Pay Per Click Advertising – What Is the Best Strategy?
Have you ever Googled "pay per click advertising tips"? You’ll get about 2 million hits. Like most Web users, you won’t get past the first two pages of listings, but among the first ten hits alone you’ll find titles like: 6 tips for quick results from PPC ads, 18 tips for writing better ads, 5 critical tips, and 31 tips for using your PPC efforts wisely.
Even if you make allowances for duplication on those lists, there’s still an awful lot of advice out there. How can you possibly make sense of it all? To get started, distill all this advice down to the basics. Once you have some knowledge of these general concepts, you can carry out more research to fill in any blanks.
The "Basics" of PPC
Before starting, draw up a budget. Know how much you can spend and use your money wisely by following some of the advice below.
As with any Internet marketing effort, keywords are critical to your success. This is fairly obvious, but it bears repeating. Many businesses – especially do–it–yourself types – do not do sufficient keyword research. They end up spending a lot on words that are too general to really grab the attention of their target audience, for example, "bakery" instead of "Toronto wedding cakes". These types of highly specific (and geographically clear) keyword phrases are referred to as "long tail" and you need to include them in your PPC strategy.
Content is another key to success. This includes both the ad copy and the page that users land on after clicking your ad. Remember the three C’s:
- clear – the ad and landing page must have a clear message and a clear call to action
- compelling – use visual cues, like capital letters, and emotion to compel readers to click your ad
- correct – make sure there are no errors in your copy; make sure there are keywords in your copy; and ensure the landing page text relates directly to the ad
The Importance of Testing and Evaluation
Testing and evaluation are also important. You are not likely to find the winning combination of keywords and ad text on your first foray into pay per click advertising. Try different terms and ad copy and test what works best. There are a number of tools available for gauging the success of your ads. Evaluation tools can tell you which keywords are working and tell you how much keywords are really costing you. If you aren’t sure what or where these tools are, you may want to consider a PPC workshop or training course.
Know when enough is enough. This point is especially relevant to small businesses with limited advertising budgets. When the costs get too high, don’t be afraid to cut back. Sometimes coming in second or third or even lower in the paid listings is okay. And remember to think of PPC as a temporary strategy – it can get you some traffic quickly but unless you have very deep pockets, it can cost a lot over the long term.
When In Doubt, Ask for Help
Pay per click advertising is a complex game. Learning how to research keywords and evaluate their performance, how to manage bids, and how to apply enough finesse to craft an eye–catching but accurate ad takes a lot of time. Professional consultants are available to assist you, either through one–to–one sessions or in a workshop setting.
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