Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing doesn’t have to be a tool that only big-business dogs can use. Mysterious and complex as it may seem, PPC is an important part of any comprehensive online marketing campaign.
Keep reading for five tips that will maximize and simplify your PPC marketing approach.
1. Don’t default
Creating an AdWord account can be deceptively easy. Learning how to use AdWords effectively, however, is actually quite complex.
Instead of allowing default settings to drive your campaign into a digital dead-end, take the time to make a few important changes. You’ll see a significant impact.
When creating your account, avoid the “Standard” option. Select “All Features” instead, and don’t waste money allowing close variants into your keyword matching. When selecting ad rotation, choose the option to rotate indefinitely; you’ll be checking in on your AdWords regularly anyway, tweaking settings and restarting your clock.
Lastly, if phone calls aren’t your most popular conversion, which they’re unlikely to be, set a mobile bid modifier somewhere around 30%.
2. Consider the negatives
This is a priceless tip. If you haven’t already done so, head to the bottom of your keyword page where you’ll find the Negative Keywords option. Select it, and you’ll be taken to a page with an empty field.
In this field you can place any modifying words. For example, if your company specializes in handmade cupcakes and you use that phrase as a keyword, you can put “recipe” into the negative keywords interface, so that someone searching for a “handmade cupcakes recipe” won’t see your ad.
3. Keep it simple
Too often, small businesses overload on keywords. Instead of weighing down each ad group, design specifically honed clusters of 20-25 keywords that target relevant ad copy, and don’t spread match types around.
4. Discover remarketing
If you’ve ever been browsing and noticed a specific ad has been shadowing you like a secret admirer, then you’ve noticed the effects of remarketing or behavioral retargeting. This particular type of marketing is essential because it targets the largest web demographic around: the 98% of all online traffic that leave a website without conversion.
To set up remarketing through AdWords, first place the remarketing tag on your site. Once you’ve done this you can devise a campaign aimed at your remarketed audience, and only those who have visited your site will see the ads generated by this campaign.
5. Extend your ads
Ad extensions generate larger ads that can vary in content, size, and use, depending on the type. Because they’re larger than the ads that surround them, they naturally draw the eye’s attention, but each type of ad extension also offers certain functional perks.
For example, Social Extensions display the number of social media (Google+) followers, Sitelinks take the user directly to useful pages within your site, and Call Extensions displays a phone number for quick reference.
These options can be used together or individually, based on your clientele and the services you provide.
The takeaway
Fine tuning your PCC campaign is the best way to maximize its usefulness. Instead of letting Google dictate by default, preying on your lack of experience and AdWords expertise, grab the reins. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can improve your small business and master the digital world, check out this site.
Remember, Google would love nothing more than to take steady amounts of cash out of your pocket and give you little or nothing in return, so don’t trust them to run a successful generic marketing campaign on behalf of your company.
Only you can do your business justice.
