Have you ever let Google guide you towards buying a product? Ever clicked on the first option that comes up when browsing on a search engine?
If you answered yes, then you’ve had some first-hand experience with PPC advertisement.
Whether you are interested to learn more or are completely new to the concept of PPC, this guide will uncover everything you need to know about PPC and what it can do for your business.
What is Pay Per Click (PPC)?
‘Pay-Per-Click’ is an online advertising model that allows businesses to have their ads on a platform (such as Google). Pay Per Click means that a business will only pay a fee to the platform when the ad gets clicked on.
PPC essentially means that you’re paying a sum of money to get a stream of quick hits to your website, rather than waiting for organic traffic to roll in (which is more time-consuming/less targeted).
How does PPC work?
The ultimate goal of a PPC ad is to immediately entice a user. Once they’ve clicked on the ad, they will get sent to a targeted landing page, which will then convert them for a particular product or service. Businesses can create free banners using online tools for their display ads as a cost-effective solution.
But how does a business win the top ad spot? A site will be chosen to fill this space based on their keywords, ad quality and bidding amount.
The role of keywords in PPC / Adwords
The great thing about PPC is that you can have full control over who sees your ads. This helps to steer clear from irrelevant users, focusing on those who are actually interested and will convert.
While keywords are used to draw traffic to your ads and/or website, PPC also allows you to deter unwanted or irrelevant visitors through the use of negative keywords.
When setting up a PPC campaign, you can create a list of ‘negative keywords’. These are words and phrases that are irrelevant to your campaign – your ads will have no value to people searching for them. By applying these negative keywords to your campaign, you’re telling the search engine not to rank your ad for them.
What are the different types of PPC?
Search Ads
Search Ads are the most popular form of paid search ads. They tend to sit above organic results and can be identified by a little box at the side of them saying “Ad”. This type of ad has no visuals – it’s merely a chunk of text which can contain advertisement, services, product listings and links to creative content.
Google Shopping
Google Shopping Ads show users products available to purchase based on their searches. These types of ads are useful for when wanting to promote individual products, as it cuts out many stages of the buyer’s journey which might be causing issues. When it comes to Google Shopping Ads, users tend to know what they’re looking for – they just need to know who to get it from.
Display Ads
A Display Ad is a form of advertising that utilises visual banners containing images, text, animations or videos. These ads are generally found sitting on websites or apps and tend to target users who have previously searched for a similar product or service.
Social Media Ads
From Facebook and Instagram to LinkedIn and Twitter, social media is impossible to escape – this is music to the ears of advertisers. Nowadays, Paid Social Ads are one of the most popular forms of advertising. They have quickly become one of the most effective ways to reach a large audience while still sticking to a brand’s image and tone.
Social media allows you to take advantage of user demographics and powerfully target ads to specific individuals. There are endless opportunities for paid social media ads and this is showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
What will PPC do for my business?
With so many forms of PPC ready and waiting to be utilised, it’s important to know what it’s actually going to do for your business.
PPC will boost both traffic and sales
Consumers are becoming lazier. They want their lives made easy; they want answers quickly. PPC offers them a quick and convenient solution to their query or problem.
Boosting traffic through PPC goes hand in hand with increased sales. It has been proven that shoppers searching for particular items are more likely to buy, so by targeting search terms with strong buyer intent, conversions will go through the roof.
And, it’s true what they say – PPC and SEO go hand in hand. Once a customer has converted with your brand through a paid ad, they will be more likely to revisit and buy again organically.
PPC allows you to track progress easily and clearly
PPC is a measurable form of marketing, meaning that you can easily monitor your return on ad spend (ROAS) clearly. The results from your PPC campaign can be analysed in real-time, and if you are not happy with them, adjustments can be made as soon as the issue arises.
From tracking progress, you can acquire a ‘test and learn’ method, tweaking your ads until they’re absolutely perfect. This ‘test and learn’ method involves establishing which keywords or placements are leading to the highest returns. Working with the right PPC agency allows you to maximise your testing and progression. From here, you can focus on the converting terms and cut out what doesn’t work.
What should you take away from this?
1. PPC ads can be catered to your business’ requirements and monitored to ensure they are performing to the best of their ability.
2. PPC does what it says on the tin. You only pay the host when users click on your ad.
3. Establishing your audience is key in order to utilise PPC effectively and ensure ads are seen by all the right people.
4. Keywords. Keywords. Keywords. They are very important when reaching your ideal audience and building relevant traffic.
