How Does PPC Advertising Work?
PPC advertising is a strategy to generate targeted traffic to your website by leveraging search engine optimization, which is essentially the cheaper alternative to generating organic clicks through links. It also offers a wide range of options that aren’t available with organic listings. The first step in setting up a PPC campaign is creating a list of keywords. Successful PPC campaigns are built on well-defined and optimized keyword lists. These lists must cover each of the keyword categories, allowing advertisers to effectively target ads based on a user’s past searches. Conveniently, keyword research tools are available from data providers and even the search engine itself. Keywords are the phrases that people type into the search engines to find information or products they’re looking for. To attract as many paying advertisers as possible, search engines offer specific listings of pay-per-click advertising programs. Those programs are managed by ad agencies and companies. Once the keyword list is established, an advertising campaign must be developed. Many pay-per-click services will provide templates and designs for PPC ads. There are many options for placement, cost, and keywords. Successful PPC campaigns are determined by careful choosing keywords and the relevance of advertisements to users. PPC advertisers must also carefully consider not only click-through rates but also ad placement.PPC Advertising Mistakes You Should Avoid
PPC advertising is beneficial, but if you make these mistakes, you’ll lose money before you can even gain some. Here are some PPC advertising mistakes you should avoid:Not Choosing The Right Keywords
One of the biggest pay-per-click mistakes that many marketers make is choosing the wrong keywords to complement their advertisement. While your advertisement may be well thought out and well-developed, if the keywords you use don’t fit the subject matter of your advertising, potential customers won’t see your ad.Not Using Ad Extensions
Ad extensions aren’t required for PPC advertisements, but you should incorporate them in your PPC campaigns if you want to optimize your costs. Ad extensions are extra snippets of information that are included in your primary ads. This information helps search engines, like Google, understand what your ad is about and present these ads to your target audience. The benefits of ad extensions include:- Increases your ad’s visibility
- Extends the reach of your ad
- Offers people more ways to get in contact with your business
- Increase your click-through rate
- Increases the value of your ad at no cost.
Adding Too Many Words
Pay-per-click advertisements should be kept short. When a consumer reviews products, services, or anything else on the Internet, they don’t have time to sit through an entire advertisement. They will either click the close button on the ad or look at something else. If your promotions are too long, customers may not have enough time to view them, costing you money.Linking To Poor Landing Pages
Another common mistake is when your landing pages don’t provide great information. Pay-per-click campaigns are all about giving prospects helpful information they can trust. Ensuring your landing page has all the correct information and then testing your keyword strategy will ensure you’re getting conversions from your PPC campaign, not just traffic that leaves without buying. Keyword-optimized landing pages are more likely to attract visitors to your site. Thus, make sure your landing page has relevant keywords. Place them strategically where it’s easy for your visitor to find them, like in your title, description, and headline. A killer landing page should:- Have a message that matches your ad. Leads should see what they expect to see when they click your ad. For example, if you place an ad for a product you’re selling, the link should direct to the landing page where leads could learn more about that product.
- Have a solid call-to-action message. Your call-to-action must be easy to find and understand.