A data analyst?

You're kidding me!

That’s exactly what I heard after a recent chat about a failed PPC campaign. It was a classic case of  “What's a data analyst?; we can figure this out on our own. We'll just go back to the agency and ask them."

Fast forward a few weeks, and the results were disastrous.
The company, eager to drive quick results, launched a high-budget PPC campaign. They chose keywords they thought would convert, created a few basic ads, set a decent daily budget, and … fingers crossed. Enough, right?

Well, not quite.
As the weeks went by, red flags started popping up. Traffic wasn’t converting. The bounce rate was through the roof. Their budget was draining faster than a toilet on the Indian Pacific, and worst of all, no one knew why.

Poor Keyword Strategy: They didn’t dig deep into data. The chosen keywords were either too broad or irrelevant (…and they didn’t talk to the sales team!), resulting in poor click-through rates and wasted ad spend.

No Audience Segmentation: They blasted ads to everyone and anyone, failing to target their ideal customer. This led to low-quality traffic that had no interest in their product or service. (..and they didn’t talk to the sales team!)

Blind Optimisation: Performance Max – set and forget 101. Without regular analysis, the agency didn’t have insights into which ads were working or failing. That missing question reared its ugly head again “Why?”  AI unfortunately led this campaign down its own merry path (and it wasn’t yellow!).

Here's where a data analyst could have saved the day:

Had a data analyst been involved from the beginning, this story could have had a very different ending.

Here’s how:

Data-Driven Keyword Selection: Instead of guessing, a data analyst could have conducted thorough research to identify high-performing keywords with strong conversion potential (and spoken to the sales team 😉 )

Audience Targeting & Segmentation: Using data insights, the analyst could have defined specific audience segments and created tailored ads for each, ensuring the right message reached the right people.

Continuous Monitoring and Optimisation: An analyst would have kept a close eye on campaign performance, using data to make informed decisions. They’d know when to adjust bids, pause underperforming ads, or allocate more budget to high-converting segments.

Improved ROI: With proper data analysis, the company could have optimised every aspect of the campaign, resulting in higher conversion rates, better customer acquisition, and a far better return on investment. (..and had a beer with the sales team 😊 )

PPC campaigns can be powerful when done right, but running them blindly is a recipe for disaster. Data isn’t just a tool—it’s the backbone of successful campaigns. So next time you hear someone say, “A data analyst? You’re kidding me!”—think again. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money, and headaches by showing an analyst... the numbers!