Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales, Second Edition

Chapter 11Campaign Management, Bids, Technology, Agencies, In-House or Blended

PPC search is an auction, just like an art auction, car auction, or for that matter the financial auctions at the New York Stock Exchange and elsewhere. The true and perceived value of the auctioned product or asset is different for each buyer in the market. In paid search, the divergence between perceived and true value is even more pronounced, because you and your competitors have different conversion rates, profit margins, and campaign strategies.

Search campaigns that are currently generating a positive ROI are under constant pressure to continually improve their efficiency and effectiveness to offset the inevitable increases in click costs. To remain successful ...