The document discusses using forensic techniques to investigate drops in website traffic or conversions. It outlines steps like collecting initial evidence from landing pages and search results, processing data from reports on page load times, ad-keyword matching, and search queries, and then designing tests to isolate suspected factors and identify the "killer" responsible for reduced performance. The goal is to solve the "crime" and identify causes like broken pages, poor ad quality, or changes in bidding that hurt rankings.

1. Leaky Funnel Forensics
Robert Brady
Trafficado.com
@robert_brady #convcon

2. About Me
• Managing PPC accounts since 2005
• Google AdWords Certified Partner
• Microsoft adExcellence Member
• MarketingExperiments certified in LPO and
Online Testing
• Director of PPC & Conversion at Trafficado
@robert_brady #convcon

3. CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation
• 12 seasons
• 2 spinoffs
• 28 Emmy nominations
• Typical episode format
– Discovery of crime
– Initial evidence collection
– Evidence processing
– Resolution of crime
(whodunnit)
@robert_brady #convcon

4. Discovery of Crime
@robert_brady #convcon

5. Discovery of Crime
• Something killed traffic
@robert_brady #convcon

6. Discovery of Crime
@robert_brady #convcon

7. Discovery of Crime
• Something killed conversions
@robert_brady #convcon

8. Evidence Collection
• Start at the crime scene
– Is the landing page broken?
• Run a start-to-finish test conversion on a Chrome
Incognito browser
• Call your own phone number
• Is the CTA clear?
• Are there multiple CTAs on the page?
• Check page load time
@robert_brady #convcon

9. Evidence Collection
• Broaden your suspect list
– Message match
• Keyword -> Ad Copy -> Landing Page
– Run clean searches on top keywords
• Take screenshots
– Run reports on average position
– Run placement reports
– Run search query reports
@robert_brady #convcon

10. Evidence Processing
• Page Load Time
– How long before
you lose
someone?
http://blog.kissmetrics.com/loading-time/
@robert_brady #convcon

11. Evidence Processing
• Message Match
– Keyword
– Ad Copy
– Landing Page
@robert_brady #convcon

12. Evidence Processing
Search Query
- “tamper evident labels”
Ad in position #3 (top
placement)
- No mention of UPS
- “Free Shipping” in header,
but not clickable.
- Tons of competing CTAs
@robert_brady #convcon

13. Evidence Processing
Search Query
- “property tags”
Ad in position #5 (right side, 2nd
down)
- “Call for a FREE sample”
doesn’t stand out
- Phone number isn’t nearby
- Lots of competing CTAs
@robert_brady #convcon

14. Evidence Processing
Search Query
- “seo tools”
Ad in position #1 (top
placement)
- “SEO tools” in ad copy &
landing page title
- 30 Day Free Trial is
prominently featured
- Single, focused CTA
@robert_brady #convcon

15. Evidence Processing
• Average position report
– Are there new competitors?
– Have current competitors changed their
bidding/position strategy?
@robert_brady #convcon

16. Evidence Processing
• SERPs
– How is personalization affecting the SERP?
– How is geography affecting the SERP?
– How is time of day affecting the SERP?
– Are you being pushed out by “other” stuff?
@robert_brady #convcon

17. Evidence Processing
Paid results
Maps results
Organic result
Paid results
Maps results
@robert_brady #convcon

18. Evidence Processing
Paid results
Maps results
Related searches
Organic result Paid results
Maps results
@robert_brady #convcon

19. Evidence Processing
Paid results
Organic results
Paid results
News results
Organic results
@robert_brady #convcon

20. Evidence Processing
• Search Query Reports
– Has the vernacular changed? Did your keywords
get associated with something unrelated?
• “King James”
@robert_brady #convcon

21. Evidence Processing
• Placement Reports
– Did your top placements change layouts?
• Redesign
• Google “Top Heavy” update
• Change of ownership
– Are they no longer on the network?
• Managed placement campaigns
@robert_brady #convcon

22. Catch the Killer
• Design a Test
– Isolate the suspected factor
– Run a valid test
– Let the data do the talking
– Render a verdict
@robert_brady #convcon

23. Solve the Crime
• Conversion Killer – Programmers pushed
update live on Friday; dropped analytics code
@robert_brady #convcon

24. Solve the Crime
• Conversion Killer – Automated bidding was
turned off; old default CPC bids were too low
@robert_brady #convcon

25. Case Solved
Robert Brady
Email: robert@trafficado.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/robert_brady
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robertallenbrady
Blog: www.RighteousMarketing.com
@robert_brady #convcon