Interview 10 Google Advertisements consultants and 9 of them will let you know that themed advert teams (a.okay.a. Hagakure) are one of the simplest ways to construct search campaigns.
I’m the tenth.
I’ve been publicly standing up for single key phrase advert teams (SKAGs) for a while now – although I’ll admit it’s a controversial take. Most not too long ago, I posted this on LinkedIn:
I feel the comment-to-like ratio tells the story of how effectively it was obtained.
Regardless of the controversy surrounding SKAGs, there’s an actual alternative for entrepreneurs to get extra out of their Google Advertisements accounts with a SKAG method.
A take a look at Google Advertisements account buildings over time
From 2014 to 2018, most accounts we audited at my company used advert group buildings based mostly on match sort, gadget or SKAGs. By the latter half of this era and into 2019, SKAGs grew to become the dominant construction.
A single key phrase advert group is an advert group that comprises just one key phrase duplicated throughout a number of match varieties. Traditionally, this was precise, phrase and broad match modified.
Within the fashionable period, a SKAG could or could not comprise full broad match sort relying on the account specifics.
This construction grew to become so common as a result of it made keyword-stuffing advertisements easy. On condition that the advert group solely contained one key phrase, the variety of queries it was eligible for was small.
If Google Advertisements managers keyword-stuffed the headlines of the advert related to the advert group, they may very well be assured that the advert would intently match the customers’ queries.
This construction performed Google’s High quality Rating recreation higher than the opposite buildings. By guaranteeing “above common” advert relevance High quality Scores, CPCs went down and account efficiency improved.
Nonetheless, SKAGs have all the time had detractors. The primary grievance I’ve heard is that they’re laborious to handle and inconceivable to scale.
I consider this to be a foul objection. Our largest SKAG account has over 2 million key phrases and we don’t discover it tough to handle. Even when we did, if it delivers even 1% higher efficiency for purchasers – that’s our job. It’s our job to do laborious issues to get all the pieces out of Google Advertisements potential.
Quick ahead to at present, Google Advertisements now integrates AI into its search merchandise with:
And another huge adjustments:
- Low search quantity (LSV).
- Shut match variants.
AI merchandise like RSAs, good bidding and broad match all got here with the concept of “sign liquidity.” Something algorithmic requires sufficient sign liquidity to study and make good selections.
This understanding led PPC entrepreneurs to consider how you can construction their advert teams and campaigns to finest present Google’s AI with high-volume, high-quality info.
In the meantime, LSV statuses meant many key phrases stopped serving, shifting these queries into Broad Match key phrases. Shut Match Variants meant queries weren’t as related to the key phrase texts supplied as that they had been traditionally.
Many considered the AI revolution mixed with adjustments to matching as damaging to SKAGs.
The pondering went that if the worth of SKAGs was intently matching advert teams to queries to allow larger advert relevance, then the broadening of eligible queries was certainly destructive for the technique. Plus, if information quantity issues, extremely particular advert teams should be dangerous.
These adjustments, taken collectively, led individuals to develop two options to SKAGs:
- Single theme advert teams (STAGs).
- Hagakure.
SKAG options in Google Advertisements
Hagakure
Hagakure embraced the concept sign liquidity was key to success. Popularized by an article on Suppose With Google, Hagakure is championed as the way forward for advert group and marketing campaign buildings.
The case examine references rising key phrases by 10-fold and the variety of advertisements by 30%, which “led to an nearly 40% bump in total conversions on the similar value of acquisition.”
The technique recommends constructing as few campaigns as potential and together with all the pieces (even Dynamic Search Advertisements) within the marketing campaign(s). The thought being this might maximize sign liquidity and get probably the most out of Google’s AI-powered advert instruments like Broad Match and Sensible Bidding.
STAGs
STAGs are a little bit of a half measure. This construction lets advert teams balloon to many key phrases so long as they intently observe a theme.
This ensures that advertisements are principally related to the customers’ queries (approximating SKAGs) whereas rising click on and conversion counts per advert group by rising the key phrase rely and bettering sign liquidity.
Why I nonetheless stand by SKAGs
Each of those Hagakure and STAGs appear promising, however I nonetheless advocate for SKAGs.
- I don’t construct Google Advertisements accounts based mostly on conjectures about sign liquidity.
- I don’t construct Google Advertisements accounts based mostly on what Google tells me to do.
- I don’t select advert buildings as a result of they’re straightforward.
I select advert buildings based mostly on what works.
We’ve managed over 6,000 Google Advertisements accounts at my company. I can see the POP search efficiency from accounts as they transfer from both Hagakure or STAGs into our SKAG method.
SKAGs persistently win, and that’s all of the argument I would like.
However for individuals who wish to perceive the mechanism behind SKAGs successful, let’s go one degree deeper.
The premise of SKAGs successful is that the advert relevance is healthier. This results in larger High quality Scores and decrease CPCs. That is nonetheless largely true.
Even with broad match, LSV and shut match variants, the advert constructed for one key phrase remains to be extra related than the advert constructed for 5.
Have broad match, LSV and shut match variants made SKAGs at present worse than SKAGs in 2019? Sure. However they nonetheless beat STAGs and Hagakure.
In the meantime, the premise of STAGs/Hagakure working is sign liquidity.
Right here’s the issue:
Sign liquidity issues solely on the marketing campaign degree. That’s the place good bidding is utilized and the place algorithms study.
Addressing sign liquidity issues
In case you are involved about sign liquidity (and you have to be), make sure that sufficient SKAGs are contained throughout the marketing campaign that you just’re reaching at the very least 30 conversions per 30 days, ideally 100.
In the event you’re nonetheless skeptical, I’d advocate this:
- Pull in advert relevance scores on the key phrase degree.
- Filter for all advertisements rated “under common.”
Shifting that to an “common” ranking ought to improve High quality Rating by ~3 factors, which is able to scale back CPCs by 30%.
If all key phrases at the moment rated under common noticed a 30% drop in value for a similar click on and conversion quantity, what affect would you may have in your account?
I’d guess that quantity makes you assume it’s at the very least price a check.
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