PPC: Building For Success – Part 2
Building out your Pay-Per-Click marketing campaign for success takes some time and effort. Once you’ve identified the opportunity for PPC, the next steps consist of keyword research, campaign structuring and compelling ad copy writing. Before moving along any further you’ll need to select the search engine of your choice in which you’ll invest your budget. Most advertisers choose the Google AdWords platform due to its market share (over 80% globally). Microsoft Advertising via the Bing search engine is an alternative Pay-Per-Click marketing platform that can be leveraged for specific clients in niche industries.
During the build of your PPC campaign, there are several elements that need to come into play for a successful execution and ROI. Beginners of PPC make a common mistake of not having these ready upfront prior to launch of their campaigns. Your PPC account relies heavily on your campaign structure, landing page design and measurement for success.
PPC Campaign Structuring
Understanding the industry for which you’re advertising plays a vital role in the performance of the Pay-Per-Click account. Dedicate necessary time to familiarize yourself with the vertical and acquire as much information needed to assist you in your advertising efforts. It will also help you in your endeavors to create solid campaigns that will perform on daily basis.
Your PPC Keyword Research
A common misconception consists of inaccurate understanding of the industry for which you’re advertising on. As outlined above, perform baseline research to get a better feel for what you’re dealing with. Once you have a firm grasp on the products and services for the brand you will be marketing, its time to dig into some keyword research. Utilize available tools on the web such as WordTracker, WordStream, and Google AdWords Keyword Tool to get started with your research. Focus on the three different match types that users are searching for to get the most Return-On-Investment for your budget. Exact and Phrase Match terms are going to provide the most qualified amount of clicks given that you’ve carefully grouped your keywords.
Supportive Landing Page Design
Supportive landing page design is another important element for your Pay-Per-Click marketing endeavors. Proper conversion architecture will provide the necessary engagement and hooks to convert your visitors. Some best practices consist of quality content, anchor text, keyword insertion and keyword density. Keep in mind that the layout and structure of your landing page on which visitors will land is important and must be built carefully. Typically elements of proper landing page design consist of clear top and bottom navigation with keyword-rich titles, informative content that supports targeted keyword terms, anchor text that provides a door into secondary pages of your website, imagery to summarize your message, and an overall easy-on-the-eyes design.
Measuring and Optimizing Your PPC Account
Post launch of your PPC campaign, you will need to develop awareness and monitoring over your accounts. Measurement and optimization will become an ongoing effort to squeeze the most from your accounts and your budget for that matter. Taking a closer look at CPC (Cost-Per-Click), CTR (Click-Thru-Rate), CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) and Quality Score will provide deeper insight into your campaign performance while giving you the chance to strengthen Return-On-Investment (ROI). If you haven’t done so already, ensure that your Google Analytics has been synced with your Paid Search account for tracking purposes as well. Analytical data provides untapped potential opportunities while giving you an overview on the activity of your PPC accounts.
Building out and maintaining successful Paid Search accounts takes ongoing nurturing and optimization. Effective keyword terms, ad copy, landing page design and measurement tactics are necessary for ensuring the longevity and successful performance. On average most Pay-Per-Click marketing accounts will climax at the 90 day range, given that they have been set up correctly with all elements in place.
Great article, although I think Bing can prove to be fruitful in lots of industries.
I’m not a huge fan of Bing primarily due to market share and reach. Although this varies in different industries so I’m skeptical yet optimistic about what lies ahead.