Extensive keyword research was undertaken prior to crafting our strategy. We enlisted the support of local experts in the identified areas to help us with this, so we developed a clear understanding of the countries we were targeting, their cultural sensitivities and the kind of keywords and phrases that people were using to find relevant information.

With our keywords gathered and our team ready to get involved further with the project, we needed to ensure that all the areas Carex was looking to target were covered and we did this by creating a separate campaign for each subject but we hit a bump in the road. At the time, internet usage was fragmented. People were using their phones and tablets as much as their desktop, and their journeys would often begin on one device and finish on another, so we created desktop and mobile adverts for each of the campaigns we ran, ensuring that the right advert was seen on the relevant device.

Adding a further layer of complexity into the mix was the then-recent addition of Answer Boxes to Google’s Search offering. This functionality presents the user with an answer to their query right at the top of the search results, and so lessens the need for the user to click on a website listing or PPC ad. With click through rate being an important factor in determining Quality Score, which impacts the ads’ visibility and cost, there was a real risk that the campaign would underperform, something we definitely weren’t going to allow to happen! To prevent this, we ensured that all the ad copy was appealing, authentic and provided the user with a clear answer, whilst also promising more information upon the click.