Bing PPC - Troubleshooting Optimization Efforts

2 replies
  • PPC/SEM
  • |
Hi there.

A couple of months back I started my journey as an affiliate.

I read online and watched a video about Bing and cheap clicks.

I still only have one (my first) campaign.

Originally, despite my reservations, I followed the guides I saw/read where I just DUMP all sorts of relevant keywords, broad match with low max cpc.

For the first month or two, things were very quiet. I had low max CPC just to get the feel of things and then I upped the max cpc a bit. Still quiet (quiet = lowish impressions) for a few days/week(s).

Then all of the sudden impressions and clicks exploded and I got my first sale and a few more over the next week and a half.

I have no idea why I suddenly got all this traffic.

I'm thinking: "This actually works. I look forward to optimize this campaign"

I'm direct linking to a Clickbank offer btw.

Then impressions fall a bit down again, but still a lot more than at the beginning. In general, the most impressions are at the weekends as far as I can tell.

Optimization:
I've:
  • Moved top impression and clicks keywords to their own ad groups
  • Paused the same keywords in the original ad group
  • Set up modified broad keywords to encompass all those different broad keywords (some were very close variations)
  • Exact, phrase and modified broad for top keywords. Kept those high impressions, high click keywords as broad and at same bid. Also used tiered CPC bids (bid more on exact etc)
The Problem
Impressions and clicks falling like a rock.
  • I'm getting low impressions and clicks.
  • Quality score for modified broad is lower than I had before on the (almost same) broad keywords (is that normal?)
  • Using the Ad Preview and Diagnostics tool i get very unpredictable results.
    • A modified broad keyword gets triggered even though I have that exact keyword phrase as exact and with a higher bid (I get "Ad associated with another keyword")
    • Ad associated with another keyword
    • "No keyword triggered" (something like that) even when I have that as exact
    • On one keyword with phrase match, the First page bid estimate is about 14-15 times that of the same keyword in exact match, that is eligible and collecting impressions.

In general I feel that what should have given me better QS scores, keyword and bid management has left me completely confused.

"Good" broad match keywords moved to their own ad group, same bid, with extra keywords of exact, phrase and modified broad with higher bids.

Things to do now
  • I'll continue monitoring this in the next few days. It's a weekend, so there should be a lot of impressions.
  • Else I might need to revert to all-broad keywords and pause the new ad groups
  • Start promoting another product on Clickbank. Although I'm kind of waiting on getting better hosting with tracking and my own landing pages

I hope you have some insight or comment for me.

Regards, Victorius
#bing #efforts #optimization #ppc #troubleshooting
  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    Sounds like you had a lot of competitors on your keywords, then they stopped and now have come back. That is the only real explanation for the rollercoaster of impressions.

    The best way to keep your impressions stable is increase your bids on the keywords that you want to maintain impressions. It is an auction and your bid is most likely lower versus your competitors on the same keywords.
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    • Profile picture of the author victorius
      Hi PPC-Coach and thank you for your reply.

      Yeah, that sounds plausible and what I've started guessing was the case.

      As I'm direct linking I'm also facing the "duplicate display url" which will always happen with good QS ads with higher bids.

      I've upped some bids today and it's a bit better.

      I'm taking things slowly, step by step, trying to maintain some stability or making sense of cause and effect.

      Share of voice reports for high period vs now the low period shows how it's been turned on it's head.
      A term where i got 96+% impression share is now 12% impression share and 88% lost impression because of rank. And now I'm bidding more

      So I guess while I have a good QS, it's simply competition forcing the CPC up.

      Although I do get avg. pos of 3-4 and no "too low for first page". So other than share of voice, no indication that it's doing that badly.
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