), as well as identify words that should be used as negative keywords.
2. Compare To Date Ranges
The date range selector that lets you choose a custom date range or pick a common date range like last week, this month, last month, etc. also has an option for comparing dates. You can choose to compare dates like this month versus last month or this month versus this same month last year. Using the “Compare To” feature is a great way to look at changes in performance and can help you identify daily fluctuations and seasonal trends.
3. Change History
The change history tool in the Opportunities tab lets you see when you made which change. This is really helpful I you start to see changes in performance all of a sudden. Knowing which change corresponds with an increase or decrease in performance can help you fine tune your PPC efforts.
4. Impression Share
By customizing the columns of data that you see, you can view Impression Share (IS) metrics. Google lets you pick whether you want to see missed impression share due to budget (which means that your daily budget is causing your ads to get shut off and miss out on impressions) and due to ad rank (which means that you’re missing out on impressions because either your quality score is too low or your keyword bid is too low – or both). Impression share data can help you determine whether your bids and budget need to be adjusted, and how you’re stacking up against the rest of your industry.
5. Graphing Two Metrics
The graph that appears above your data columns shows just one metric by default, but you can choose to have it display two metrics so that you can analyze the relationship between the two. This is especially helpful for people that are more visual, because it allows you to actually illustrate the story that they numbers are telling.
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Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!