Online advertising is an essential part of many businesses’ marketing strategies. But many digital marketers are still unfamiliar with or intimidated by the pay-per-click (PPC) concept. And they’re missing out.
PPC is a cost-effective strategy that helps businesses gain quality leads, drive site traffic, and generate revenue. The best part is PPC campaigns are easy to execute. But like any form of online advertising, they require careful planning.
Here are some elements of a successful PPC campaign to help you get the most out of your advertisements.
Well-Researched Keywords
The success of any PPC campaign heavily depends on keywords. Search engines can’t expose your ads to the right audience without them. Researching and selecting the best keywords for your business will help your PPC efforts earn the most views, click-throughs, and conversions. In addition, you’ll get a higher quality score and lower ad costs if your PPC campaigns perform well.
If you don’t know which keywords to use, you can do some snooping and see which ones your competitors use. You can also put yourself in your customers’ shoes and consider which keywords they would use to look for your products or services. In addition, you can take advantage of countless tools to identify the most relevant keywords in your industry. For example, Google’s Keyword Planner can help you find new keywords, learn how often people use them, and set your advertising budget.
Remember to be as specific as possible with your keywords, avoiding any vague terms. If possible, use local keywords to optimize your campaigns. Lastly, set up negative keywords to filter out unwanted clicks. They let Google and other search engines know which searches not to show you in.
Attention-Grabbing Ad Copies
Aside from keywords, the words in your ads play a significant role in your PPC campaigns’ performance. You only have a little space to work with, so every word matters. Keep your copies short and impactful to catch users’ attention immediately. If you struggle with copywriting, there are various techniques you can use to create compelling ads.
One way to get people to click on your ad is by highlighting the benefits of your products or services. Will it help them save money, lead a healthier lifestyle, or simplify a tedious task? Another strategy is to appeal to their hearts. Shoppers tend to trust their emotions over logic, so tell them how your products or services will make them feel. Lastly, include a deadline. People don’t like losing out, so stating a deadline will push them to take the next step. An easy way to do this is by including a countdown timer in your ad.
Clear Target Audience
You can only identify high-quality keywords and write persuasive ad copies when you have a clear target audience. Creating buyer personas can help you understand who you’re targeting with your PPC campaigns. These are well-researched and detailed descriptions of people who represent your target audience. Assign them names, demographics, behavioral traits, and interests. In addition, identify their purchasing patterns and pain points.
Next, apply these details to your chosen PPC platform. They all provide target audience customization to some degree. For example, Google Ads lets you modify your target audience’s interests, location, the terms they search for, and what apps they use. You can even assign custom intents and affinities to narrow down your audience.
Well-Designed Landing Pages
One of the worst things you can do for your PPC campaign is to lead customers to an irrelevant web page. That will confuse them and make your brand seem less trustworthy. Instead, use your PPC ads to direct people to an appropriate landing page. You can use an existing web page or a create a new one. Either way, it should be true to your ad and helpful to potential customers.
For example, if your ad promotes swimming lessons, the corresponding landing page should provide pertinent details. Google and other search engines will recognize this as an “intent match,” and they’ll see you as a reliable source of information.
Set Your PPC Campaigns Up for Success
There are various ways to ensure the success of your PPC campaigns. To get help from professionals, contact Transformation Marketing at 402-788-2896.