Even with all the advances in technology, PPC advertising remains one of the most effective and flexible forms of online advertising there is. For those who can afford professional help with their PPC campaigns, it is easy to remain nimble and implement a marketing strategy that keeps ace with an increasingly fickle internet. For those who cannot outsource their PPC needs and do not have much experience advertising online, however, managing them can seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, a few essential tips can keep any PPC advertising panic attacks at bay.
Keywords are the foundation of internet searches and pay per click ads. Choosing the right keywords can make all the difference when it comes to being seen and being clicked. If you are working with analytics and marketing research, your keywords will be informed by a great deal of data. When you are just starting out, however, your keywords will largely be intuitive, and it always pays to do a little homework.
Before you start composing your ads or deciding which keywords to bid on, perform a few online searches for your company and your competitors on a variety of search engines, including the top three, Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Pay close attention not only to the words that you initially search for, but also to others that repeatedly appear in both the organic search results and the paid advertising alongside them. Also, do not ignore related searches that are suggested by these search engines. Remember search engines are designed to deliver the most relevant results based on the most common searches, and their suggestions are grounded in complex algorithms and in depth analysis of users’ behavior. Related searches provide alternate keywords that may not have occurred to you and could prove to be enormously effective advertising copy.
Once you have done some background research, it is time to create the content of your ad. Keep in mind that the technical aspects are just as important as the creative ones. While the specifics of each PPC ad platform may vary slightly, it is safe to use Google’s AdWords as a guide, and the most important thing to remember is that PPC ads contain a limited number of characters. AdWords displays 25 characters for the title, 70 characters for the ad text divided into two separate lines, and 35 characters for the URL. This may vary for some foreign languages due to character width. If you exceed the character space, AdWords will let you know. Since ad sites provide detailed instructions on submitting PPC ads, you should easily be able to craft ones that comply with each of their specific requirements. Before submitting anything, however, it is wise to write drafts in a Word document and use the “Word Count” feature found in the Tools menu to help you whittle your text down. You may be surprised to discover how challenging it can be to conform to a set number of characters.
Writing compelling ads requires specificity. Use vivid, descriptive language that highlights what is unique about your company. This is your chance to tell potential customers the primary things they should know about your business, so emphasize the aspects you value most and think are the most appealing. The main objective is to incite them to click your ad. You can always provide additional details on the landing page. Speaking of the landing page, make sure the URL you include matches what you are advertising. While it is not misleading to deposit them on your home page, they are far more likely to make a purchase and stick around if they are immediately presented with what they were searching for and caused them to click on your ad. Most importantly, remember your PPC ads will appear based upon the keywords you bid on, and those keywords should be included in the text of the corresponding ads.
Once you have developed your initial round of ads, you will be provided with data that will help you identify what works and what does not. While marketing expertise is helpful when it comes to evaluating the performance of your PPC advertising, it is not required. You will be able to divine successful ads and areas for improvement. Since they are so cost effective, it may be tempting to throw as many PPC ads up as you can think of, but do not do this. Start small. It will be far easier to track your ads and the effectiveness of any adjustments you make, if you restrict them to a compact control group. Ineffective PPC ads may not cost you dollars, but it will be a waste of time and energy if you try to do too much, too soon. Once you have been through a few cycles and feel acclimated, branch out gradually. Before you know it, you will be managing a PPC advertising campaign to be proud of and, with your business’s increase profits, you could eventually hand the reins over to an online advertising firm to manage your PPC ads for you!
PPC Advertising Can Seem Like A Daunting Task When You Are Not An Online Advertising Professional, But Some Basic Tips Can Keep Your PPC Panic Attacks At Bay. Learn More at Wpromote.com
Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and may not reflect the views of Webaholic.
Ryan Michael Farrell is a Los Angeles based search engine optimization specialist & works as SEO Analyst at Wpromote.
