Pay per click (PPC) advertising has been among the most preferred means of business owners to boost their online exposure and to generate leads that would eventually lead to increased conversions or sales. While there have been reports on how it can be dangerous for businesses when not managed properly, it has also proven to do lots of wonders if used properly. After all, people are more likely to see PPC ads as compared to other kinds of online advertising.
But of course, to be able to make it work for your business, you have to really invest. Since you have to shell out cash to make it work for you, you also must know the steps on how to come up with a winning PPC marketing strategy and make the most of your expenditure.
1. Track conversions.
Before you do anything or spend money for you PPC campaign, you have to be aware of people’s behavior first. This is why you have to track conversions. Here, conversions means any moment a person visits your website and makes a certain action. Take note, it does not have to be a closed sale. It can be anything between completing an inquiry form to actually purchasing something.
Tracking conversions can be really easy through the help of conversion trackers. You may also do this through the help of Google Analytics. If you cannot do any of these for some reason, then you can try something really basic—everyday, track your conversions and keep records of them using a spreadsheet.
These conversions are important because they will serve as markers and eventually bases when the time has come for you to gauge whether your PPC has worked for your business or not. Has it increased? What has changed, so far? You can answer these questions and more only if you keep track of these conversations.
2. Identify the best keywords for you and bid the right way.
PPC advertising also involves keywords. You have to identify certain keywords which, when searched by people using the search engine, would make your PPC ads visible. This is a crucial part of establishing a winning PPC marketing strategy because your keyword can either make or break it for you.
For example, some business owners will settle for certain keywords that are too general such as “cakes.” The issue with vague keywords is that many people may also be thinking about them. So, in order to appear on the results page after an inquiry on the keyword “cakes” has been made, you have to win the auction. Meaning to say, you might have to bid really high.
And even if you do this, you cannot be sure whether you are going to have profit at the end of the day. Keywords that are too general cannot guarantee results. When a person looks for “cakes” for instance, you cannot be sure about whatever kind of cake he is really looking for. And since it is very general, the probability of him going elsewhere is also high.
But, what if you have specific keywords like “wedding cakes”? Since it is more specific, there is this high chance that competition is lower for this specific keyword. Meaning to say, lower investment in terms of CPC. And the good news is that it might deliver better results since the query that will be made using that keyword is more specific. Of course, when a person enters “wedding cakes,” he is most probably more certain about what he is really looking for. He might even be a sure buyer that’s why his keyword is exact.
Also, before you actually shell out money for your PPC campaign, do a simple math and take into account the maximum amount that you are willing to invest.
3. Make a killer ad copy.
After concerns about keywords and proper bidding strategies comes the dilemma about the ad copy. Of course, you do not just have to worry about how you can get exposed; you also have to think about how you can make them click on the ads you are going to use and eventually take time to read them and respond to your call to action.
A killer ad copy is the answer to this. A killer copy is something that would not just make people click on it, wanting for more; it is something that has the capability to translate a PPC ad into an action.
Of course, your ad copy should contain attractive descriptions that promise to give your visitors whatever they need. It should also look as legit as possible, which means that it should possess the characteristics of a good text—grammatically correct, clear and coherent, and suitable for the audience. Otherwise, who would dare to click it? You would not want to click on a suspicious ad, would you?
4. Create a high-performing landing page.
So your visitor has just clicked on your killer ad. Now, he is being redirected to your landing page. How is it, by the way? Is it worth the click in the first place?
Remember: PPC advertising is not just about getting enough exposure and making people click on your ads. It’s also about delivering the promises you put on your ads. This is the reason why you should not forget about your landing page while you obsessively think about your ads. After all, you have to make sure that your visitors will be happy and satisfied even as they get redirected to your own website.
Does your landing page look legit enough to be trusted? Does it look professional? Does it give your visitor an epic user experience? How about the content—are they crafted carefully and with authority? There are a lot more concerns, actually. That is why it is also advisable to invest in your business pages early on and ensure that you can flaunt them when you launch your PPC campaign. Also, do not forget to include a call to action and therefore make your readers act accordingly to be able to translate their visit into an action or conversions.
5. Keep an eye on things.
Just because you are able to launch your PPC campaign does not mean you can already leave them there forever, without even getting back to them from time to time. Like any other matter in this world, you can never be sure of them because they are also subject to so many changes. Even if you are already certain about their keywords, no matter how good you are as a marketer, still, you cannot be sure of anything.
This is something you have to keep in mind, most especially about the fact that your competitors may be investing a lot, too. And they can get ahead of you once you commit a mistake—no matter how simple it may seem. So learn how to maintain your PPC campaign to avoid overspending get the best bang out of your advertising buck.
6. Try remarketing.
Of course, not all clicks are translated into sales. There are a million possible reasons why a visitor can simply click on that red “x” on the corner of the window. No matter what these reasons are, you have to do something instead of just whining about it. And here is the good news: you can still do something. It is not the end of the world, thanks to the so-called remarketing.
Like what the term implies, re-marketing involves a “repeat” of something. In this case, it is a means of repeating the exposure to remind the visitor about your page he just abandoned.
For example, you have a PPC advertisement of smartphones. You are successful at bidding so you get the right kind of exposure needed for your ad to get noticed. And since your ad is good enough, it was able to capture the attention of a viewer who has searched “affordable mobile phones.” So, the person clicked on the ad and is soon redirected to your online store. She is interested. But, for some reason, the visitor changes his mind and closes the window.
Even if this does not push through, you still have hope. Through remarketing, you can set your page to leave cookies in the computer of the visitor and through the cookies, you can retarget the person by showing relevant ads, therefore reminding him of the transaction he could have made but did not push.
It is effective since there are really times when people just need ample enough of time to think before they actually make a purchase. So, to stop themselves from making hasty decisions and buying compulsively online, they try to be objective, close the window, and think whether they really need or want it. Then, when you remarket to them, there is already the chance that they are already decided to buy your product after thinking about it.
PPC advertising seems really promising and unlike other means, it offers more immediate and therefore faster results. But of course, it isn’t just about clicks. There are a lot more things you have to consider once you decide to try it. Just be cautious and take smart decisions. Take these 6 easy steps to a winning PPC marketing strategy.