7 Reasons Why Managing a PPC Campaign Is Like Playing Oregon Trail

Many of the lessons we learn in childhood stay with us into adulthood, enriching our lives and providing much needed guidance. Sometimes Oregon Trail was the game you played primarily to shoot rabbits instead of learning about America’s pioneers; but other times it instilled important reminders that still ring true today, especially in managing PPC campaigns.

1. You Can’t Always Caulk the Wagon and Float - PPC requires constant maintenance, and sometimes that means rolling up your sleeves, getting messy, and forging the river. Just floating along can result in a water-logged PPC campaign, in which you lose 2lbs of flour, two wagon axels, and Quality Score.

2. Know When to Pause and Rest for (3) Days - Sure, you want to get out of those Colorado hills before snowfall, but if a team member has a snakebite or moral is down, you should take a rest. Similarly, it’s important to recognize when to pause poorly performing keywords. Having the wrong keywords in your AdWords account wastes your money and might even cause your campaign to croak.

3. Don’t Hunt All the Buffalo - My 2nd grade class had a bad habit of hunting down as many buffalo as they could find in the first 5 minutes of the game, obliterating the herds and resulting in starvation later. Instead, you need to ration your hunting, just as you would ration funds in your AdWords account. If AdWords costs aren’t controlled, they can quickly eat up your funds, and then the game’s over. Using negative keywords and implementing long-tail keywords instead of broad phrases can help control costs, making sure you have enough sustenance to reach your destination.

4. Get Help - Every now and then in Oregon Trail, some Native Americans offer to tow you across the river for a price. You could brave the river on your own, but you might be better off with a guide. PPC can be just as a challenging as the rushing rapids of the Columbia River. Some marketers will be much better off with PPC software or services to aid them in their advertising adventure. 

5. Don’t Die of Dysentery - Dying is the ultimate disaster of Oregon Trail, with dysentery being an especially cruel ending. The solution to avoiding sickly PPC campaigns? Regular check-ups of course! WordStream offers a free AdWords Performance Grader that serves as your own personal PPC audit, pointing out the parts of your campaign that could use some healing medicine.

6. Visit Trading Posts to Ask Locals for Advice - On your journey west, be sure to stop at trading posts and talk to the surly locals. There are numerous blogs across the web covering all sorts of PPC tips and learning resources. Experts are often more than happy to dispense advice for the eager learner, so take advantage of their knowledge and expertise.

7. The Path to Oregon is Long and Hard - PPC is not quick and easy, it requires real work and commitment. But if you put in the time and effort, you’ll make it to Oregon, the land of golden ROI. It should be noted that this post primarily refers to actions available in Oregon Trail II, my trail-blazing adventure game of choice. Hopefully this doesn’t offend any players dedicated to the original.

About the guest author: Megan Marrs is a blogger and copywriter at WordStream, a provider of PPC software and keyword software for discovering and organizing keywords for SEO and PPC. She is an avid videogame enthusiast, but has never actually been to Oregon.