The Geography of Paid Search

I am a geographer. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a minute to ask the usual questions:

“Why is a geographer writing a blog post on PPC?”

“How is geography even related to PPC?”

“What are you doing here?!”

Don’t worry, I’m getting there.

I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, and now I am a PPC Analyst at Metric Theory. At first, I had trouble making a connection between the discipline that I studied endlessly and passionately, and the career path that I chose to follow. Today, that connection is as clear as can be.

Here’s some context for you. Geography is the study of the physical world, and how humans interact with it. Peirce F. Lewis (Pennsylvania State University) once said, “Geography is the only subject that asks you to look at the world and make sense of it.” We ask the Big Questions about the world: Where? How? Why? What if?

After four years of studying geography, I learned the following:

1. Geography is this beautiful marriage between holistic, creative problem-solving and technical, data-driven analysis.
2. We are constantly considering scale, focusing in on microscopic details and then zooming out to look at the world as a whole.
3. In geography, we explore how systems consist of an infinite number of moving parts; when there is a change in one part of the system, we see cascading effects throughout.

After two months as a PPC Analyst at Metric Theory, I have learned the following:

1.  PPC is this beautiful marriage between holistic, creative problem-solving and technical, data-driven analysis.

In order to best optimize an account for our clients, we need to focus on both. It is essential that we spend time on creative strategizing to drive impressive results for our client’s paid search efforts and their business as a whole. We also dive deep into Kenshoo, AdWords, Bing Ads, and Google Analytics data; we focus on the nitty-gritty details to make informed decisions around ad copy, keyword selection, and bidding.

2.  We are constantly considering scale, focusing in on microscopic details and then zooming out to look at the world as a whole.

We approach accounts from the top down and bottom up, diagnosing problems and identifying successes at the keyword, ad, ad group, and campaign level.

3.  In PPC, we explore how accounts consist of an infinite number of moving parts; when there is a change in one part of the system, we see cascading effects throughout. 

We are constantly considering the big picture (our clients’ goals) while making any individual decision in the account. It is essential to understand how adjusting bids, creating new ad groups, or executing settings changes will impact overall performance.

“So, Barbara, why is a geographer writing a blog post on PPC?”

A geographer is writing to tell you that, regardless of your academic or professional background, anyone has the potential to have a successful career in paid search with the proper training and mindset. As a geographer, I was trained as a creative strategist, a tenacious problem solver, and an analytical thinker. When I accepted a job with Metric Theory, I had the foundation of a successful PPC Analyst because I had developed the relevant transferable skills through my well-rounded college education.

“How is geography at all related to PPC?”

Geography is related to PPC in its consideration of attention to detail, holistic strategizing, and respect for the nuances of any dynamic system (whether it’s a paid search account or the world!).

“What are you doing here?!”

What am I doing here? Well, I’m a geographer, and I’m starting my career in paid search at Metric Theory.