3 Tips For Running An Effective PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Campaign: Strategies For
Online Marketing Success
By Chris Malta & Robin Cowie
Pay-per-click campaigns can be
incredibly effective traffic generators.
Although achieving PPC search
engine rankings is more difficult
and competitive than when it began, the number of online users that employ search
engines has grown substantially, so there is a significantly larger audience to be
reached.
Many eCommerce entrepreneurs have employed pay-per-click ads and lost serious
money simply because they didn't understand what they were doing. According to
Internet marketing strategist Catherine Seda, of DriveTraffic Today.com, you can
avoid blowing your budget by following some general guidelines in your PPC
campaign:
• Chase the Tail
Stay away from broad keyword phrases, and even single keywords. Cautions Seda,
"They're too wide-ranging to hit a targeted audience, and you're going to have
significantly more competition bidding." For example, if you sell car insurance,
bidding on the search term "insurance" will pit you against other car insurance
agencies, as well as health insurance, life insurance, home owner's insurance, and the
list goes on.
Dig deeper with your keyword list to find "tail terms" that are made up of low cost,
lower volume words, but that are super-focused. Generally a tail term is made up of
multiple words: like the phrase "free car insurance quote." It might not pull in
massive amounts of traffic, but it's going to convert very well because a user who
types in that phrase is the precise audience you're targeting.
• Read the Fine Print
When you set up your PPC campaign, you're going choose not only your keywords,
but also your estimated budget. Once your bill hits the specified amount, your ads
stop appearing in the search results for the remainder of that budget period. This
allows you to know exactly what your maximum bill will be.
It's very important to be aware that this is normally an estimated daily budget, not
an estimated monthly budget. Don't just race through the set-up, plugging in
numbers without paying attention to what they mean. If $1,000 is your maximum
monthly budget, you want to make sure that you aren't topping out at $1,000 in
clicks each day. Not paying attention is an excellent way to rack up serious charges
that can sink your business in a matter of days or weeks.
• Make It Easy
Don't just dump your visitors on your web site's home page and expect them to do
all the work. If they have to search around your site, you'll likely lose them. If they
found your ad by searching for a particular product, take them directly to the
page that sells that product. If they clicked on your ad promoting one dollar
shipping, make sure the page on which they land highlights the fact that you
provide shipping for one dollar.
It's also important to ensure that the information that caused the user to click on your
ad is above the fold. (In other words, make sure it's immediately visible within the
constraints of the monitor). Don't make users scroll down to the bottom of the page
to find it, because they might not. You want to instantly reiterate the message that
your ad promotes, and reinforce to visitors that they're in the right place.
By implementing good PPC practices, you can help ensure the traffic that you drive
converts well, and that your campaign is profitable. States Seda, "Any E-Biz owner
can benefit from a smart, well-run pay-per-click campaign. Just be careful to keep
your ads and your marketing message focused, and you'll see a big difference in
your bottom line."
About The Authors: Product Sourcing Radio is Created and Hosted by Chris Malta and
Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com, Home of OneSource: The Internet's Largest Source of
Genuine, Factory-Direct Wholesalers for online sellers. Visit WorldwideBrands.com for more
FREE E-Biz & Product Sourcing info!
Online Marketing Success
By Chris Malta & Robin Cowie
Pay-per-click campaigns can be
incredibly effective traffic generators.
Although achieving PPC search
engine rankings is more difficult
and competitive than when it began, the number of online users that employ search
engines has grown substantially, so there is a significantly larger audience to be
reached.
Many eCommerce entrepreneurs have employed pay-per-click ads and lost serious
money simply because they didn't understand what they were doing. According to
Internet marketing strategist Catherine Seda, of DriveTraffic Today.com, you can
avoid blowing your budget by following some general guidelines in your PPC
campaign:
• Chase the Tail
Stay away from broad keyword phrases, and even single keywords. Cautions Seda,
"They're too wide-ranging to hit a targeted audience, and you're going to have
significantly more competition bidding." For example, if you sell car insurance,
bidding on the search term "insurance" will pit you against other car insurance
agencies, as well as health insurance, life insurance, home owner's insurance, and the
list goes on.
Dig deeper with your keyword list to find "tail terms" that are made up of low cost,
lower volume words, but that are super-focused. Generally a tail term is made up of
multiple words: like the phrase "free car insurance quote." It might not pull in
massive amounts of traffic, but it's going to convert very well because a user who
types in that phrase is the precise audience you're targeting.
• Read the Fine Print
When you set up your PPC campaign, you're going choose not only your keywords,
but also your estimated budget. Once your bill hits the specified amount, your ads
stop appearing in the search results for the remainder of that budget period. This
allows you to know exactly what your maximum bill will be.
It's very important to be aware that this is normally an estimated daily budget, not
an estimated monthly budget. Don't just race through the set-up, plugging in
numbers without paying attention to what they mean. If $1,000 is your maximum
monthly budget, you want to make sure that you aren't topping out at $1,000 in
clicks each day. Not paying attention is an excellent way to rack up serious charges
that can sink your business in a matter of days or weeks.
• Make It Easy
Don't just dump your visitors on your web site's home page and expect them to do
all the work. If they have to search around your site, you'll likely lose them. If they
found your ad by searching for a particular product, take them directly to the
page that sells that product. If they clicked on your ad promoting one dollar
shipping, make sure the page on which they land highlights the fact that you
provide shipping for one dollar.
It's also important to ensure that the information that caused the user to click on your
ad is above the fold. (In other words, make sure it's immediately visible within the
constraints of the monitor). Don't make users scroll down to the bottom of the page
to find it, because they might not. You want to instantly reiterate the message that
your ad promotes, and reinforce to visitors that they're in the right place.
By implementing good PPC practices, you can help ensure the traffic that you drive
converts well, and that your campaign is profitable. States Seda, "Any E-Biz owner
can benefit from a smart, well-run pay-per-click campaign. Just be careful to keep
your ads and your marketing message focused, and you'll see a big difference in
your bottom line."
About The Authors: Product Sourcing Radio is Created and Hosted by Chris Malta and
Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com, Home of OneSource: The Internet's Largest Source of
Genuine, Factory-Direct Wholesalers for online sellers. Visit WorldwideBrands.com for more
FREE E-Biz & Product Sourcing info!
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