How do you collect and analyze SEM feedback effectively?

1 Choose your SEM goals and metrics

Before you can collect and analyze SEM feedback, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your SEM campaigns and how you will measure your success. Your SEM goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might want to increase your click-through rate (CTR) by 10% in the next quarter. Your SEM metrics should be aligned with your goals and reflect the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter for your business. For example, you might use CTR, cost per click (CPC), conversion rate, return on ad spend (ROAS), and customer lifetime value (CLV) as your SEM metrics.

2 Set up your SEM feedback tools

Once you have your SEM goals and metrics, you need to set up the tools that will help you collect and analyze SEM feedback. The most essential tool is your SEM platform, such as Google Ads or Bing Ads, which provides you with detailed reports and insights on your campaign performance, audience behavior, and market trends. You should also use other tools that complement your SEM platform, such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Tag Manager, or third-party SEM software, which can help you track your website traffic, conversions, user engagement, and SEO health.

3 Collect your SEM feedback data

The next step is to collect your SEM feedback data from your SEM tools on a regular basis. You should decide how often you want to collect your data, depending on your campaign duration, budget, and goals. For example, you might collect your data daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. You should also decide what type of data you want to collect, depending on your metrics and segments. For example, you might collect data on your impressions, clicks, conversions, costs, keywords, ad groups, campaigns, devices, locations, demographics, or interests.

4 Analyze your SEM feedback data

After you collect your SEM feedback data, you need to analyze it to understand what is working and what is not in your SEM campaigns. You should compare your actual performance with your expected performance, based on your goals and metrics. You should also look for patterns, trends, anomalies, and outliers in your data, based on your segments and dimensions. For example, you might analyze how your CTR varies by keyword, ad group, campaign, device, location, or time of day.

5 Implement your SEM feedback actions

Based on your SEM feedback analysis, you need to implement actions that will help you improve your SEM performance and achieve your goals. You should prioritize the actions that will have the most impact on your results, based on your data and insights. You should also test and monitor the effects of your actions, based on your metrics and tools. For example, you might implement actions such as adding, pausing, or deleting keywords, ad groups, or campaigns, changing your bids, budgets, or targeting, or optimizing your landing pages, ad copy, or calls to action.

6 Repeat your SEM feedback cycle

The final step is to repeat your SEM feedback cycle on a regular basis to ensure that your SEM campaigns are always optimized and aligned with your goals. You should collect and analyze your SEM feedback data, implement your SEM feedback actions, and measure your SEM feedback results, following the steps above. You should also review and update your SEM goals and metrics, based on your changing needs and objectives. By repeating your SEM feedback cycle, you can continuously improve your SEM performance and maximize your ROI.

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?