In today's world where nearly everyone is online, having a strong digital marketing strategy for your business is a must. It enables businesses to personalize communications to a specific audience, allowing businesses to promote directly to people who are likely to be interested in their product.
PPC or pay-per-click advertising is one of the most well-established and effective digital marketing strategies. As a result, PPC marketing has become very important for increasing business success.
What is PPC?
PPC (pay-per-click) stands for pay-per-click, a type of digital marketing where you pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad. When consumers type in related keywords or phrases on advertising platforms, your website will show up on platforms like the search engine result page (SERP) like Google, Bing, Yahoo and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In other words, PPC is buying visitors to your website rather than trying to get them organically.
PPC Benefits
With how PPC works there are many benefits for your business by including PPC in your digital mix.
Cost Effective
PPC is an investment because you only pay for the visitors you get. In other advertising models, you pay to have your ad displayed but have no guarantee it’s working. With pay-per-click, there is a direct correlation between cost and performance.
More Traffic to Your Website
When consumers search for words related to your product or service, your search ads will show up at the top of advertising platforms like SERPs and social media sites. So, people will click on the ad and drive traffic to your website.
Target The Right Audience
PPC will let you segment your market to target the right audience. You can set a goal for both your audience and keywords in your PPC campaign. You can also target your PPC ad to new, old, and existing customers. Your ad will show up to people who search for the keywords you choose. By creating ad groups, you can segment your keywords into specific themes or categories, ensuring that related ads are shown to the right audience. You can target your audience based on:
- Interests
- Behavior
- Geographic location
- Keywords
- Device
- Time
- Date & More
So PPC is essential for every online business to get more visibility and better-quality leads.
Convert Leads
You’re using PPC to reach out to people who are looking for your services or products. Because they already need your business services you have a higher chance of converting visitors to customers.
Why Use PPC?
PPC is a must-have for your business to be online and grow. Besides PPC benefits there are a few more reasons why you should use it.
- Faster – You’ll see the results of your PPC efforts almost instantly. In a few hours, your ads will show up at the top of search results for the keywords you’ve set once your PPC campaign goes live.
- Measurable – PPC lets you track your campaign’s performance. You can increase or decrease your spending based on your PPC ad results.
- Customizable – You can make changes as you go along to see what works for you.
- Gives You Control – You have control and can fine-tune every part of your marketing strategy with PPC. You also have full control of how much you spend on your campaign.
PPC is a crucial component of search engine marketing (SEM), which leverages both paid and organic techniques to market brands, services, or products to specific target audiences.
When Not to Use PPC
PPC has many benefits but just like any other digital marketing strategy you must know what you want to achieve. If you want long-term compounding results don’t use PPC.PPC requires ongoing investment which means if you turn off the tap the traffic will stop. This means if your ad doesn’t generate enough revenue you’ll run out of money and end up worse than when you started.
PPC and SEO
Search engines are used for both PPC and SEO to increase visibility and drive traffic. PPC is about showing paid ads on search engine results pages, while SEO services are about increasing organic traffic to your website. If you can afford to use both marketing strategies, it’s the best investment you’ll ever make. SEO and PPC work together to create a total that’s more than the sum of its parts. The benefits include:
- More Visibility And ROI
- Shared Keyword Data
- PPC gives SEO a boost
- PPC ads help refine organic keyword strategy
- More social media exposure
- Share goals and combine metrics for better insights
Advanced Targeting Options in PPC
One of the best things about PPC advertising is the ability to target specific audiences with precision. This ensures your ads reach the most relevant audience and therefore conversions. Advertisers bid on keywords based on these targeting options to maximize their ad's visibility and effectiveness. Here are some advanced targeting options in PPC:
Demographic Targeting
Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to target users based on demographic factors like age, gender, income, and education. This is useful for businesses with products or services that cater to specific demographic groups.
Geographic Targeting
Geographic targeting allows you to show ads to users in specific locations. This can be as broad as targeting entire countries or as narrow as targeting specific zip codes. Geographic targeting is important for local businesses that want to attract customers from their local area.
Behavioral Targeting
Behavioral targeting is showing ads to users based on their past behavior such as websites they’ve visited, products they’ve viewed, or actions they’ve taken online. This type of targeting is very effective because it shows ads to users who have already shown interest in similar products or services.
Retargeting
Retargeting or remarketing is showing ads to users who have visited your website but didn’t make a purchase. Retargeting keeps your brand top of mind and encourages users to come back and complete the purchase. This is especially effective for reducing cart abandonment in e-commerce.
PPC with Other Marketing Channels
PPC shouldn’t be standalone but part of a bigger digital marketing strategy. PPC marketing plays a crucial role in a multi-channel strategy by driving targeted traffic and complementing other efforts. PPC with other marketing channels can amplify your overall marketing and give a more cohesive user experience.
PPC and Content Marketing
Content marketing is about creating content to attract and engage your target audience. PPC can drive traffic to your content and increase its visibility and reach. For example, you can use PPC ads to promote blog posts, eBooks, or webinars and increase your content’s audience and engagement.
PPC and Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have robust PPC advertising options. By combining PPC with your social media marketing strategy you can increase your brand’s visibility and engagement on these platforms. Social media PPC ads can be used to promote posts, increase followers, and drive traffic to your website.
PPC and Email Marketing
PPC can support your email marketing by driving traffic to your email opt-in forms. For example, you can create PPC ads that ask users to subscribe to your newsletter in exchange for a discount or a free resource. This will help you grow your email list and nurture leads through email marketing campaigns.
Real Examples of PPC Campaigns
Example 1: Airbnb
Airbnb used Google Ads to target users searching for vacation rentals and travel accommodations. By bidding on relevant keywords and creating great ad copy, Airbnb drove a lot of traffic to their website and increased bookings. They also used retargeting ads to target users who visited their site but didn’t book.
Example 2: Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club used Facebook Ads to target a broad audience and drive subscriptions to their razor delivery service. By creating engaging video ads and targeting users based on their interests and behaviors, Dollar Shave Club grew its customer base rapidly and got big brand recognition.
Example 3: Zappos
Zappos, an online shoe, and clothing retailer used PPC ads on Google and Bing to target users searching for specific shoe brands and styles. By optimizing their ad copy and landing pages Zappos increased their conversion rates and drove more sales. They also used retargeting ads to bring back users who abandoned their carts.
How to Measure PPC Campaigns
Measuring your PPC campaigns is key to optimizing and achieving your business goals by understanding how your ads perform on the search engine results page. Here are some key metrics to track:
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR is the percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it. Higher CTR means your ad is relevant and engaging to your target audience.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of users who complete a desired action (e.g. make a purchase or fill out a form) after clicking on your ad. A higher conversion rate means your landing page and overall user experience are good.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
CPC is the average cost per click on your ad. Monitoring CPC helps you manage your budget and get a good ROI.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
ROAS is the revenue generated from your PPC campaigns vs the amount spent on advertising. Higher ROAS means your campaigns are profitable and delivering a good ROI.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
PPC has many benefits but also its own set of problems. Here are some common issues and how to overcome them:
High Competition and Costs
In competitive industries the cost per click can be very high, making it hard to get a good ROI. To overcome this focus on long-tail keywords that are less competitive but still relevant to your business. Also, optimize your ad copy and landing pages to improve your Quality Score which can help lower your CPC.
Ad Fatigue
Ad fatigue is when users see the same ad multiple times and become less responsive to it. To combat ad fatigue, update your ad creatives regularly and experiment with different formats and messaging. Rotating your ads means your audience sees fresh content.
Tracking and Attribution
Tracking and attributing conversions to your PPC campaigns can be tricky especially if you are using multiple marketing channels. Use tools like Google Analytics and conversion tracking in your PPC platforms to get insights into your campaign performance. Use multi-touch attribution models to understand the customer journey and the role of PPC in conversions.
Future of PPC Advertising
The PPC landscape is always changing, new trends and technologies are shaping the way businesses approach their campaigns. Here are some future trends:
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI and machine learning is changing PPC by allowing more precise targeting and optimization. Platforms like Google Ads are using AI to automate bidding, targeting, and ad creation so businesses can get better results with less manual effort.
Voice Search
With the rise of voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home voice search is becoming more popular. Businesses need to optimize their PPC campaigns for voice search by targeting conversational keywords and creating ads that answer voice search queries.
Video Ads
Video ads are popular because they are engaging and immersive. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook offer video ad options so businesses can reach a wider audience and convey their message better. Adding video ads to your PPC strategy means you can stand out and grab the attention of your target audience.
Conclusion
PPC is a powerful tool in your digital toolkit, offering visibility, targeted traffic, and higher conversion rates. By combining PPC with other marketing channels, using advanced targeting options and continuously optimizing your campaigns you can get big business growth and stay ahead of the competition. As the digital landscape changes stay up to date with the latest PPC trends and technologies so your campaigns remain effective and deliver a good ROI.
For more information on how to build effective PPC and SEO strategies to grow your business contact Connection Model today. Our team can help you navigate the digital world and achieve your business goals.
Written By: David Carpenter
