What is PPC?

PPC is an abbreviation for pay-per-click and it does exactly that; advertiser’s pay a fee each time an ad is clicked.  This method of internet marketing is a means of buying visits to your website rather than relying on achieving visits organically.   This is not a replacement for effective SEO or social media efforts which are a reliable means of generating traffic however, these are longer-term strategies.  For fast, top ranking search results, PPC is a great way to establish visibility for your business.

Whilst every PPC campaign is different and unique any successful campaign should include the same elements based on extensive keyword research built upon a logical structure with careful ongoing management and review.  PPC management is time consuming; in some companies it warrants a full-time member of staff but even for small businesses, if done correctly, it can considerably grow a business.

One of the most popular forms of PPC is search engine advertising.  As an advertiser, you can bid for ad placement within a search engine’s sponsored links so you become visible when someone searches a keyword relating to your business offering.  Whenever your ad is clicked directing a visitor to your company website or landing page you are eligible to pay the search engine a fee.  This is usually a nominal amount in comparison to the value it will bring to your business.  It is also important to note that it is possible to save money simply by ensuring your ads are well researched and that they convert well; in fact search engines actually reward advertisers who practice good PPC by charging them less for clicks.  Therefore, it not only pays to do PPC, but it pays to do it right.  If you feel unable to undertake a campaign, talk to a specialist who can help run the campaign for you which may save money in the long run and bring better results.

Google Adwords & PPC

Unsurprisingly Google’s AdWords is the most popular for PPC advertising.  Google’s search engine conducts on average, 40,000 search queries every second or 3.5 billion searches a day making it particularly appealing to advertisers looking to connect to their audience.

In this environment, users bid on keywords and then ‘pay-per-click.’  Whenever a search is conducted on Google they will review their database of Adwords advertisers and award the ad space based on factors including keyword quality and relevance and the total size of the keyword bids.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the ad that is chosen to appear is also affected by the advertiser’s Ad Rank which is calculated by both CPC Bid and Quality Score.  Your CPC Bid is the highest amount you are prepared to spend to secure a particular keyword while your score is determined by your click-through rate, the quality of your landing page etc. The beauty of this kind of advertising is that advertisers can determine a cost to fit their budget, moreover if your brand is distinguished by unusual keywords there may be less competition for them and your bid price can be set lower.  In a nutshell, this system works like an auction and like any auction you have to know how to work the system.

So now you know what it is and how it works, how do you make it work for you?

Ad Copy & Testing

Any campaign has to contain multiple ads in order to cover specific keywords and search queries and maximise opportunities that your ad gets exposure.  Remember, the ad must appeal to the user-they will only click if it is relevant or interesting to them.

Multiple ads also serve as a useful test so you can identify what is driving traffic to your site and what isn’t.   Trying out 2-3 ads to start with in rotation for each ad group and keyword themes means you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  It is really interesting to examine how even slight copy changes can have a massive impact on your ad success.  Remember, this is learning process so use the intelligence you gather to improve your ongoing campaigns and success.

Call to Action

This may seem obvious but a strong call to action really does make all the difference and helps to generate more clicks and visits to your website which is the ultimate goal.  Don’t forget the importance of phrases like ‘find out more’ or ‘click to register’ to improve your click through rate.

Targeting

It is also important to implement tools like geographical target settings to help ensure your ads appear in front of your intended audience.  This is one of the easiest ways for a campaign to fail.  Your ad copy may be good but if it’s aimed at the wrong audience your campaign budget and effort will be for nothing.

Leading Landing Pages

Getting someone to click your ad is the first hurdle but that is for nothing if where you send them isn’t optimised for your audience.  Before you begin a PPC campaign review your landing page from the perspective of your customer.  Is it easy to navigate, is the messaging clear, does it answer the query that led the visitor to the page?

Don’t forget mobile!

Since the majority of online traffic is now viewed on a smartphone or tablet device it’s important to factor in and set up effective mobile ads as a priority for any PPC campaign.  Include mobile friendly ads that use ad and call extensions.  As always, the call to action like ‘call today’ with the call extension can help connect you with potential customers immediately.

The beauty of paid search is that you can easily monitor and evaluate the amount of traffic to your site but as mentioned earlier make sure your landing pages are optimised to convert that traffic that visits.

So, in summary, remember the following:

• Add PPC Keywords
• Add negative keywords
• Split ad groups
• Review costly PPC keywords and optimise your ongoing campaign
• Refine landing pages
• Ensure your ads are mobile and desktop friendly

Finally, practice makes perfect but if in doubt consider consulting an expert to run the campaign for you.