This document discusses automating AdWords campaigns to beat competition. It recommends organizing campaign data, defining goals, and building rules to automate bidding. It suggests centralizing data by campaign, keyword, and date. Goals may include spending budgets, achieving conversions or sales. Automation can be done through proprietary systems, AdWords tools, or third party tools. Proprietary systems allow flexibility but are expensive. AdWords tools only work with Google ads. Third party tools work across platforms but have limitations. The optimal solution uses both in-house and external automation tools together.

1. Automating AdWords:
How to Beat the Competition in Your Sleep
January 2018
Chet Hall, CEO & Founder

2. Introduction: Setting Expectations
I’m going to assume:
● You’ve used Google... A lot...
● You have seen inside AdWords
● You know that Bing exists
● You understand how Google prices Search Ads

3. Introduction: But Why?
Why Automate Your Search Marketing?
● AdWords is Huge, Complicated, and Scary
● Ads are running 24/7
● Competition is always changing
● Every impression is unique
● People use search engines other than
Google
● Algorithms outperform even smart,
experienced people

4. Introduction: The Holy Trinity of Automation
1. Organize Your Data
2. Define Your Goals
3. Build Your Rules

5. Get Your Data
Where do I Get Data?
1. AdWords
2. Bing
3. Affiliate Networks

6. Get Organized
What Data Do I Pull?
1. Spend Data
2. Commission Data
3. Campaign Data
4. Keyword Data
5. Click Detail Data
6. Performance Slices

7. Data Centralization
Connect data by:
● Campaign
● Keyword
● Date
It’s all in the click!
● Turn on Auto Tagging
● Connect your gclids

8. Set Your Targets
Search Campaign Goals Differ
● Spend a set customer budget?
● Achieve an overall number of
conversions?
● Achieve sales at a cost per
acquisition?
● Hit a certain return on ad spend?

9. Automate
Proprietary Automation System + APIs Integrations
Pros: Total flexibility; One set of rules for all platforms
Cons: Expensive; Constantly need to improve as SEM evolves
AdWords Internal Automation
Pros: Powerful internal tools; Relatively easy to get started.
Cons: Google is greedy; It only works at Google.
Third Party Tools (Kenshoo; Marin, etc.)
Pros: Works on all platforms
Cons: Not well designed for affiliate use

10. Proprietary Systems
Proprietary bidding optimization systems are the most useful
1. Keyword bidding can solve for your profitability
2. Can build in assumptions across similar data points
3. Can be designed to “buy data” from Google
4. Allows for easy control in affiliate use cases:
● Holiday ramp up and post-holiday throttles
● Sustained bidding when revenue reporting is delayed
● Integrated workflow management (e.g. creative optimization)
Anticipate future changes (e.g. commission rate changes)

11. AdWords Internal Automation
Some bidding tools are only available inside AdWords
1. Enhanced CPC logic can’t be duplicated outside of AdWords
2. ROAS & CPA-based keyword bidding seem great, but bidding
is clumsy and Google has greedy algorithms.
3. Optimizing creative rotation for conversions can improve ROI
4. AdWords Scripts can manage budgets and bids through rules
BUT still requires third party data and becomes harder and
harder to manage rules as you scale.

12. Third Party Tools
Third party software is always evolving
1. Useful automation exists, but some hidden limitations
2. Still need third party data import.
3. Best for massive campaign creation (i.e., a campaign per
city per state). Can lead to unmanageable Google accounts.
4. Costs can be high for small businesses
5. Optimal bidding strategies vary dramatically by user, these
are one-size-fits-all solutions.

13. Conclusion
● Integrated data is good for
understanding your business no matter
what automation path is for you.
● Having well defined search campaign
targets are good for managing your
business no matter what path you take.
● The optimal solution will often use both
in-house and external tools.

14. Chet Hall
Co-Founder & CEO
e. chet@wickfire.com
c. 208-630-4852
Katy Atlas
Chief Strategy Officer
e. katy@wickfire.com
c. 646-709-2736
Nick Munoz
Business Development
e. nick@wickfire.com
c. 760-889-4246
Look for Wickfire’s friendly faces around ASW if you have any questions about this presentation!
Questions?
Jonathan Brown
Co-Founder & CTO
e. jon@wickfire.com
c. 310-462-5531