• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 13, 2012

Content producers and search marketers will need to have a better understanding of science and math in 2013, or risk failed campaigns. Datapop's white paper, "A Comprehensive Guide To The Art & Science of PPC Ad Optimization," released at the MediaPost Search Insider Summit Thursday, provides insight into why ads "suck." It explains how consumers have been bombarded with misplaced and irrelevant messages for years.

"What do you have that deserves the consumer's attention?" asks Jason Lehmbeck, cofounder of Datapop, during a panel discussion on the importance of creative. Forrester Research Principal Analyst Joanna O'Connell says most agencies fear that data-driven technology firms will "eat their lunch." Some think it's an opportunity for companies to partner.  

The Datapop white paper takes search marketers through the process of full-scale ad optimization and provides insight into why creative optimization will drive long-term search success. It recommends a focus on story, not data.

Mom Chan, senior director of user acquisition strategy at PriceGrabber.com, says marketers need technology to dynamically test and combine signals and tokens that relate to individual products or brands. The ability to identify what does and doesn't work is a huge step in search campaigns. 

As search becomes increasingly more competitive, marketers require strategies to stand out from the competition. But most are currently not testing their creative options, Lehmbeck says. "Process and technology need to come together to make art and science scale," he says.

Many search marketers have seen lackluster results from their ad testing efforts because, per the white paper, they have committed one of  "The 7 Deadly Sins of Ad Optimization," such as a lack of -- or poorly developed -- hypothesis, speaking to multiple intents in test ad groups, and overlooking device types in testing.