The tremendous popularity of social media may lead internet marketers to think that running Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising campaigns is not profitable anymore or is not delivering desired results. Contrary to this misconception, PPC ads still generate a great amount of targeted traffic which, according to Powered by Search, may reach figures of up to 64.6% of clicks from commercial keyword searches.
The effectiveness of PPC ads, particularly for B2C companies, lies in the fact that PPC ads cater directly to people actively searching for information about a brand, product or service. A specific PPC ad hinting on supplying this particular information will draw the attention of targeted viewers who have the greatest possibility of being converted into paying customers.
Still, the effectiveness of a PPC campaign lies in how well you have planned and crafted your PPC ad. Like every marketing tool, there is a strategy involved in maximizing the potential of this tool. This comprehensive guide aims in providing business owners, ready to dive into the exciting world of PPC advertising, a better understanding and greater insight into creating effective PPC ads – that deliver results.
Create Effective PPC Ads with this Comprehensive Guide
1. Set Your PPC Budget
Always start with a clear cut budget you can work with. It would be to your disadvantage to start a campaign that you suddenly cut short because of insufficient budget. It would also be inappropriate to set aside too much allocated resources for your campaign, which may bring you a hard time recovering due to reduced profits. But no matter how small or how big your allocated PPC budget, the success of your campaign will still rely heavily on how well you created your Ads.
2. Create a Clear, Precise and Concise Headline
The headline is probably the most prominent element of your PPC ad and is most likely the first one that your targeted customers will see. It would be a waste to put on a headline with no purpose or is not clear on what the rest of the ad would want to convey. Your headline should be written in a clear, precise and concise way that would make readers clearly understand what you are trying to offer in your ad statement. The key is to write descriptive headlines that describe your product or service, or if the ad is brand specific, should include a keyword for your brand as well.
Related But No Clear Headline
Clear and Concise Headline
3. Create an AD copy that Draws Attention
An effective ad is one that draws attention of readers – and let them read long enough to understand what you are trying to say. Boring or poorly written ads will definitely be shunned by people looking for specific information about a particular brand, product or service. The traditional marketing formula AIDA can create the same results in pulling online people in as it did for traditional advertising. AIDA stands for:
- Attention – to create a greater awareness of your products or services by attracting consumers’ attention.
- Interest – can entice people to know more about your brand, product or service, which advertisers can do by highlighting advantages or making special offers or discounts.
- Desire – can convince people to avail of your product or service by making them understand that they need you product or service.
- Action – a call to action is needed to entice your targeted audience to move and take a specific course of action you invited them to take, whether for lead generation or for inviting them to purchase.
4. Use Effective Keywords in Your Ad Content
The use of effective keywords has been, time and time again, reiterated as very important and very crucial to the success of your internet marketing campaign. The proper keywords will match the right kind of online users to what you are offering through your ad. Keywords will allow your products or services to be visible to online consumers, particularly those who are already looking for what you can offer.
Keywords in Headline and Ad copy is shown as Bold.
Marketers however should avoid stuffing or using too much repetition of keywords in your ads, making it appear unnatural or over-acting in a way. The following describes some tips on how you can effectively create the right combination of keywords for your PPC campaign.
- Brand – inclusion of your brand or business name in your ad is very important to increase your visibility among users who are already looking for your product or services.
- Effective Keyword Phrases – Long-tail or keyword phrases is effective in streamlining your ads to attract more targeted consumers, particularly if they are already looking for specific information.
- Your Competitor’s Keywords – An effective way of “stealing” targeted traffic away from your competitors is to target the keywords they are actually using as part of your Ad content.
- Geographical Targeting – This is an effective way of drawing in targeted customers for local businesses, particularly those residing or located very near your place of business.
5. Create Several Ad Variations and Test for Effectiveness
When creating PPC ads, do not stick to a single variation of your ad. Create multiple variations and test each for effectiveness. You can make adjustments to the headline or the body depending on what your initial tests will let you uncover – until you find a perfect one that will bring in greater results.
6. Streamline Your PPC Ads for Targeted Customers
PPC ads are known to generate sure traffic, with lots of online users clicking on your ads if they find it interesting. However, not all online users clicking on your ads will eventually be converted to paying customers. Some may just be testing the waters and canvassing for the cheapest price available. For certain products of services, it would be to your advantage to specify to price upfront, so you can filter and attract only those interested and willing to avail of a product or service within the specified price range
An actual ad that shows the price upfront in the ad copy.
7. Use an Effective Call to Action
A PPC ad is nothing more than a fancy bunch of text and links that will not deliver the results you want if there is no specific call to action. It should be clear to consumers on what they should do next after reading the information you have included in your ad. Without a call to action, there is no follow through which means failure of the ad to drive customers to a landing page or main website where the main sales action will be taking place
8. Audit and Adjust Your PPC Campaigns
Most of the steps I outlined here can be done in the initial set-up of creating a PPC ad, but since the success of your PPC ads is not a one-time event. You have to audit your campaign performance at least on a weekly basis. Auditing or reviewing your campaign lets you see exactly which ads are effective and which ads aren’t. By auditing your PPC campaign, it also allows you to see which ads that aren’t performing well and replaced them with new and improved ad. You can also found valuable data’s when auditing your campaign which allows you to adjust your entire PPC campaign not just your PPC ads.
Finally, it should be clear in your understanding that PPC ads are designed to drive targeted traffic to your landing page or website. Before you even plan on pursuing a PPC campaign, you should ensure that your landing page or website is optimized with the right kind of information that your viewers are specifically looking for – that will be the final key in enticing them to take the next step and become loyal customers.
Jomer B. Gregorio is a well-rounded expert when it comes digital marketing. Jomer is also known as a semantic SEO evangelist and practitioner. Check out our Digital Marketing Services today and let us help you in achieving positive and profitable results for your business.