Since Resolution Media International adopted Marin Software, we’ve seen a significant improvement in performance in line with the objectives we set. This is a result of the automated bidding which has meant that keyword bids are optimized more frequently but also the additional insight that Resolution Media now have through the User Journey report and the strategic tests that they run – more insight equals better optimization.
A Triad of Goals: Maximize Sales, Stay in Budget, Improve ROI
easyJet trusts Resolution Media to manage their paid search and display channels meeting three key objectives: staying within budget, maximizing sales, and continually striving to improve ROI. The travel vertical is notoriously competitive with a multitude of airlines vying for the same keywords alongside travel comparison sites and tour operators. This high level of competition equals high cost per clicks (CPCs), meaning that keyword bids have to be very carefully managed to ensure good traffic on profitable keywords and to avoid overspending on unprofitable keywords. Resolution Media runs campaigns for easyJet in multiple markets with exhaustive, continually growing keyword lists, so manual daily optimization could be a real challenge.
Understanding the Keyword and the Audience
Marin Software’s powerful automated Folder-based bidding solution has allowed Resolution to optimize at the keyword level, managing bids to maximize efficiency. By segregating brand and generic terms and setting different performance targets in Marin Software, they can make the most of each keyword and achieve easyJet’s goals. Implementing Marin Software’s automated bidding has meant that all keyword bids are updated daily, which was impossible to do manually. It would have taken one person more than a week to calculate bids for all keywords across all routes! The time saved is used to deploy tests such as turning off brand keywords versus bidding for position on brand keywords. This provides Resolution Media and easyJet with additional insight regarding the importance of advertising on brand keywords.
easyJet’s main focus is on the performance of individual routes. Reporting performance by route from the search campaign structure can be time-consuming as it involves significant data processing. Using the Dimensions feature, Resolution Media has created a virtual reporting structure native to Marin Software that does not impact campaign structure, leaving the team free to adhere to campaign structure best practices and preserving Quality Score. Reports are provided in a timely manner using Web Query Reports, which automate the provision of data into Excel without even logging into Marin Software’s user interface. Data can then be automatically fed into a multitude of tables and charts in Excel or PowerPoint, eliminating the need for hours of manual reporting and data manipulation. These time-savings can now be better spent optimizing the accounts.
The integration of Marin Tracker in a DFA container tag allows for the capture of multiple conversion types, such as the number of bookings or the total seats purchased per booking. The booking information that is captured then provides additional insight for the Resolution Media team so they can further optimize. Marin Software’s User Journey report allows the team to understand the type of booking the keyword is actually driving. This facilitates ad copy and budget optimization, and also informs bid strategy in terms of knowing which routes need additional support. The User Journey Report also provides valuable insight as to the best performing times of the day and days of the week. These analytics are transformed into action using Marin Software’s day-parting functionality which allows Resolution Media to set automated adjustments to bids on certain days of the week and times of the day.
Success! Increase in Sales Volume and Value per Sale
Since adopting Marin Software, Resolution Media and easyJet have seen significant improvements in performance across a multitude of metrics including the all-important ROI. Overall, the cost of acquiring a booking is down and the number of bookings and revenue are up. Results in detail for the Italian market:
- 111% improvement in ROI
- 51% decrease in cost per booking
- 29% increase in bookings
- 33% increase in revenue
- 37% decrease in investment
- 32% drop in CPC