Although the official start of autumn isn't until the end of September, most people I know consider Labor Day weekend to mark the end of summer.  Regardless of when summer ends and fall begins, now is the time to start getting your holiday campaigns cleaned up, optimized and ready for the gradual increase in search volume that starts now and peaks near the conclusion of the holiday season (not to mention the additional traffic coming in as a result of the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance).

Whether you're new to search engine marketing (SEM) or if you simply need to brush up on your optimization skills, you can use the below list of key performance indicators and possible solutions to troubleshoot any issues that you may spot in your own campaigns.  Keep in mind that the bullet points below aren't meant to be used all together as an across-the-board cure-all; you will need to use your own discretion to determine which adjustments may be most beneficial to your particular campaigns.

Low Click-Through Rate (CTR)
•    Test multiple ads
•    Use dynamic text
•    Make ad groups more focused
•    Make ads more relevant (to keywords and landing pages)
•    Adjust match types:
      - Use phrase match instead of exact match
      - Use broad match instead of phrase match
•    Add negative keywords
•    Implement demographic targeting

Previous posts on low CTR: 

1. SEM Beginner Series: What is a Click-Through Rate (CTR)?
2. SEM Intermediate Series: Increasing Click-Through Rate (CTR) in Microsoft adCenter
3. Low Click-Through Rate Culprits and What You Can Do About Them (Part I)
4. Low Click-Through Rate Culprits and What You Can Do About Them (Part II)
5. Low Click-Through Rate Culprits and What You Can Do About Them (Part III)

High Cost-Per-Click / Low Return-on-Investment (ROI)
•    Ensure landing page URLs are current (no broken links)
•    Revise ad copy; make it more concise, mention special offers, use calls to action (e.g. “buy”, “shop”, etc.) 
•    Adjust bids (lower)
•    Match types: bid on broad, phrase, exact
•    Add negative keywords
•    Set daily limit to monthly budget

Previous posts on cost-per-click and ROI: 

1. SEM Beginner Series: What is Cost-Per-Click (CPC)?
2. Lowering CPC with Match Types and Negative Keywords
3. Five Tips to Improve Your Microsoft adCenter ROI
4. SEM Intermediate Series: Calculating and Improving Return-On-Investment (ROI) in Microsoft adCenter

Low Page Position
•    Increase base bid
•    Review keywords and ad copy relevancy
•    Dynamic text in ad title, text, display URL

Previous posts on page position: 

1. Clarifying Base Bids: Enhancing and Optimizing for Position in Microsoft Advertising adCenter
2. SEM Beginner Series: Why is Ad Position Important?
3. SEM Intermediate Series: Strategies for Improving Ad Position in Microsoft adCenter
4. Ad Position Best Practices for PPC

Low Traffic
•    Shorter keyword phrases
•    Expand keywords (try Microsoft Advertising Intelligence)
•    Increase bids to improve page position
•    Use broad match
•    Remove or expand geographical targeting

Previous posts on traffic: 

1. SEM Intermediate Series: Troubleshooting Low Traffic From Your Microsoft adCenter Campaigns
2. Qualifying Traffic with Negative Keywords
3. Microsoft Advertising Intelligence - Using the Traffic and Demographic Tools for Market Trends

Low Conversion Rate
•    Update landing pages
•    Bid higher on the keywords that perform the best 

Previous posts on conversion tracking: 

1. Conversion Tracking: 5 Improvements Scheduled for the Fall Release of Microsoft Advertising adCenter
2. Conversion Tracking: What It Is and How to Enable and Disable It in Microsoft adCenter
3. Improve Conversion Rates and Maximise ROI

Stay tuned to the adCenter Blog for more holiday preparation tips; upcoming posts will focus on specific industry verticals that historically see a lift in traffic around the holidays.  If you have any questions, comments or ideas for future blog posts, feel free to leave a comment!

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