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Articles by: Matthew Umbro

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Matthew Umbro

Matthew Umbro is a pay-per-click advertising expert and vice president, advertising, at Closed Loop, a leading digital marketing agency. He works and collaborates with clients worldwide across multiple industries to drive leads and brand awareness. He first contributed to Practical Ecommerce in 2013 and has been in the PPC industry since 2007.

Matthew is also the founder of #PPCChat, a weekly Twitter chat for industry specialists.

He holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of New Hampshire.

Google Ads
The Anatomy of a Text Ad

June 30, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

Google and Microsoft advertisers have had to rethink quality copy with the format of expanded text ads and responsive search ads. But the principles of the copy are the same for all pay-per-click ads: include the searcher's query, the product's value propositions, and a clear call-to-action.
Google Ads
Guide to Google Ads Automated Bidding Options

June 4, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

Automated bids in Google Ads remove control from advertisers and rely on Google's algorithm for cost and performance. Google can set automated bids by the query, ad creative, apps, browser, language, operating system, and search partner. Plus, automated bidding utilizes first- and third-party data and other signals not available to advertisers directly.
Google Ads
Don’t Drop Google Shopping Ads Despite the Free Listings

May 7, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

In a surprise, Google announced on April 21 that a portion of listings on the Google Shopping tab would be free. Google had required sellers to create a Merchant Center account and run Shopping Ads through Google Ads. Henceforth, sellers with Shopping listings will still need a Merchant Center account but not Google Ads.
Google Ads
In Google Ads, Balance Automated Bids with User Control

April 8, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

In "3 Handy Google Ads Scripts to Automate Tasks," I addressed methods to expedite pay-per-click management. But, in my experience, advertisers should cautiously embrace Google's push to automate campaigns. The key is to find the right balance of automation and user control.
Google Ads
Assessing All Google Ad Extensions for 2020 (and a Couple from Microsoft)

March 3, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

Extensions complement text ads on search engines by providing helpful info for consumers and occupying more space in search results. Nonetheless, advertisers often underutilize extensions, in my experience. In this post, I’ll explain all Google ad extensions and a couple that are Microsoft-only.
Google Ads
3 New Google Ads Image Formats Could Help Merchants

February 4, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

Ads on Google have historically been mostly text. But the trend is changing. Google now offers three image-based ad formats in beta. All could help ecommerce merchants.
Google Ads
Using Google’s Dynamic Ads to Personalize, Drive Conversions

January 6, 2020 • Matthew Umbro

Merchants strive to make their Google Ads stand out. They may use value-adds and credibility factors to differentiate from competitors. But the dynamic component of ad copy is typically a better option.
Google Ads
3 Handy Google Ads Scripts to Automate Tasks

November 25, 2019 • Matthew Umbro

I am not usually a proponent of automating paid search campaigns. But one aspect of automation that I've found helpful is Google Ads scripts. In this post, I'll address three that are especially useful.
Google Ads
Using Audiences in Google Search Campaigns

October 25, 2019 • Matthew Umbro

Google Ads announced this month two new enhancements for search campaigns: affinity audiences and in-market audiences for seasonal events. The release follows Google’s push for advertisers to layer audiences on their search campaigns.
Google Ads
Do Responsive Search Ads Improve Performance?

October 1, 2019 • Matthew Umbro

The principal benefit of responsive search ads is efficiency. Advertisers can input many messages, and the platform (Google or Bing) will find the winning combinations. The drawbacks are a loss of control and transparency.
Google Ads
Understanding Google Ads’ New Conversion Action Sets

September 2, 2019 • Matthew Umbro

Google Ads' advertisers use conversion tracking for keywords and ad copy. A "conversion" could be a sale or a visitor filling out the contact-us form. Conversion action sets allow advertisers to establish conversion priorities and optimize accordingly.
Google Ads
Using Google AdWords Countdown Script, for Urgency

May 27, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

One of the most powerful messages in advertising copy involves playing to your consumers’ sense of urgency. This notion is portrayed with terms such as “limited time offer” or “one-day ...
Google Ads
The New Google Shopping: What Merchants Need to Know

April 21, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

Last October, Google AdWords released Shopping campaigns, a new format and the next iteration of Product Listing Ad management. In early April, AdWords announced that all merchants will need to ...
Google Ads
Demystifying Google AdWords Keyword Variants

March 27, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

Within the settings of every Google AdWords Search Network campaign is a feature designed to make advertisers’ lives simpler. But since its inception, it has caused more angst than ease.
Google Ads
AdWords: Understanding Flexible Conversion Tracking

March 4, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

Over the last month, Google AdWords has made a significant update to how conversions are tracked and attributed. Flexible conversion tracking represents Google’s ongoing effort to provide the most accurate ...
Google Ads
Pay-per-click Ads: Importance of Bid Modifiers

January 28, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

Many online marketers have debated the pros and cons of Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns over the last year, but one feature has proven its worth: bid modifiers. Bid modifiers act ...
Google Ads
3 Tactics to Reassess Paid Search in 2014

January 3, 2014 • Matthew Umbro

In many ways, 2013 was a transition year for paid search. We saw the launch of AdWords Enhanced Campaigns, to more precisely target searcher intent. We also saw the next ...
Google Ads
Using AdWords’ Cost-per-acquisition Flexible Bidding

December 5, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

In May, Google began offering flexible pay-per-click bidding strategies, which allow advertisers to automate bids based upon different goals. For example, advertisers can now target a specific cost per acquisition ...
Google Ads
5 Tips for Google’s Enhanced Campaigns

October 24, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns have been mandatory for all advertisers since July 23. But they have been in use since the end of February. During this time, my team and ...
Google Ads
Dynamic Search Ads Complement Pay-per-click Efforts

October 1, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

Google’s Dynamic Search Ads allow pay-per-click advertisers to show text ads based on relevant queries that are not otherwise in an ad campaign. It’s been nearly two years since Google ...
Google Ads
5 Pay-per-click Filters to Avoid Drowning in Data

September 3, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

The amount of data available to pay-per-click advertisers can seem overwhelming. Advertisers have to find the optimizations that will make the most impact, as many won’t move the needle one ...
Google Ads
5 Pay-per-click Holiday Tasks to Do Now

August 6, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

The beginning of the holiday season is right around the corner. It is often the busiest and most profitable period of the year for ecommerce merchants. Now is the time to plan your holiday pay-per-click advertising campaigns. There are many pay-per-click initiatives that merchants can...
Google Ads
4 Lessons from Google’s Dynamic Remarketing Ads

July 9, 2013 • Matthew Umbro

Google recently announced the launch of a sophisticated new ad feature called Dynamic Remarketing. It works much the same as general remarketing, but the ad units showcase products that visitors viewed. If a shopper came to your site and viewed, say, a specific running shoe, you can in...

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