Frequently Asked Questions

Your PPC & Agency Questions Answered Here

Navigate by category below to locate answers to questions about pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns, digital accounts, ad technology, campaign performance and reporting, and PPC competition.

Ask Blastoff Labs any question, and we’ll answer it via email. If your question is of general interest, we may post it below to our FAQ section, or post a blog article about it.

When submitting a question, please indicate whether it’s OK for us to publish your first name and last initial with your question. Submit questions from the contact page form.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND STEVE!

Urban Trader TestimonialSteve and his team are absolutely fantastic! Wow, I’m so impressed by his knowledge and response time. I am very grateful to Steve and his team.

RJ Holder, Investing Coach, URBN Trader

PPC Technology

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

PPC Technology »
Does SEO Impact PPC

Does SEO impact PPC?

PPC platforms and their integral organic search engine both utilize spiders to crawl landing pages.

The ranking signals used for organic search and PPC share similar characteristics. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that PPC and SEO are synergistic.

It’s an indirect, versus a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

PPC Technology »
Digital Ad Blidness

Digital Ad Blindness?

Digital ad blindness happens when an ad is seen so frequently that viewers become oblivious to the ad.

“Ad blindness” occurs when viewers are over-exposed to an ad. As a result, they no longer mentally register the ad.

Display ads are more vulnerable to this phenomenon because images are recognized more readily.

PPC Technology »
Can a PPC Campaign be Stolen

Can a PPC campaign be stolen?

Although digital advertising campaigns can become valuable business assets, it is difficult for a hacker to commit PPC intellectual copy theft by stealing or copying them successfully. 

Each PPC campaign is an evolving component of a system highly dependent upon the website, and the business it drives traffic to. Because of this, to steal a campaign you would need to steal the website it is associated with. If someone did choose to commit IP theft, they would face an array of problems and it wouldn’t be worth the effort.

PPC Technology »
Display Ads Versus Search

Display Ads vs Search Ads?

How are they different? Display ad campaigns utilize an image as the central focus of the ad, while search ads are text-based. But the difference between display ads and search ads is more fundamental: their placement, function, and reach. Display ads are smart billboard-style ads that functionally are advertisements, whereas search ads are a form of a direct marketing offer.

PPC Technology »
20 Reasons a PPC Campaign Fails

Failed PPC Campaigns: 10 Types Of Mistakes

There are many reasons why a PPC Campaign might fail. From incorrect campaign deployment to a shopping feed being improperly optimized. Here are some of the most common that we see. Website Implementation Mistakes The site may have major CRO problems. It’s one of the most common and often the first thing we check. The campaign is configured improperly. For

PPC Technology »

Conversion Rate Optimization

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

CRO Feedback
Adaptive Targeting

PPC Alert Monitoring

PPC Telemetry™ monitors client campaigns in realtime, pulling data from real-time API’s, and can generate alerts when they exceed preset boundaries, conditions, or critical operating limits.

There are many benefits to our clients. One example, active alerts speed the optimization of campaigns. Frequently as we walk ads through split-test optimization cycles, new ads are introduced, we’ll calculate the number of clicks on both ads required to provide a statistically significant result. As soon as that alert triggers, we’re able to make a decision on a winning ad and introduce a new one to replace the loser.

A second example: automated bidding takes up to 14 days to converge and lock, so we’ll set alerts when campaigns are coming out of learning mode. When ads are disapproved or payment methods fail, we can act on it immediately.

There are many other situations where alerts accelerate improvements.

CRO Feedback
FAQ Adaptive Targeting

Adaptive Optimization

The benefits from monitoring campaigns vary based upon the vertical market the campaign serves, the design of the campaign, and business objectives of the advertiser. We can design campaigns that require little monitoring. For ambitious campaigns in competitive markets some degree of ongoing monitoring and optimization often makes sense and is beneficial to the advertisers’ return on advertising spend.

CRO Feedback
SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis we identify a set of factors that collective evaluate the effectiveness of a website in generating engagement and conversions of PPC generated site traffic.

CRO Feedback
Landing Page Copy

Landing page copy analysis

Analyzing Landing Page Copy: Value Proposition(s), Features, & Benefits Landing page copy analysis involves identifying what message in ad copy and website content are most effective in converting site visitors to potential customers and clients. The quality of landing page copy, and ad copy is a major factor in successfully engaging site visitors’ interest. The rules for landing page copy

CRO Feedback
Identifying Website Visitor Personas

Identifying website visitor personas

Traffic on a business website can be segmented into multiple “website visitor personas”. Identifying the site visitor personas can lead marketers to advertising messaging, and webpage design which perform more efficiently. We use are a number of methods to identify website visitor personas. All of them rely upon a baseline understanding of the product marketing aspects of the business. With

CRO Feedback
identify Sales Funnel Paths

Identify Sales Funnel Paths

A CRO baseline is first established using web analytics. We identify navigation paths they take as they move through the site. We may, with your permission install heat maps that record user navigation across pages.

CRO Feedback

Onboarding Your Project

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

Onboarding Your Project »
access to Shopify

Grant Shopify Partner Access

To gain Shopify partner access to your eCommerce site, we’ll issue a request for access from our Shopify Partner dashboard. Before doing so, we’ll need to obtain your “native” Shopify address. That’s the address that Shopify initially assigned to your site, before it was associated with your domain name. Usually it looks something like “domain name.myshopify.com” or “domain-name.myshopify.com. It’s shown

Onboarding Your Project »
access to wordpress

Grant administrative access to WordPress

Please use the following instructions to grant administrative access in WordPress to Blastoff Labs: Log into WordPress and access the dashboard Navigate to the “User” section Select “Add New User” Complete user name with: Blastoff Labs Use the email below: Scroll to the bottom and select “Admin” as the type of privileges you are granting Below this is a checkbox

Onboarding Your Project »
FAQ Set Project start Page

Set project start date?

In your project proposal, we will provide a Gantt chart schedule for the project including start date, milestone, and planned duration of key tasks. Typically projects are started immediately when taken on. There are some exceptions, for example eCommerce projects tend to exert strong demand in the fourth quarter tying up key resources.

Onboarding Your Project »
Onboarding Checklist

Is there an onboarding checklist?

When onboarding PPC projects we’ll send you a list of onboarding checklists, which are some requests that include instructions. The majority of items are to request you take some simple actions linking accounts. They are actions to set up to make providing any needed materials, account links, media, and questions. Onboarding steps vary based upon the type of campaign(s), the

Onboarding Your Project »
Competitors

Paid search competitors?

Who are your paid search competitors? In the process of developing PPC campaign(s), we begin by asking you who you perceive as your PPC search competitors.  The reason we ask this question of our clients is that we want to know who you see as your 6 to 10 most significant direct competitors.  Mostly, those that come to mind quickly.

Onboarding Your Project »
Tag Manager Access

Google Tag Manager (GTM) | How to share access

Blastoff Labs utilizes Google Tag Manager (GTM) access for a number of purposes, including PPC campaign conversion tracking. Google Tag Manager (GTM) simplifies the management of conversion tracking on your site. It eliminates the requirement to involve a web developer when tracking tags are added, removed, or edited on your website — among many other benefits. To share access to

Onboarding Your Project »
Google Analytics Access

Share Google Analytics Access

This is to request that you share Google Analytics (GA) Access with Blastoff Labs. We utilize it for a number of purposes: • Testing and monitoring conversion tracking. • Monitoring quantified engagement metrics, and • Understanding paid traffic flow landing on and traversing sites. • Analyze web pages for conversion efficiency issues. To share access to Google Analytics, please login

Onboarding Your Project »
Bing Access

How to Share Bing Ads Access

To share Bing Ads access (now called Microsoft Advertising), email us your account number.  It’s in the upper right corner when you’re logged in at Ads.Microsoft.com Microsoft account numbers are 8 digits long, start with an F or X. We’ll enter your account number into our Microsoft Agency Account, and a Bing Ads access request email will be sent to the

Onboarding Your Project »

Post Campaign Launch

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

Post Campaign »
Automated Bidding

How long to reach 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

Post Campaign »
FAQ Project Update Interval

What’s the project update interval?

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

Post Campaign »
Adjusting Campaign Bids

Adjusting PPC campaign bids?

When we first launch PPC campaigns, sometimes we will put them in “manual bidding mode” which is the simplest and most straightforward form of adjusting PPC campaign bids. Once the initial bids are set, the PPC bid management is not “taken care of”; it’s a process. After setting the initial bids, data will start to accumulate showing us whether the

Post Campaign »

Ongoing Campaign Management

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

Campaign Management »
Good Idea

Is paid search performance management a good idea?

Advertisers are naturally concerned with the paid search performance of their campaigns because it impacts both top-line revenue and expenses. Skillfully executed, consistent PPC account performance management will boost the return on your paid search campaigns, while lowering risk. The question becomes what degree of management, and that varies depending upon the environment the campaign operates in, and the stage

Campaign Management »
Campaign Tracking & Performance Briefings

PPC campaign performance briefings?

Q: Can you conduct PPC campaign performance briefings for our company leaders and select outside investors? A: Sure, we’re experienced in presenting campaign performance briefings to any group or level of your management team that’s helpful to your company. We can develop a summary of your digital advertising initiatives: Historical performance Current performance Strategic insights Opportunities for optimization of performance

Campaign Management »
Digital Ad Tracking Progress

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.

Campaign Management »
Campaign Reporting Frequency

Campaign reporting frequency?

Our standard campaign reporting frequency is monthly. We provide analysis and commentary along as an integral part of each report. Arrangements can be made to report more frequently in special situations, for example for high-intensity launch campaigns, special event campaigns, and when launching into new markets with an aggressive timeline. At times we meet as frequently as weekly to review

Campaign Management »
Campaign Deliverables

Track campaign performance?

How can we track campaign performance? Our PPC campaign reporting is designed to provide a comprehensive view of campaign performance. Charts and tables in the reports document all relevant and pertinent account and campaign metrics. Key performance indicators (KPIs) summarize important metrics change from a prior period to the current reporting period. Embedded within our PPC campaign performance reports, we

Campaign Management »
Fault Monitoring

Fault monitoring?

PPC Campaigns need to have fault monitoring in place because they can run into fault conditions.  For example, the credit card on file to pay ad spend may expire. Or a bot may flag an ad and disable it.  Shopping products may develop price mismatches. In all of these cases, we catch and resolve the issues quickly because we monitor

Campaign Management »
Campaign Constancy

Campaign Management Consistency

PPC campaign management consistency is built into the way Blastoff Labs works day-to-day, for good reason. We take an interest in optimizing each campaign and ensuring that it’s performing well for our clients. That’s why it’s built into each project. A common misunderstanding that advertisers hold, is that if a campaign is built skillfully, then it’s a turnkey operation after

Campaign Management »

Qualifying Your Project

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

Qualifying Your Project »
in house ad campaign management

Manage our PPC campaigns in-house?

This question sometimes arises: should we outsource PPC campaign management, or manage our PPC campaigns in-house? Let’s rephrase the question as “can we manage our PPC campaigns in-house at some point after launch, or should we have them managed?”. Here’s a key aspect thing to understand when considering the question: Accumulating the understanding to operate PPC campaigns is not a

Qualifying Your Project »
Changes to the campaigns

Changes to the campaigns?

Any time we spend handling or discussing PPC campaign change requests from clients is complimentary. We want our clients to feel at ease about making changes. Frequently we receive great suggestions because they understand their business so well. We take those suggestions and put them throughout “PPC logic/experience” filter.

Qualifying Your Project »
How much time to build PPC campaigns?

How much time to build PPC campaigns?

Campaign development bears some similarities to software development. Some campaigns, like some software apps, can be built and launched in a few hours or a few days. However, in today’s PPC environment that’s not usually the best way to proceed. PPC campaign performance flows from a bit more of a “slower cook” approach – a more methodical and systematic design process.

Qualifying Your Project »
FAQ Project Timeline

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.

Qualifying Your Project »
Zoom Calls

Do you offer a phone or Zoom consultation?

Sure, we can provide a phone or Zoom consultation to discuss your digital advertising objectives. Just complete the form on the Contact page. To get the most out of a consultation, please consider the following questions beforehand. You do not need to have all the answers; just the first two are required: What business sector do the campaigns operate in?

Qualifying Your Project »
Will you bid on an RFP

Will you bid on an RFP for a project?

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

Qualifying Your Project »
How much of my time will an advertising campaigns take?

How much of my time will an advertising campaigns take?

We don’t take on projects where the client rolls up their sleeves working on the internals of advertising campaigns themselves, are trained to design PPC campaigns, or are required to spend their time working on them on a day-to-day basis. Our relationship with clients is designed to take the details of campaign design and optimization off their hands, so they

Qualifying Your Project »
Campaign Deliverables

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

Qualifying Your Project »
Onboarding Information

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 and questions. 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

Qualifying Your Project »

Business Questions

search ad conversion tracking

PPC Call Tracking Benefits

PPC call tracking facilitates the capture of search engine metadata associated with call conversions. This metadata becomes powerful information when it is used as the fuel for automated bidding or “machine learning” algorithms within a PPC platform.

Business »
Contract Lock in Period

Contract lock-in period?

Given prevailing practices with paid search agencies, it’s reasonable to ask “Is there a contract lock-in period for Blastoff Labs’ services?”. Contract lock-in periods have been widely used in the digital ad industry, but we don’t believe in them.  Our clients are free to discontinue use of our services. We have a superior way to retain our clients that works

Business »
Do you take on Non US Clients

Do you take on non-US clients?

Non-US Clients? Sure, we frequently take on non-US clients. Blastoff has PPC advertising clients from Western Europe, Australia, Singapore, South America, and the Middle East. We always find a way to handle any time zone challenges. We also have experience with strategies, methods, and tradeoffs for targeting digital advertising accounts and PPC campaigns to multiple countries and continents.

Business »
SEM Key Benefits

PPC Campaign Success?

PPC campaign success is of course the objective of all our clients.

Two metrics define the success of a PPC campaign. The most important is “net advertising margin”. The second is return on ad spend (ROAS), which measures ad spend efficiency.

Business »
Positive PPC ROI

How long to a positive PPC ROI?

How long does it take to determine if a PPC campaign will generate a positive PPC ROI (return on investment)? 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

Business »