In the last two posts we went over choosing a tool and determining a cycle length. Now it is time to plan what you will do in that cycle. With Pay-Per-Click this is fairly easy because there are defined ppc optimization tasks that you do for every account.
If it makes it easier. Break your tasks down to the individual things that you do. Then assign each task the time it takes to complete. Then you can easily order the tasks however your like.
There is really nothing too hard about planning your regular tasks. The really hard part about planning your ppc optimizations are the problems that arise while you are going through the optimization cycle. Maybe a client calls with a new brilliant idea that you have to implement right now, or the CPA starts to skyrocket and you have no idea why. This is where people get off track and then find it very hard to get back on.
For small problems just plan for them like you plan for your standard ppc optimization tasks. Include a small chunk of time allocated to “issues” in your weekly or monthly optimization cycles. If no problems come up then you have extra time to work on other things. Problems will happen so don’t set your system up for failure by not allowing for them.
Big problems, however, are not something that you can easily plan for. They tend to blindside you when you least expect them and often they must be dealt with immediately. When this happens, just put your cycle on hold. If you already put the right thought into it then it will work just as well when the problem has been solved. Take the time that you need to solve the problem. Then just fall back into your cycle where you stopped and keep going.
If you fall off of the the ppc optimization cycle horse you have to make a conscious decision to get back on. Plan to make that decision ahead of time so that it is easier and you actually do it. Also it helps if you have someone else who you partner with to make sure both of you stay on track and hold each other responsible.
I know that I have been pretty vague about how to plan everything, but that is because everyone has their own method to how they like to manage their accounts and the order they like to do ppc optimizations. The flexibility that I think you should consider when you are setting up your system is so that you can be comfortable with it. In the end you want the efficiency of a system, without feeling that you are constrained in what you can do.
What do you think? Do you use a ppc optimization schedule or plan?
Other posts in this series:
Post1: Project Management Tools for PPC
Post2: Pay-Per-Click Project Management – Repeating Projects
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