The Do’s and Don’ts of PPC Marketing

When it comes to online advertising methods, few are as powerful as PPC marketing. No other method allows you to get faster results and attract laser targeted traffic in literally minutes. However, too many people get fooled by the simplicity behind PPC and assume that building a profitable PPC campaign will be equally as simple. But one small mistake could completely ruin your budget and make you doubt the efficiency of PPC altogether. In this article, we’re going to give you some of the do’s and don’ts of launching and managing a successful PPC campaign.

Do Conduct Extensive Keyword Research

There’s no way around this. The foundation of any PPC campaign is solid keyword research. Luckily, there are tons of free and paid tools that you can use to search for good keywords. Google’s AdWords tool is a great one if you’re just getting started, as will get you everything you need to set up a basic campaign.

Don’t Simply Focus on Volume when Picking Keywords

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes people make when they’re just starting with PPC. They start looking at keywords that are way out of their league and have unrealistic expectations. For one, high volume keywords will have more competition. And from bigger players too. Second, high volume keywords might not even be the most targeted, so just because a certain keyword is popular, doesn’t make it particularly effective.

Do Consider Theme and Relevance when Categorizing Your Keywords

When categorizing keywords, you should take things like relevance and general theme into consideration. The more general a keyword is, the more chance it will attract untargeted traffic. Highly targeted keywords with buying intention will always convert better than unfocused keywords. The more targeted the keyword, the better the click-through rate (CTR), which will, in turn, have a positive effect on your quality score and allow you to get better pricing on your ads.

Don’t Go for Generic Keywords

Going for keywords that are just too general and don’t have intention behind them will result in bad conversion and little-targeted traffic. You should try focusing on long tail keywords instead. There are tons of different keyword phrases out there that you can choose from that will get you much better results, so don’t neglect search terms with lower volume.

Do Create Eye-Catching Ads

In addition to your keyword choices, you have to make sure that you know what separates a good ad from a bad one. Try to create excitement with your headlines and incorporate your main keyword as well. Also, learn how to create effective calls to action and how to incorporate them into your ads. A good ad will have a positive effect on your click-through rates and conversions.

Don’t Create the Same Ads for Display and Search

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of new advertisers do with PPC is treating search and display the exact same way. Google’s display network and search advertising target audiences in different ways, so it would be wise to have separate campaigns for both to maximize your efforts. You should create a different campaign for mobile users, so you can optimize your Ad visibility across platforms.

Do Consider Hiring some Help

No matter how much you think you know about PPC, there’s always someone who knows more than you. Working with a PPC management company can help you manage your Cost Per Clicks better, weed out underperforming keywords, create more efficient ads, and manage your PPC budget. This could give you a leg up on your competition. Working with a good company will improve your quality scores as well, which will allow you to save in the long run and spend less on better results.

Don’t Send Your Traffic Exclusively to Your Home Page

While most online business owners would like to see as many people as possible see their main websites and navigate through all their content, you also have to learn how to target the right pages in your ads for better conversion. The best landing pages are the ones that encourage action, either through making a purchase or providing lead information, for instance.

Do Keep an Eye on what the Competition is Doing

You should also be on the lookout for what your competitors might be doing. If you’re in a competitive niche, chances are they’ll do everything in their power to outbid you. It’s up to you to see how much you can actually afford before you become too competitive. Sometimes it’s better to focus on more obscure terms.

Don’t Neglect Negative Keywords

Negative keywords allow you to eliminate keywords that might not be related to your niche. These keywords might increase impressions from uninterested searchers. The more impressions without clicks you get, the lower the quality score will be. So, make sure that you pay special attention to keywords and know which ones to exclude. A PPC management team can also help you identify negative keywords.

Do Split Test and Track Your Ads

You should be using as many landing page/ad variations as possible and see which ones are performing the best in terms of conversions and click-throughs. Fine-tuning your campaign will allow you to increase your ROI, attract more visitors, and ensure that you retain these visitors once they get to your website as well.

You may think that your landing page looks great and will be a winner, but if you notice that your clients are bouncing back almost instantly, then you’ll know you need to make some changes. You should focus as much time on your landing pages as you do your ads since this is where conversions happen. So, try to split test as many different pages as possible and fine-tune them until you find the one that’s most reactive.

Conclusion

PPC marketing, when done right, can be the sharpest tool in any online marketer’s arsenal. So, make sure that you follow these few tips and spend as much time learning how you can improve the efficiency of your PPC campaigns as possible.