In the dizzying world of Google Ads updates, there is an ever-increasing trend driven by Google themselves: automation and rotation. The retirement of the more static expanded text ads format in favour of the more opposable responsive ads gestures at a brave new world where your ad copy can be overhauled with a simple tweak of a headline. But don’t be fooled: you’re doing your campaign a disservice when you override or delete your old ads.

Why?

It’s all in the data they collect. Take it from a Google partnered PPC services company: you’ll be surprised how important they are.

What Your Old PPC Ads Have To Teach You

PPC ads aren’t a zero sum game: sometimes your ads will be doing great, and sometimes they’ll fall right off. These fluctuations are common particularly in low budget or smaller campaigns.

There can be any number of reasons for this: your competitors are also going to be trying out new copy to see what sticks, your industry might be in a downturn, or there’s a technical factor like budget limiting your campaign’s reach.

Some of the most common advice you’re likely to get from the PPC world for a struggling campaign is also the simplest: try out new ad copy.

But hear me out: don’t overwrite or delete your old ads.

There’s a wealth of data covering the period those ads were working and when they weren’t. By shifting through it, you can figure out what headlines worked well, what descriptions were generating clicks, and what parts of your pitch people weren’t responding to.

This can all be instrumental in shaping how your new ads shape up.

You might be thinking – ‘but I can just do all of this research before I change the ad copy!’. And you’d be right: but here’s what you’re not considering.

How Changing Existing Ads Hinders Your PPC

1. Loss of Data: Every ad gets valuable performance data over time. Deleting ads erases it. It could be useful for analysing past performance trends for future campaigns!
2. No Comparison: By deleting ads, you lose the ability to compare their performance. Figuring out what worked well in the past can help future ad campaigns.
3. Impact on Metrics: Quality Score takes into account past performance data of ads. Getting rid of ads can also lead to changes in your ad visibility and costs.
4. No Learning Period: If an ad is performing well, removing it can result in a drop in campaign performance. At least until new ads get optimised and gain traction.
5. Loss of Ad Copy and Messaging: When an ad’s gone, you’re losing access to their content. Old copy could have been effective in engaging and converting potential customers – not all of it is bad!
6. No A/B Testing: A/B testing and experimentation are crucial for optimising PPC campaigns. Deleting ads removes the opportunity to analyse different ad variations. You should be aiming to iterate on them and improve campaign performance.
7. Bad Campaign Management Practice: Not deleting ads is more transparent and accountable. Your backlog is right there!

Never unilaterally get rid of old ads: every bit of data is useful in PPC. Thankfully, it’s possible to easily restore deleted ads.

Get Measured & Well-Managed Marketing That Works For You

The paid search ads world is always changing. That’s why having a PPC management company on your side is more important than ever. By getting professional marketers on your side, you’ll be able to cut out the fuss and focus on your business as the leads come in.

If you’re looking to boost your growth and get a PPC campaign that works for you without breaking the bank, Measured Marketing can help. Their approach is data-driven: always looking to better your campaign’s past performance according to the budget and rules you already set up.

For a high quality PPC campaign which will help you grow your business, sign on for a free PPC audit today!