Interview 10 Google Adverts 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 believe 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 Adverts accounts with a SKAG strategy.
A take a look at Google Adverts account buildings over time
From 2014 to 2018, most accounts we audited at my company used advert group buildings based mostly on match sort, machine 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 incorporates just one key phrase duplicated throughout a number of match varieties. Traditionally, this was actual, phrase and broad match modified.
Within the trendy period, a SKAG could or could not comprise full broad match sort relying on the account specifics.
This construction grew to become so widespread as a result of it made keyword-stuffing adverts easy. On condition that the advert group solely contained one key phrase, the variety of queries it was eligible for was small.
If Google Adverts managers keyword-stuffed the headlines of the advert related to the advert group, they could possibly be assured that the advert would carefully match the customers’ queries.
This construction performed Google’s High quality Rating sport higher than the opposite buildings. By making certain “above common” advert relevance High quality Scores, CPCs went down and account efficiency improved.
Nevertheless, SKAGs have all the time had detractors. The principle grievance I’ve heard is that they’re exhausting to handle and unattainable to scale.
I imagine this to be a nasty objection. Our largest SKAG account has over 2 million key phrases and we don’t discover it troublesome 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 exhausting issues to get every thing out of Google Adverts doable.
Quick ahead to right now, Google Adverts now integrates AI into its search merchandise with:
And another massive modifications:
- 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 be taught and make good selections.
This understanding led PPC entrepreneurs to consider methods to construction their advert teams and campaigns to greatest 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 offered as they’d been traditionally.
Many seen the AI revolution mixed with modifications to matching as damaging to SKAGs.
The considering went that if the worth of SKAGs was carefully matching advert teams to queries to allow increased advert relevance, then the broadening of eligible queries was certainly damaging for the technique. Plus, if information quantity issues, extremely particular advert teams should be dangerous.
These modifications, taken collectively, led folks to develop two options to SKAGs:
- Single theme advert teams (STAGs).
- Hagakure.
SKAG options in Google Adverts
Hagakure
Hagakure embraced the concept that 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 research references rising key phrases by 10-fold and the variety of adverts by 30%, which “led to an virtually 40% bump in general conversions on the identical price of acquisition.”
The technique recommends constructing as few campaigns as doable and together with every thing (even Dynamic Search Adverts) within the marketing campaign(s). The thought being this may 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 carefully comply with a theme.
This ensures that adverts are principally related to the customers’ queries (approximating SKAGs) whereas rising click on and conversion counts per advert group by rising the key phrase depend and enhancing sign liquidity.
Get the publication search entrepreneurs depend on.
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 Adverts accounts based mostly on conjectures about sign liquidity.
- I don’t construct Google Adverts 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 Adverts accounts at my company. I can see the POP search efficiency from accounts as they transfer from both Hagakure or STAGs into our SKAG strategy.
SKAGs constantly win, and that’s all of the argument I would like.
However for many who wish to perceive the mechanism behind SKAGs profitable, let’s go one stage deeper.
The premise of SKAGs profitable is that the advert relevance is best. This results in increased 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 continues to be extra related than the advert constructed for 5.
Have broad match, LSV and shut match variants made SKAGs right now 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 stage. That’s the place good bidding is utilized and the place algorithms be taught.
Addressing sign liquidity issues
In case you are involved about sign liquidity (and try to be), make sure that sufficient SKAGs are contained throughout the marketing campaign that you simply’re reaching at the least 30 conversions per thirty days, ideally 100.
Should you’re nonetheless skeptical, I’d advocate this:
- Pull in advert relevance scores on the key phrase stage.
- Filter for all adverts rated “beneath common.”
Transferring that to an “common” score ought to improve High quality Rating by ~3 factors, which can scale back CPCs by 30%.
If all key phrases at the moment rated beneath common noticed a 30% drop in price for a similar click on and conversion quantity, what influence would you could have in your account?
I’d guess that quantity makes you suppose it’s at the least price a check.
Contributing authors are invited to create content material for Search Engine Land and are chosen for his or her experience and contribution to the search group. Our contributors work below the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for high quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they categorical are their very own.
