The Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing strategy is one used to drive traffic to websites and can be very successful in doing so. The complexities of this model, however, can deter many from utilizing it to its fullest capabilities. If you’re unsure about the ins and outs of paid advertising, this guide to PPC marketing will explain it all.

What Is PPC and Why Should You Use It?

Let’s start with the basics:

Pay-Per-Click is an online advertising strategy in which marketers bid on ads based on the potential value of a user clicking on the ad. As such, charges result only when individuals click. You can find PPC ads on social media pages, in the headers or sides of Google Display Network affiliate pages, or at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).

Most businesses make use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to achieve high page rankings for relevant keywords. However, while organic SEO is a crucial component to getting your website to reach users looking for businesses like yours, the truth is that SEO alone is often not enough. With the best keywords becoming increasingly competitive and more companies utilizing paid ads, it’s important to use PPC in conjunction with your current SEO strategies.

How to Get Started

Begin an effective PPC campaign with these few key steps.

1.  Set goals. First, ask yourself a series of questions: What do you want to achieve with your PPC campaign? Who is your primary audience? How much are you willing to spend to achieve your goals?

Depending on your business type, you’ll then need to determine the overall purpose of the strategy. Common goals include building user awareness of your brand, increasing your sales, generating more qualified leads, and increasing your site traffic.

2. Determine ad placement and type. Will your ads reach your target audience on Google’s SERP, social media, Amazon, or somewhere else? Once you’ve decided on placement, determine which type of PPC ad best suits your campaign. On most platforms, you can choose from several ad types:

○  Display ads can be placed on the Google Display network, social sites, and Amazon, and result in image-based ad placement on a variety of webpages.

○  Search ads, by contrast, are usually text-based and appear at the top of a Google or Bing SERP.

○  Shopping ads are best for eCommerce businesses and display images, pricing, and shopping links on a SERP.

○  Remarketing ads target users who have previously had a predetermined interaction with your page and follow those users with ads.

1. Choose keywords. You’ll need to determine which keywords you want to target so your chosen platform can place your ad. Choose between two and five keywords for each ad group. Perform research to decide which keywords rank high for your audience and have limited competition. Then, pick only those that are incredibly relevant to your page content.

2. Hone ad and landing page copy. Although the keywords you choose will get your ads in front of your audience, the text is what ultimately leads users to click. While considering your target audience, encourage users to interact with the ad and be sure to include the keyword you’re aiming for. Similarly, optimize your landing page to be relevant to your ad and achieve your desired conversion.

Tracking Essential Metrics

Once you’ve set up your PPC campaign, your work is not over. Now, it’s essential to monitor your ads, track performance, and make adjustments to ensure ongoing success. To that end, you’ll need to track these crucial metrics:

• Impressions — the number of times your ad has been viewed.
• Clicks — the number of clicks your ad receives.
• Click-through rate (CTR) — the percentage of ad views that result in a click.
• Cost per click (CPC) — directly correlates to CTR, indicating how much you’ve paid for each click on the ad.
• Cost per mille (CPM) — sometimes used in place of CPC, CPM is expressed as the cost for every thousand impressions.
• Cost per conversion — the cost of your ad divided by the number of conversions you receive.

Tips for Managing Your PPC Campaign

Ultimately, the purpose of monitoring your PPC campaign and gathering the data metrics listed above is so you can make agile adjustments to optimize your strategies. Follow these management tips to keep your PPC campaign productive:

1.  Use management tools. To track the above measurements, marketers utilize the tools provided within the platform hosting the ad. However, most professionals also rely on more comprehensive PPC tools, software, and spreadsheets to record performance data.

2. Adjust keywords as needed. You don’t have to keep the keywords chosen at the beginning of your campaign — swap under performing or overpriced keywords for better ones. You can also use lower-competition keywords that come at a better price.

3. Tailor your audiences. Consider some of the many helpful audience-building features Google offers. There, you can track user behavior to get your ads in front of those already searching in your niche and can even upload current customer lists to avoid ones who already utilize your product or service.

4. Modify bids. If you’ve determined that audience demographics or platform types such as mobile search and desktop search outperform others, you can increase your bids to target them. Conversely, decrease bids for under performing aspects to preserve funds.

5. Run frequent A/B testing. After making any of the above-mentioned changes or any other significant adjustments, it’s important to test your new PPC strategy to ensure you’ve increased your CTR and conversion rate. Otherwise, you’re merely making changes without any idea of whether they were effective.

6. Request help. If the daily ins and outs of crafting and managing a successful PPC campaign prove complicated, consider allowing experienced marketers to manage the strategy. Instead of studying Pay-Per-Click complexities, you can return to your day-to-day responsibilities.

Use PPC and SEO to Create Effective Marketing Campaigns

With effective management and help from an expert marketing agency, you can craft a Pay-Per-Click campaign that will enhance your organic SEO and become an essential component of your inbound marketing efforts. Use PPC and SEO together to increase sales, boost your page traffic, and leverage your brand awareness.

Author Bio :- Alyssa Anderson is the Content Manager at Zero Gravity Marketing (ZGM), a digital marketing agency in Madison, CT. ZGM is known for developing overarching marketing strategies and specializes in Pay-Per-Click, SEO, content marketing, social media, development, design, and eCommerce services.