How to turn a profit from your PPC campaigns

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2 INTRODUCTION How to turn a profit from your PPC campaigns Whether you re thinking about starting a PPC campaign for your business or have been implementing PPC for a while and have yet to see results, then the contents of this ebook will be of interest to you. A marked improvement in your PPC marketing results is determined by a number of factors that we will discuss within the confines of this mini ebook. We will also show you what the necessary steps are to launch a successful AdWords campaign. One useful tip to bear in mind as you read is that there is no cookie-cutter method that will apply to every business type. It takes time and dedication to fine-tune a campaign that will provide you with the results you seek. The following 10 tips, however, will help ensure that the success of your paid search campaign starts off with its best foot forward providing a great chance at an optimum return on your investment.

3 INDEX Comprehensive keyword research Do not set too many broad match keywords Include negative keywords Use long tail keywords Ad copy must be clear and compelling Landing pages must match relevant Ad Quality scores matter Test! Test! Test! Take advantage of Ad tracking Keep an eye on your website s uptime

4 KEYWORD RESEARCH Keywords are the fundamental building blocks around which all digital content is built including Pay Per Click campaigns. One reason why a website may not be visible on search engines or an ad not effective enough could be that there is not enough attention paid to the relevant keywords appropriate to your business niche used. In PPC campaigns, concepts such as broad match, negative keywords and long tail keywords are key influencers that contribute to a successful campaign. The first place to begin is with research research keywords used by your competitors, your customers, your suppliers and all other relevant key players in your industry. The insight is worth its weight in gold as you can identify most searched for keywords or how much your competitors have bid on popular keywords. At RCS Websites we offer a free Adwords audit with keyword research, suggest the budget and minimum budget requirements for your business niche. DO NOT SET TOO MANY BROAD MATCH KEYWORDS One of the most expensive mistakes you can make is to set all the keywords in your PPC ads to broad match. This means your ads will appear when searchers use similar words or word variations of your keywords. Sounds like something you want, doesn t it? The downside to this is that you will see an increase in clicks but a large part of this would be

5 irrelevant traffic. Remember, you pay for every click your ad receives. Yes, broad match keywords expose your ads to a wider audience, but the risk is that there will be no conversions generated from this wrong audience impacting your ad spend budget. In the end, you re paying for unwanted clicks. The more specific the keywords used, the better your ROI on your PPC will be. INCLUDE NEGATIVE KEYWORDS One method with which to make ad keywords more specific is to designate negative keywords. Negative keywords help to eliminate irrelevant clicks (people clicking on your ad even though your product or service is not what they are looking for) and save you money on your ad spend budget. This clever way to filter out unwanted clicks is surprisingly under-utilized. Including a list of negative keywords to your ads ensures that your ad is not displayed on those searches that include your chosen negative keywords. For example, if you only sell new vehicles then include the word used or pre-owned in your negative keyword list, and your ad won t come up in searches that have these words in them your targeted traffic is from people looking for new vehicles only.

6 USE LONG TAIL KEYWORDS Hotly contested popular keywords that hug top spots can come with a hefty price tag that can break a modest ad spend budget. A recent survey saw some of the most expensive keyword bids in Australia range from $ for carpet flood damage Melbourne to $ for the best mobile trading app. Yes, that is per click. A smart way to get around paying exorbitant prices like these is by getting creative with ad keywords. Long tail keywords are specific-focused keyword choices. More often than not buyers use phrases of 3 or more words when searching for a product to narrow down their search. The more detailed the keyword, the better. For example, someone looking for a wristwatch could enter "vintage watches" for men or "ladies quartz watch with diamonds". Because long tail keywords are specific to what the buyer is looking for, conversion is that much more likely. You will find that these keywords are less competed for which means they will cost less too. To improve your page score, these long tail keyword should link to a dedicated product page on your website with the same title on the page as the keyword. For example, if someone searches for Finger Food Catering then the landing page in your ad should also link to a page on your website with the title Finger Food Catering. This strategy keeps the search term relevant to the page and Google likes this, ads can be cheaper to run, and users are more likely to convert into a lead or sale. More on this at point 6.

7 AD COPY MUST BE CLEAR AND COMPELLING The ROI of PPC campaigns draws a direct relation to the content of your ad. Searchers want a clear message that draws their interest in and one that they can understand easily. Since ad copy needs to be brief and enticing, you have to find the minimum amount of words that convey your message accurately with maximum effect. Ad titles and body should highlight a special offer or the unique selling point you re offering and describe it. Enticing use of Calls-to-Action are clever ways to reel in a potential buyer once you ve caught their interest. Who can resist the free download or hurry now to avoid disappointment? As an example ad could look like this: Finger Food Catering - Free Tasting (take away risk with a free tasting) Central Coast (add your business location if you can) popular finger food catering menu (include target keyword if you can) Get a free quote. Call today (Ask them to take action) LANDING PAGES MUST MATCH RELEVANT AD If you thought that all there was to a PPC campaign was to create relevant ads targeting specific keywords, then know this: it is only half the job done.

8 Where do your potential customers go once they click on your ad? No, not your homepage. This would only frustrate a searcher. You need to encourage a conversion by directing them to a landing page populated with information that matches the ad that caught their interest. Related landing pages with intriguing content should continue from where the ad ends. Irrelevant landing pages upset the sales process and unsettle your prospective buyer. Search engines also punish you with lower ad quality scores which result in a decrease in exposure and more expensive clicks. QUALITY SCORES MATTER With Google Adwords in particular, relevant quality ad copy matters. High-quality score ads calculated on each keyword used mean that you will pay less per click while the reverse also holds true. A high-quality score and you can pay as much as 50% less with a low score costing you an eyebrow raising 400% percent more. The higher the quality score, the more exposure your ads will generate by being placed in desirable positions. Quality score criteria that measure ad relevancy to a searcher s query include: specificity of keywords and consistency of keywords in title, keyword groups and landing page.

9 TEST! TEST! TEST! Testing each version of your ad copy will help you determine which ones are producing top results. Split testing running two or more ads concurrently - is the most effective method of doing this. Most PPC platforms accommodate split testing where you can alternate different ads using targeted keywords. Ads that are not performing as desired are as close to as throwing money down the drain as you ll get. Either make changes to poor performing ads or discard them completely and create new ones. Ensure the effectiveness of testing by making sure that ads are tested randomly instead of the platform s default formula. At RCS Website we like to make four ads for each target ad group and edit the two ads each week that are not performing as well as the other two. Over time you will have great ads that all convert. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AD TRACKING Alongside testing the effectiveness of ad copy, using ad tracking tools is another highly beneficial tool to monitor what behaviour your ad generates in a prospective customer. What does a searcher do once he or she clicks on your ad? This analysis will direct you to those weak areas of your PPC campaign. A high click through rate (CTR) and high bounce rate indicate that searchers find the ad copy appealing but are not finding the content of your landing page useful or relevant.

10 This information allows you to make adjustments to the relevant landing page. A low CTR and bounce rate requires you to re-examine all the elements of your PPC campaign. Are you generating interest from desired traffic or irrelevant clicks? Keywords that are not resulting in conversions should be removed and replaced. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR WEBSITE S UPTIME This is not on your usual list of tips for a successful PPC campaign but an important one nonetheless for successful digital marketing. One of the biggest frustrations of a searcher is to click on an ad only to be directed to a 404 error page instead of the page they are looking for, a likely event if your website experiences downtime or you have made a domain change and not redirect old URLs correctly. You ve just paid for that click that will not be converting into a sale. Website downtime can ruin a PPC campaign and your ROI. One way to ensure your website is always up and running is to find a website uptime monitoring service that notifies you when your website is down. Also, check all the links on your site are working and test your ad copy often to make sure the page is working correctly on your website.

11 CONCLUSION The dangle of the carrot that is PPC can be as dazzling as it can be disconcerting to a business owner. The labour-intensive nature of PPC advertising puts a heavy burden on businesses who don t have enough hours in the day to research, create, test, track and adapt necessary actions that are part of a successful PPC campaign. At RCS Websites we have the required experience and necessary proficiencies to assist businesses in strategizing, implementing and monitoring paid search campaigns. We offer free Adword audits. Get in touch for details or visit or PPC Management page for more details -