PPC – is a pay-per-click marketing campaign. Google AdWords is by far the most popular option for setting up a PPC campaign. You would already be familiar with Google advertising when you do a Google search, the ads at the top and to the right of your search results are all paid advertising. Google AdWords is one of the best ways of bringing highly targeted visitors to your website who are ready to buy whatever it is you are selling. It is one of the most cost effective ways to generate sales, drive sign-ups or whatever you need to grow your business.
So how does it work?
In terms of Google AdWords; where they appear and how much they cost are determined by Google, you and the consumer.
Let’s explain – each company advertising through Google AdWords bid for a ranking; every time someone conducts a search there is an auction and the ads are ordered in terms of the highest bidder. However the highest bidder isn’t the one who pays the most money per click, you will set a maximum bid but what you actually pay is just enough to beat your second highest ranking competitor. The highest bidder is actually the advertiser Google deems as ‘the best fit’ for that particular search.
Highest bidder – how do I win?
The highest bidder of a PPC campaign is not determined on price alone it is determined by the following criteria:
1) Click through rate (CTR)
This is where consumers ‘vote’. Google rate your advert on the number of users who have clicked on it. The more people who click means that your ad must be relevant for that Google search.
2) Relevance
This is an area you need to be aware of when first creating a PPC campaign. Google looks at the keywords within the ad campaign itself and its relevance to the search. The more your ad relates to key words/phrases for your business, the higher the score. For a successful PPC campaign it is best to target a particular product or service. For example, if you were the Mars corporation, if you tried to cover all the different keywords for all your products e.g. Mars, M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, etc. into one ad, the ad text will not match all of the possible keywords and would not be relevant. If your ad is specific, they’ll bring you more relevant results e.g.
Mars –Australia’s favourite chocolate bar
Great online deals. Mars helps you work, rest and play
www.mars.com
3) Landing page quality
Again, this is an area you need to get right to get the best results. This is where Google wants to make sure they are providing the best possible searches for their customers (those conducting the search). Google want to ensure that their search results provide the best options and part of the criteria is ensuring that the customer finds what they are looking for from your landing page. You need to ensure your home page is a kick-ass website and has exactly what your customer (and Google) is looking for:
- Relevant, original content
- Minimum load times
- Transparency of what your business provides/does
- Simple navigation
As mentioned earlier ensure that your ad text and landing page for your campaign are specific. When providing a URL, direct customers to a specific product/services page. Your ad will be more relevant by taking customers directly to the information they want.
You may notice that we’ve highlighted the word relevance. This is the key to running a successful campaign. By being relevant and meeting the above criteria Google will increase what they call a “quality score”, and in turn they will reward your campaign by lowering your PPC rate. This means you actually pay less for being in a higher position, regardless of the budget or size of your competitors.
It’s easy to set up a PPC campaign; it’s another thing to get results. For more on PPC contact one of our marketing specialists at Redfox Media.
