How can you learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures?

1 Analyze the data

The first step to learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures is to analyze the data and understand what went wrong. Look at the metrics that matter for your campaign, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per click, return on ad spend, and quality score. Compare the performance of your test group and your control group, and identify the factors that caused the difference. Was it the ad copy, the landing page, the keywords, the bid strategy, the targeting, or something else? Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, or other SEM platforms to dig deeper into the data and find the root cause of the failure.

2 Evaluate the hypothesis

The second step to learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures is to evaluate the hypothesis that you had before running the test or experiment. Did you have a clear and specific question that you wanted to answer? Did you have a valid and measurable way to test it? Did you have a realistic and relevant goal that you wanted to achieve? Did you have a sufficient and representative sample size and duration for the test or experiment? If you answered no to any of these questions, you may need to revise your hypothesis and design a better test or experiment for the next time.

3 Learn from the feedback

The third step to learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures is to learn from the feedback that you get from your audience, your competitors, and your industry. What did your audience tell you about their preferences, needs, and behavior through their actions or responses? What did your competitors do better or worse than you in terms of their ads, their offers, their landing pages, or their strategies? What did your industry reveal about the trends, the opportunities, or the challenges that affect your niche or market? Use tools like surveys, reviews, social media, competitor analysis, or industry reports to gather and analyze the feedback and learn from it.

4 Apply the learnings

The fourth step to learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures is to apply the learnings that you gained from the data, the hypothesis, and the feedback. How can you improve your campaigns based on what you learned? What changes can you make to your ads, your landing pages, your keywords, your bid strategy, your targeting, or your budget? How can you measure the impact of those changes on your performance? How can you scale up or replicate the successful tests or experiments and avoid or minimize the failed ones? Use tools like A/B testing, multivariate testing, or split testing to implement and monitor the changes and apply the learnings.

5 Document the process

The fifth step to learn from SEM testing and experimentation failures is to document the process and the results of your tests or experiments. This will help you keep track of what you did, why you did it, what you found, and what you learned. It will also help you communicate your findings and recommendations to your team, your clients, or your stakeholders. You can use tools like spreadsheets, dashboards, reports, or presentations to document and share the process and the results of your tests or experiments.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?