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Paid Search Marketing

Paid search marketing is a critical tool for any marketer or small business owner. But it’s not easy. From navigating the world of bidding, to writing ad copy that resonates, to setting up Google Ads conversion tracking and more: there are a lot of skills that fall under the paid search marketing umbrella. At WordStream, we’re here to help you refine those skills. Check out our paid search marketing blogs and get the knowledge you need to succeed.


Help! I Raised My Google Ads Bids and Got LESS Traffic!

Will raising your AdWords bids always increase your ad position AND your clicks. Nope. Find out why not, plus the best way to increase AdWords ad clicks.

Why Google AdWords Certification Doesn’t Matter

Worry about your Google AdWords Exam? Concerned that you're not yet AdWords certified? Don't be! In this post, we outline four reasons why the Google AdWords exam isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

No Plan, No Workflow, No Results: How to Develop a PPC Plan that Aligns with Your Goals

Learn how to develop a PPC plan and workflow that aligns with your business goals, whether you want to drive traffic, increase sales and leads, or build your brand.

How to Build the Perfect Mobile Landing Page

When it comes to mobile landing pages, every second counts. Don't miss out on potential conversions. Follow these tips to build the perfect mobile landing page.

Dan Shewan
March 10, 2014 | Landing Pages

Bad Ads, Worse Ads, and Very, Very Bad Ads: The Worst of PPC

Want to see some bad ads? I mean really bad ads? These Google AdWords ads are among the worst we've seen.

The Beginner’s Guide to Building a Negative Keyword List

Few businesses devote enough time and energy to building negative keyword lists, despite the crucial role that negative keywords play in maximizing the ROI of an AdWords campaign. In this guide, we run through the steps of building a negative keyword list.

The Future of PageRank: 13 Experts on the Dwindling Value of the Link

The PageRank algorithm is constantly changing. But will PageRank always depend on links? 12 SEO experts weigh in on the future of backlinks for Google search.

Why Tracking Conversions for Your PPC Efforts Is a No-Brainer!

If you're not tracking conversions in Google Ads, you're driving in the dark without headlights. Learn why conversion tracking is so important in PPC.

The Secrets Behind Ads with 3x the Average CTR

Average click-through rates are just that: average. Don't you want your CTR to be BETTER than average? Learn how to get AdWords click-through rates over three times higher than the average CTR in this tip-packed guide to better ad writing.

Larry Kim
February 11, 2014 | Paid Search Marketing

Search Network with Display Select: Should You Use AdWords’ New Campaign Type?

You may remember that in early November 2013 Google rolled out a new AdWords campaign type called “Search Network with Display Select.”

Hacking Google Ads: Winning at Google Ads the Weird Way

Quality Score is the key to hacking AdWords. A deep dive into how Google calculates your Quality Score plus top tips on how to raise your Quality Scores.

Larry Kim
January 29, 2014 | Paid Search Marketing

All About AdChoices: What Is AdChoices? How Does it Affect Advertisers & Consumers?

What is AdChoices? How do you get rid of AdChocies? How does the AdChoices program affect advertisers? Learn all about the Ad Choices program and how it affects both users and advertisers in this guide.

How Your Google Ads Daily Budget Works With Ad Scheduling

Don't let Google spend more than your monthly budget! Let’s review how your Google Ads daily budget works, especially when you’re using ad scheduling.

Bid Optimization: Getting Started with Bid Optimization in Google Ads

Learn how to get started with PPC bid optimization in Google AdWords. Learn a bid optimization workflow, bid optimization strategies to try and more.

How to Use Google Ads for Real Estate Marketing

Learn how to market an apartment community through a Google AdWords PPC campaign with geotargeting in this complete guide to AdWords apartment marketing.

Gmail Advertising Showdown: Gmail Sponsored Promotions vs. Managed Placements

Learn how the new Gmail Sponsored Promotions beta compares to Managed Placements when it comes to Gmail advertising CTR, CPA and other results.

Deduping Keywords: How to Identify & Remove Duplicate Keywords

Identifying and removing duplicate keywords is essential to the health of your Google Ads account. Check out this blog post to learn how to do it!

Erin Sagin
December 31, 2013 | Paid Search Marketing

Best of PPC: The Hottest Guides, Case Studies & Articles of the Year!

On the off chance you haven’t been keeping up to this extent every day, I wanted to share my picks for the best, most informative, absolute must-read PPC articles of 2013.

Larry Kim
December 23, 2013 | Paid Search Marketing

Quick Guide to Google Grants: Google Ads for Nonprofits

Learn all about the Google Grants program, which provides free ad spend for nonprofit organizations, including eligibility and tips for succeeding with Google Ad Grants.

How to Compete in AdWords: Improve Results Without Just Raising Bids

Are you staying competitive in AdWords? Learn how to get your Google ads at the top of the page WITHOUT just bidding higher in this guide.

How to Survive the Google Ads Advanced Search Exam

Looking to get AdWords certified? Follow these five tips for passing the Google AdWords Advanced Exam with flying colors and minimal headaches.

The Complete Guide to Google Remarketing Best Practices

Remarketing campaigns are an excellent way to increase return traffic to your site and improve conversion rates. Learn best practices for Google remarketing from top to bottom in this complete guide to getting your retargeting right!

Guest Author
December 4, 2013 | Display Ads

RIP Google AdWords Editor??

RIP AdWords Editor: Why Google will soon retire Google AdWords Editor and join the Google Graveyard of discontinued products.

Larry Kim
December 4, 2013 | Paid Search Marketing

Holiday PPC Planning: Three Advanced Strategies for AdWords

Learn advanced strategies for acing your holiday AdWords campaigns, including making use of new ad extensions, Product Listing Ads, and Dynamic Remarketing.

Erin Sagin
November 26, 2013 | Paid Search Marketing

The Ultimate Holiday Text Ad: How to Optimize Your PPC Ads for the Holidays

Learn how to kill it this holiday season with your most compelling AdWords ad text ever, including an example of the ULTIMATE holiday text ad.

PPC Keyword Research Guide: How to Find the Words for Your Paid Search Campaigns

PPC search campaigns revolve around keywords, and you need to find the RIGHT keywords to succeed. Learn how to find, refine, and organize keywords for your PPC campaigns in this PPC keyword research guide. Beginner to intermediate level.

Erin Bell
November 21, 2013 | Paid Search Marketing

Google Pushing Holiday Retailers to Use Both Text Ads & PLAs

Text ads and Product Listing Ads (PLAs) are more powerful used together, according to Google; in fact, using text ads alone means lower brand recognition, less site engagement and fewer online sales, they say.