Getting your PPC ad campaigns up and running is easy, but getting the best out of them is something else. In this post we’ll look at 4 PPC tips that will make a big difference to your marketing efforts.
But first, did you know that visitors from paid search or display ads are more likely to buy from your site than organic site visitors?
And, did you know that sponsored results makes up a larger percentage (about 65%) for keywords with high commercial intent? Did you also know that half of your audience doesn’t even differentiate a paid result from an organic result?
By considering these amazing facts, it may be worrying for you if your PPC campaign is ineffective and not boosting sales.
Research by Cheq in 2020 found that click fraud accounts for around $35 billion in lost marketing revenue. And when you consider that 90% of all PPC ad campaigns receive invalid traffic (aka click fraud), with an average of 14% fake clicks, you can understand the scale of the problem.
In fact, in some campaigns those paid search or display ads are seeing up to 60% fake clicks!
As click fraud impacts most Google Ads campaigns, there are steps that we here at ClickCease suggest that every marketer takes.
It is recommended that you;
- Set up manual IP exclusions
- Run re-marketing campaigns
- Make adjustments to your targeting
- Utilize techniques like CAPTCHA security to eliminate bots
- Make use of click fraud detection and prevention tool such as ClickCease to combat fraud and bots
Of course the easiest way to block fake clicks is using a tool such as ClickCease, which usually makes its subscription price back in a day or two with blocked fraud.
If you’re not too worried about click fraud at the moment, there are plenty of other techniques you can use to improve the results on your PPC ads.
Make use of new keywords
Tips to Help Boost Your PPC
Broad match keywords are very effective. You may find it difficult to understand their usefulness
For instance, those results are indicated for “website builder software.” The second add stands out. “Builder software” has probably been set up to broad match and there is a clear indication of how broad it can get. This means bearing in mind that it shows up for “website builder software.”
That is a quite simple example of mistakes in using PPC keywords.
The following are tips to be considered to make PPC keywords more effective;
- Understand Your Match Types
Aside from the broad match, there are two other types of match. These are:
Phrase match: This displays an ad for people who have input the exact phrase or something very close to it.
Exact match: This displays an ad for those using the exact keyword.
Set up these match types properly to make it easier for people to find your ads and site.
- Narrow your Keyword Focus
The keywords are very important. Some keywords may get clicks without any real results. Other keywords may even be unattractive to people. The truth is that, the more specific you get, the lower your volume and impressions but they produce more effective results.
- Use Negative Keywords
Negative keywords can be a boost to your PPC campaign.
Let’s look at this example, if you make use of “website builder software” as your keyword, you would most likely not want it to be displayed to those searching for “free website builder software.” However, adding “free” to your list of negative keywords will make that possible.
Make adjustments to your Ad Copy
Great PPC copy is important for lead generation and conversions. Since our goal is lead generation which mostly happens on the landing page, adjusting your ad copy may seem like lots of work. However, if people are not clicking on your ad, they can’t be converted into leads.
Perry Marshall, author of “The Ultimate Guide to AdWords”, recommends that ad copy should highlight benefits because consumers want to solve problems, and not buy a product or service.
Every ad copy should have three basic components. These include:
- Features
- Benefits.
- Call to action (CTA).
It is advisable not to mistake the first two components for a sales pitch. A feature explains your service while a benefit states what your customers can get from your product or service.
For instance, the water resistance of a phone is considered a feature. The benefits of the phone allow the clients to make use of their phones freely in wet conditions. Simple.
Traditional CTA’s like ‘BUY NOW’ or ‘GET YOURS TODAY’ are played out and usually ineffective – although there is no harm in using these for your buy button. To get those clicks, use emotionally engaging call to actions such as:
Start saving money today
Begin your body goal journey
See how much you could save with a FREE trial
You’ll see that these usually relate to an emotional response. Who doesn’t want to save money? We all need to make a start to hit our goals…. And, words like FREE are always great for engagement.
On a final note, don’t forget to test the ad copy on Google Ad Variations. Below is a list of different resources to help your create a better PPC ad copy.
Psychological Tips to Write PPC Ads That Pack a Punch
Exploit These 3 Powerful Motivators for Better PPC Ad Copy
Considering the limitation of Google Ads characters, the changes may not seem obvious but they will most likely turn out very effective.
Pay more attention to your landing page
Tips to Help Boost Your PPC
When someone clicks your PPC ad link, they should be directed to a relevant, functional and understandable landing page.
Dedicated landing pages are best because their goal is simply to convert the visitor. A bad landing page can quickly scare off your customers.
Keep your landing page simple, with punchy text and images. Avoid anything that might distract, or could take too long to load. For example, large images, autoplay videos with sound or big blocks of text.
It is also not uncommon to see marketer try to trick people into signing up with phony headlines.
For instance, you may come across an ad which indicates free software. Upon clicking you will be taken to a page which demands a fee to make use of the “free” software” or you are sent to a completely different landing page for another product.
Make adjustments to the design, headlines and optimize your landing page. You can carry out tests to pick the best combination. These may be what you need for lead generation.
End your campaign
Different reasons may make you end your campaign.
Terrible ROI: Despite putting a lot of effort, your ROI may be poor. No one wants to spend a lot of money and earn very little. It may be an extreme but needed decision.
Lack of funds: It is not uncommon to run out of funds for the PPC campaign. If this happens, end it.
Seasonality: Some ads work best at certain times of year. Why advertise beachwear and BBQ equipment at Christmas? And why promote ski vacations in the middle of summer?
Paid search depends on those keywords being activated, so you only pay per click. But for display ads, you might be paying out for impressions when you don’t need to. Do a regular audit of your ads, monitoring those which are working and keeping an eye on the ad spend.
If you have done your best to optimize your PPC campaign and it is still not generating enough leads, it may be time to close the campaign.
Conclusion
Even if your ad campaign isn’t delivering, there are things you can do to save it. All you have to do is take the right steps and keep testing.
Asides from the test discussed above, you can test other types of elements such as negative keywords, long-tail keywords, or bid amounts.
The best thing that could happen to you is getting a very effective PPC campaign which is converting leads.
However, PPC advertising should just be one out of your different lead generation strategies. It should be a part of an integrated, cross-channel marketing strategy.