Pay Per Click advertising is effective but you must use it the right way if you want real results. The types of high quality leads that people report from their PPC campaigns only come because they’ve done a lot more than pay for cheap clicks.
Fortunately all it takes is an hour or two (maybe even less) to improve your PPC campaigns and maximize returns.
Add negative keywords to your campaigns
Rule out unwanted guests or “clicks” on your ads by adding negative keywords. For instance for searches which include keywords like “cheap” or “free” you can have your ad blocked out because these people will not be interested in your expensive product. Negative keywords in effect will ensure that you get targeted leads, reduce the cost of your PPC campaign and boost your return on investment.
Limit the amount of ads running to two at any one time
The most effective PPC campaigns involve some measure of split testing. You can do this by running two ads at a time to see which one performs best. Tweak one variable at a time to see how the ad performs and once you’ve identified the best performing ad cancel the other one. Continue testing and tweaking until you have the winning formula.
Use your keywords in the ad headline
This is where keyword research comes in. Make sure that your keyword research is thorough before you set up your campaigns and use Precise Match and Exact Match terms when building your ads. Create a separate campaign for each keyword since it will lower your costs, increase your click through and help your rate of conversion.
Speak directly to your reader
Use the word “you” in your ads to speak directly to the reader and make your ad more effective. People generally have a “what’s in it for me?” attitude when it comes to marketing and you need to play up to this quality in your ads. So forget about your great company and what you can do and make it all about the customer.
Think Keyword, Benefit, Offer
That is the formula for successful ads. Keywords go on the first line so that your ad targets the right audience. The benefit that you offer should be used on the second line and the offer goes on the third and final line.
The benefit tells them what’s in it for them while the offer gives them a reason to click your ad.
Specify your ad location
With Google Adwords you get to specify where you want your ads displayed. You can choose Google search results, Google search network partners or Google content network. Stay away from the content network if you’re not a PPC expert because you’ll end up paying more than you bargained and get very little conversions for your money.
Never bid for first place straight away
First place is always more expensive but more than that the rate of conversion for first place ads is never as good as expected. Don’t bid for first place since you’ll wind up with a lot of clicks and almost no conversions.
Use any of these tips to improve the effectiveness of your PPC campaign and share your number one tip for maximizing PPC marketing below.
Edwin is an online marketer and writer currently working at 9th sphere - An award winning company specializing in online marketing and web design in Toronto. Edwin has a passion for helping businesses succeed.
