Today we're talking with Brad Geddes, who has been involved with PPC since 1998, so he's an early pioneer of the pay-per-click advertising model. In our conversation, he shares his expertise by getting into the nitty-gritty of PPC. He gives particularly great and in-depth advice about audience targeting and various ways of managing different types of keywords. He also openly discusses his favorite tools, techniques, and strategies for various aspects of effective PPC advertising.

Find Out More About Brad Here:

Brad Geddes on LinkedInBrad Geddes on Facebook@bgtheory on TwitterCertified KnowledgeAdAlysis

In This Episode:

• [01:03] - What are some of the biggest mistakes Brad sees people doing with AdWords or with PPC in general?
• [03:29] - Brad talks more about audience targeting.
• [05:22] - For people who aren't familiar with the term "lookalike," Brad defines what it means through a clear example.
• [07:11] - Google and Facebook are the two largest engines that offer lookalike audiences.
• [08:27] - Brad defines "retargeting," then talks about the concept in more detail.
• [10:23] - If you want to have multiple kinds of ads (such as display advertising, search ads, and retargeting), what should the mix look like?
• [13:34] - Brad gives advice on how to proceed if you want to target individuals but you don't have their email addresses.
• [14:21] - Is there a time limit for how long a remarketing audience stays, and does it vary by platform?
• [16:32] - Brad talks about what scale means to him. He clarifies that to him, it's a minimum of 5 to 10 times what you have now. He then goes on to talk about ways of scaling properly.
• [20:42] - Brad takes a moment to define some terms that may be unfamiliar to listeners, such as responsive ads, lightbox ads, and in-market audiences.
• [24:16] - What are Brad's recommendations on how to design display ads? He admits he's a terrible designer and doesn't even have Photoshop, but then explains that Google has a way of making HTML5 ads.
• [27:00] - Brad explains what dayparting is, and talks us through how using it can be an effective strategy.
• [29:25] - We learn more about negative keywords and broad match.
• [33:11] - Brad discusses various softwares that are relevant to the techniques he's just been describing.
• [35:08] - We learn about different kinds of negative keywords, and how to use each type. He then talks about the number of negative keywords across these types.
• [38:50] - Stephan and Brad talk about ad groups in AdWords.
• [40:11] - How many ad groups would Brad have with a typical client?
• [41:50] - Brad addresses the topic of when it is (and isn't) worth it to buy your brand name as one of your keywords.
• [44:44] - Brad clarifies the scope of what he does. He then addresses Stephan's question about doing audits for new clients (in terms of time and cost).
• [46:28] - What would someone expect to spend if they hire an agency? After answering, Brad offers recommendations on how often to check on the performance of the agency you're working with.
• [49:13] - We hear Brad's thoughts on dynamic insertion ads. He then shares his favorite ad customizers.
• [50:47] - Brad speaks to the importance of congruence between the ad and the landing page.
• [51:52] - Brad runs through the ad extensions available for AdWords.
• [55:07] - Other than AdAlysis, what products does Brad like?
• [57:02] - Brad lists some of his favorite online tools, explaining what he likes about each one.
• [58:56] - For ad testing, what are Brad's favorite platforms and procedures?
• [60:58] - Brad shares his thoughts on YouTube ads, and how they compare to ads in other places.
• [63:11] - What are the next steps if someone wants to connect with Brad?

Take Your Marketing to the Next Level:

• Track all transactions occurring on my site. This provides valuable (and necessary) customer behavior information.
• Focus on detailed audience targeting. For example, if someone abandoned their shopping cart, advertise to them with products from their shopping cart.
• Use lookalikes to target potential audiences with more specific, tailored, relevant advertising.

Links and Resources:

Brad Geddes on LinkedInBrad Geddes on Facebook@bgtheory on TwitterCertified KnowledgeAdAlysisAdvanced Google Adwords99designsUpworkBannercloudJon Shugart on Marketing SpeakBlendtecTommie Powers on Marketing SpeakGoogle Search ConsoleOrganic Search & Paid Search: Are They Synergistic Or Cannibalistic?Google AnalyticsGoogle Data StudioAcquisioAdobe Media OptimizerMarinKenshooGoogle Adwords Keyword PlannerSEMrushSpyFuAdgoorooAdbeatMoatFeedlyNuzzelSearchCapPPC HeroThink with GoogleOptimizelyVisual Website OptimizerLiveBallHotjarUnbounce