FAQs

Q: What information do you need when onboarding a PPC project?

When onboarding a PPC project, the first email clients receive is a set of "onboarding" action requests. Typically, these are links to step-by-step instructions for sharing access to advertising and analytics accounts. Usually, access to accounts can be shared in a few minutes without issue. If problems are encountered, we are available to assist. Some examples of accounts we may request access include Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Microsoft Search Console, Google and Microsoft Merchant Centers, Google Tag Manager, and related accounts. Note, access to key accounts is made using agency multi-client accounts, which is time-efficient while protecting both the client's and agency's best interests.

Q: Timeline for the project?

Will there be a timeline for the project? Yes, we build project timelines showing workflows, durations, and milestones at the start of a project. The steps for building each type of campaign, and related services are described in detail on the "Services" main menu choices on this site.

Q: What ad campaign deliverables will I see?

After onboarding is complete we will provide a project plan timeline including ad campaign deliverables, tasks and milestones. During campaign development, we'll provide updates on ad campaign deliverables as appropriate. Once the campaign(s) are launched, you'll have full access to view all aspects of the campaign, which becomes your intellectual property. After campaign launch you'll receive regular campaign performance reports. The reporting system is Blastoff Labs intellectual property, augmenting and remaining consistent with the standard reports available from Google and Microsoft. Our reports provide additional metrics and summarize campaign performance information more consistently. They report cross-platform so you'll be able to see the rationale behind our ad allocation decisions between the two platforms. Any significant budget allocation or recommendations will be explained by referencing the reports.

Q: What’s the project update interval?

Update Intervals Project update interval varies depending upon the vertical market, urgency of the project in relation to the client's business, and the phase of work that campaigns are in. When campaigns are in design, PPC client communications typically include some informal email back and forth to resolve open issues, and weekly to bi-weekly project timeline/milestone updates; they're built into the schedule for each project as milestones. Once campaigns are launched, during course optimization, typically twice a month. For campaigns under longer-term performance management, we send our performance management reports and slide decks monthly. Blastoff Labs is always reachable to clients by phone, email, or social media to respond to questions and requests.

Q: Where to set PPC ad spend?

Navigating ad spend for meaningful results. We recommend spending enough to generate at least 20 clicks per day in most markets, in order to accumulate statistically meaningful data in each 24-hour period. The daily spend is the number of clicks times the average cost per click. So, the question becomes what is the average cost per click (CPC)? CPC is dependent on quality scores, competitive bidding pressure at the time of an auction, and where the platform sets the minimum bid. Once a campaign is known to be profitable, an advertiser will likely want to raise their daily ad spend become it is generating a profit. A number of considerations come into that, and it's the subject of other FAQs. This FAQ addresses where to set the initial spend at launch, for a new or re-engineered campaign. Our tools estimate CPC's, but they are only approximate levels. Before launch, we will likely be able to provide a CPC estimate within ~±15% of actual. Most new campaigns develop higher quality scores as they run, so the minimum recommended ad spend will decline after launch as a campaign runs, undergoes post-launch optimization, and settles into a serving pattern.

Q: Which search engine queries?

What are the search queries used to find your products or services? Which search engine queries find your product or service?". This is usually something that can be pulled together quickly. We'll take it from there. Why is this question important? Won't your keyword research tools tell you this? This exercise is primarily to guard against us missing an obscure search query or method which is not obvious, that you (being in the business) may be aware of. It's designed to ensure we end up with stronger search query coverage built into a new campaign. Your responses do not need to be perfect; almost certainly will find them all anyway. As a new campaign is optimized, keyword base expansion will catch the outliers. So don't be too concerned if you miss something - we'll find all related keywords over time. How much information on search queries should I provide? Usually this list will amount to 10 to 30 search queries; sometimes more and occasionally less. If you don't know the search queries or only know of a few - that's ok, send them across; we'll find all of them.

Q: Will you bid on an RFP for a project?

It depend on if it's a good fit. When deciding whether to bid on an RFP, we treat it like any other incoming project. If it looks like a good fit for us then we may choose to submit a proposal in response. Typically, RFPs are issued by large, slower-moving organizations and bureaucracies such as governmental entities, military contractors, and large businesses in lagging business sectors. Their project requirements may, or may not be a fit to an agile, fast-moving, responsive PPC agency but frequently not. We do give all RFP's a serious look before deciding whether to participate.

Q: How long to a positive PPC ROI?

How long does it take to determine if a PPC campaign will generate a positive PPC ROI? Paid search success is measurable, but the time frame required to reach success varies widely depending upon the type of campaign, the associated website, the level of competition, ad spend, the quality of the campaign -- and other intangibles. We can discuss some ranges to set expectations. New and re-engineered PPC campaigns take a little time to develop a normal serving rhythm; typically a few days to a week. Shopping campaigns can take a little longer. Once a campaign has ramped up to serve its daily budget, data is collected which allows us to begin the course optimization process. Our procedures are different for each type of campaign, but generally this period will run about 4 weeks. Usually, during this period we build adequate conversion data to serve as a baseline to move the campaigns onto automated bidding. Then the campaign enters our fine optimization phase as described elsewhere on this site. How long does it take to know if a paid search success is likely to happen? That depends upon many variables including the nature of the market targeted, type of product, buyer behavior, primarily ad spend, the average cost per click, conversion rate, and cost per conversion / CPA. There are a few campaigns in extremely challenging markets that can take six months or longer to forge into winners. But many campaigns become successful within 2 to 3 weeks. The average is 4 to 6 weeks. Most campaigns reach the point where we're confident they're successful within 6 to 12 weeks, depending upon the market being served.

Q: How long to reach automated bidding?

Automated Bidding We run display campaigns on manual bidding before migrating them onto automated bidding. Automated bidding works better when there is a baseline of campaign metrics to extract bidding signals from. We find that automated bidding machine learning works better if before using it, a baseline of performance metrics exists. The baseline of campaign metrics also allows us to compare manually bidding performance with automated bidding performance. Regardless of the type of bidding, new display campaigns usually take a bit of time to develop a stable serving pattern after launch. Typically this is just a few days, but it varies depending upon the scale of the campaign, and the market targeted. Typically campaigns will be ready to transition to automated bidding within 2 to 6 weeks after launch.

What information do you need when onboarding a PPC project?

When onboarding a PPC project, ...

Timeline for the project?

Will there be a timeline ...

Track digital ad project status?

We manage digital ad project status using the Wrike project management system. We'll typically send Gantt chart timelines embedded within a pdf slide deck. Gantt charts show the project workflow as a diagram, including the status of the project's current phase of work and impending milestones.