Pay Per Click – Ready to discover the ABC of PPC?

Pay Per Click?

One of marketing’s more forgiving technical terms, pay per click (PPC) is a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin online advertising strategy. The short version is that an advertiser – that’s you – pays only when your ad is clicked on by a visitor.

So far, so simple. But the real alchemy enters the process when we bring in a couple of elements all PPC campaigns live and die by: cost-per-click and keyword targeting. At Hookson, we can help you with both – and lots more besides.

Why PPC?

When it comes to embracing PPC, it’s worth being guided by yet another acronym: ROI. A well-planned, well thought-out pay per click campaign can deliver a fantastic return on your investment. That’s because when PPC is flying high, wastage is reduced, targeting is sharpened and conversions can increase. How much you pay per click is determined by factors including the platform you’re advertising on, the end-cost of your product/service and the audience you’re targeting.

Here’s Hookson’s ABC of PPC.

Be. Succinct.

When it comes to words, less is usually more in the world of PPC. So be specific and direct. Offer a solution, and – unless testing tells you otherwise – avoid industry jargon. Now rewrite this section using half the number of words.

Unlock your language

Great keywords are words that speak the same language as your visitors (and trump the keywords of your competitors). They’re essential for mind-blowing PPC campaigns because, in conjunction with your keyword bid figure, they determine the ranking your ad is awarded.

So brainstorm as many keywords as you can. Then select those most relevant to each PPC ad – and the landing page it drives visitors to. Analyse the competition and, for variety, brainstorm with colleagues and try out keyword generators like Google’s Adwords Keyword Planner.

Land happy

Landing pages ensure your PPC targets arrive at a spot directly related to the ad they’ve clicked. In short – an ad for a jumper should lead to a page about jumpers, not jumpers and jackets and shoes and… Ultra-relevant landing pages also improve the quality scores platforms like Google use to determine winning bids.

Become a groupie

It’s unlikely you sell only one product, or provide only one service. So for greater impact and relevance, group your campaign ads by category. This gives you the chance to try out a variety of search terms and keywords too – and pounce on the most effective. There’s more about measuring success below.

Don’t get distracted

It can be easy to concentrate on the technicalities – cost-per-click, ad groupings, keywords – at the heart of paid-search campaigns. But the fundamental marketing 101s apply equally to PPC:

Who are you targeting? 

Sounds obvious. Is obvious. But asking yourself who you’re communicating with not only results in better, more powerful ads, it helps out on the keywords and ad text selection side of things too.

What should they do next? 

Usually, you’ll want to drive visitors to a landing page on your website. So ensure your call-to-action is clear: find out more, download the free report, get 30% off now.

How will you measure success? 

Using analysing tools – like Google’s AdWords – means you can spot red-hot keywords, inform ongoing campaigns and increase ROI. An array of measurement criteria – metrics – are on-hand. To scratch the surface, these include clicks, click-throughs and conversions, but there are many more. Although getting to grips with metrics can seem daunting, it’s essential to running successful campaigns.

Can Hookson help me click with PPC advertising?

Absolutely.

Snagging that top advertising spot on, say, Google, is something of a holy grail for advertisers. With so many factors to consider, it’s a balancing act, and mistakes can be costly.

Hookson is experienced in all aspects of PPC campaign planning, including keyword research, targeting, ad design, bid management, testing and refining. So whether you’re after a solid grounding to get your PPC journey started, or you’d like us to take the lead in turning your clickers into converts, just get in touch today.