Testing SEM variables is a crucial part of optimizing your campaigns and improving your return on investment. But how do you approach this process in a systematic and effective way? In this article, we'll share some tips and best practices for testing SEM variables, from setting your goals and hypotheses to measuring your results and applying your learnings.
Before you start testing SEM variables, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what you expect to happen. Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Your hypotheses should be based on data, logic, and insights from your previous campaigns or industry benchmarks. For example, you might have a goal to increase your click-through rate (CTR) by 10% in two weeks, and a hypothesis that changing your headline from "Best Deals on Shoes" to "Save up to 50% on Shoes" will achieve that.
Base your hypotheses on a solid foundation of data, logical reasoning, and industry knowledge, drawing from your prior campaign experiences or industry standards.
Defining your goals and hypotheses is the cornerstone of any SEM testing strategy. It’s like setting the destination and route for a journey. Without a clear destination (goal) and a well-thought-out route (hypothesis), you will wander aimlessly. Your goals should be SMART, and your hypotheses should be grounded in data, logic, and insights from past experiences or industry standards.
Getting into measurement mindset is critical for success in SEM. Always look to follow A/B testing methodology structure for the campaigns where in you are testing either your bidding, creative or audience strategy. Test, Learn and Scale should be the mantra for SEM campaigns.
Testing SEM variables is crucial for optimizing your advertising campaigns and improving their performance. SEM variables include elements like keywords, ad copy, bidding strategies, landing pages, and more. Remember that SEM testing is an ongoing effort, and what works today may not work tomorrow due to market dynamics and algorithm updates. Stay agile, adapt to changes, and prioritize continuous improvement to achieve long-term success in search engine marketing.
In this mentioned case, a simple A/B testing with 3/4 or 4/5 "hypothesis", or "alternatives" will do the trick. Test the alternatives, see which one is the best. Simple. Remember to try each alternative at similar periods of the week. Also, in order to create hypothesis, analyze the best keywords and what the competition is doing.
Next, you need to decide which variables you want to test and how you want to test them. Variables are the elements of your SEM campaigns that can affect your performance, such as keywords, bids, ad copy, landing pages, and targeting options. Test types are the methods of comparing different versions of your variables, such as A/B tests, multivariate tests, or split tests. Depending on your goals and hypotheses, you might want to test one variable at a time (A/B test), multiple variables at once (multivariate test), or different segments of your audience (split test).
Assuming you're already in the market, each of your tests should be an exploration of the impact of changing a single variable. So your existing campaign has tons of settings including target key phrases, messaging, audience targeting, landing page, bid strategy, etc. Clone it (once or multiple times) and change only one. Run your test for a reasonable amount of time to ensure that data on the challenger to your champion is actually on a fully deployed campaign and not one where the platform still has it in its "learning" stage. If you want to go faster, stand up multiple clones and try an option C, etc. but ensure all non-test variables are the same otherwise. Cloning is the easiest way to ensure settings are the the same.
Data-driven testing allows for informed decisions, helping to enhance SEM campaign performance over time. Systematic testing of SEM variables, grounded in well-defined goals and hypotheses, can lead to significant campaign optimizations. Utilizing these insights and consistently refining your strategy is the path to SEM success.
Choosing the correct variables and test types is akin to selecting the right tools for a job. As you wouldn’t use a hammer to screw in a nail, you shouldn’t choose randomly variables and test types without considering your goals and hypotheses. It’s important to carefully select the variables that are most likely to impact your campaign performance and the test types that are most suitable for your goals. For instance, if you are trying to improve your ad copy’s effectiveness, you might want to conduct an A/B test comparing two versions of your ad copy. On the other hand, if you are trying to optimize multiple elements of your landing page, a multivariate test might be more appropriate.
Avoid the "peeking problem". Make sure you have a large enough sample size, and reach. Figure how many subjects you need for your A/B test. And don't make any conclusions before that size has been reached. There's plenty of tools available only to do these calculations for you. If you peek before hand, and make hasty conclusions and adjustments, you might call the winner way to early, and obscure the results.
Testing SEM variables is a bit like fine-tuning a recipe. Start by defining your goals, then experiment with different elements like keywords, ad content, and budgets to see what works best. Use data to measure performance and make adjustments as needed, much like adjusting ingredients in a recipe until it tastes just right. Keep refining your approach through trial and error until you achieve the desired results—a successful SEM strategy.
Once you have your variables and test types, you need to set up your test parameters and tracking. Test parameters are the rules and conditions of your test, such as the duration, sample size, budget, and success metrics. Tracking is the way of measuring and recording your test results, such as using conversion tracking, analytics tools, or third-party software. You should make sure that your test parameters are realistic, consistent, and aligned with your goals and hypotheses. You should also make sure that your tracking is accurate, reliable, and comprehensive.
By ensuring that your test parameters are sensible and coherent, and your tracking is comprehensive and precise, you pave the way for reliable and insightful test results.
Regularly testing and analyzing results gives you actionable insights, enabling optimization of SEM campaigns for better performance.
When managing tests, I prefer to use a project management tool like Asana or Google Sheets. Google and Bing have good ad interfaces, however, I'm able to easily see what tests are running so if any drops in volume or ROAS occur, I can easily see if active tests are to blame. Tools like this also allow you to use screenshots and recordings to add additional notes and findings.
Your SEM testing parameters need to be meticulously planned. Firstly we need to determine the test's duration, ensuring it's long enough to gather meaningful data but not too long that it hinders your campaign's overall performance. Establish a sample size that's statistically significant, budget accordingly, and define success metrics that directly tie into your goals. Accurate tracking is the bedrock of meaningful analysis. Employ reliable tools and methodologies, and ensure that you're capturing all relevant events and data points in the user journey.
Setting up the framework correctly is vital. A well-tracked test can guide you to make informed decisions, helping to enhance your strategy dynamically.
After setting up your test parameters and tracking, you can run your test and analyze your results. You should monitor your test performance regularly and check for any issues or anomalies. You should also compare your results with your hypotheses and see if they are statistically significant and meaningful. You should look for patterns, trends, and insights that can help you understand what works and what doesn't in your SEM campaigns.
If nothing you are trying is providing the results you wish to achieve don't be afraid to start fresh. A marketer is not expected to always have the right answer but they must be flexible and prepared to change based on results.
Effective SEM testing is an ongoing process. By consistently applying your learnings and iterating based on results, you ensure that your campaigns remain dynamic, relevant, and high-performing.
Once your test is underway, it's not a "set and forget" endeavor. Regularly monitor your campaign's performance, keeping an eye out for any anomalies or unexpected trends. Compare the results rigorously against your hypotheses, using statistical significance as your guide is vital. I always think it's not just about seeing which variation performs better, it's about understanding the WHY. Look for insights, patterns, and user behaviors that can inform your decision-making moving forward.
Think about the searcher's experience when evaluating ad tests. Ask yourself: "What do these results say about your customers' behavior when they're searching for the solutions you provide?" "What other questions or hypotheses are coming from these findings?"
Once the campaigns have generated the data and you don't have the desired outcome, don't worry and see what data is telling you. You should be using the right tools and you should be able to filter out the most relevant and precise knowledge you'd wanna see.
Finally, you should apply your learnings and iterate. This means that you should use your test results to make changes to your SEM campaigns and improve your performance. You should also use your learnings to generate new hypotheses and test new variables. Testing SEM variables is not a one-time activity, but a continuous cycle of experimentation and optimization. You should always be testing, learning, and improving your SEM campaigns.
Testing should be "circular". Let these learnings fuel the generation of fresh hypotheses, allowing you to explore new variables and possibilities. Then go back to "testing" and repeat the process.
SEM is not "set and forget" activity. It needs regular tending to, just like your garden. Monitoring and reviewing traffic sources is also critical to make sure you are getting engagement from legitimate sources.
Don’t be afraid to make changes, test new ideas, and learn from both successes and failures. Applying learnings and iterating is the final, yet most crucial step in the SEM testing process. It’s like refining a recipe based on taste tests. Analyzing the results, drawing conclusions, and applying the learnings will help you optimize your SEM campaigns. However, it’s important to remember that this is not a one-time process. The digital landscape is always evolving, and so should your SEM strategy. Continuous testing and iteration are key to staying competitive and achieving the best results.
Applying your learnings and iterating are pivotal steps in the continuous improvement of your SEM strategy. Once your team is aligned around your chosen KPIs and campaigns are in motion, it's essential to regularly assess performance against these benchmarks. Analyze data and insights gathered from ongoing SEM efforts to identify what's working and what's not. Iterative optimization allows you to refine your tactics, making data-informed adjustments to enhance your SEM variables, ad creatives, and targeting strategies. By applying these learnings, you can capitalize on successful elements and pivot away from underperforming ones, ultimately maximizing the return on your SEM investment.
The outcome from one campaign should give you some insights and understanding of the marketing phenomenon. One should never be afraid to test new variables and implement new strategies.
Additional SEM Tips: -Give every test the best shot to succeed, AND be willing to cut a test off QUICKLY that's losing a significant amount of money. -Break stuff, you can fix/reverse most issues. Be willing to test wild hunches that have data to back it up knowing that you can cut them if they spend a ton of money. -When working with API-created campaigns in larger accounts (1000+ campaigns), sometimes it's just easier to work in the web interfaces than using the ad editor software offered by Google and Microsoft.
Cavelo’s Head of Growth >> RevOps | Demand Gen | Analytics | PLG | SaaS | GTM Builder
Have a planned cadence that makes sense for your budget. The STAY ON TRACK. You will want to give up after the fun wears off - but testing is table stakes in the ad game.