No wonder there was an investment of $10.1 billion by a total of 7 million advertisers in PPC with Google Ads and Facebook remaining the market leaders in the PPC spend. A report by eMarketer has predicted that Facebook’s US Ad Revenues ($21.57 billion in 2018) will be two times the amount spent on the whole print category ($23.12 billion).
PPC has emerged as one of the most popular internet marketing models to reach target audiences at the peak of their interest and display targeted ads in-front of the most ideal customer. But it is necessary to upgrade and perform routine management for optimal performance. Below are a few strategies.
1. Research Your Keywords
These must fit your landing page, ad and audience. Start with establishing your goals in conversion and metrics. Use multiple tools like Spyfu and Ahrefs. Google Keyword Planner, in particular, can give some relevant keywords along with their estimated competition and bidding costs. Figure out the usefulness of certain words by looking at their cost per click and monthly volume. Avoid duplicating keywords across ad groups and eliminate the poor- performing ones from the campaign.
Image Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-statistics/
More than 50% of marketers in 2021 said that keyword ranking, and organic traffic are the top ways they measure the success of their SEO campaigns. Try to get more specific with your targeting by choosing from a broad match, phrase match and exact match.
2. Leverage Customer Reviews
Share top-notch reviews in your PPC ad copy. One study tracked conversion rates of Google Ads compared against the brand’s Google My Business rating. Brands with 3.5 stars saw an average conversion rate of 10.5% while ratings around 4.5 stars had a 14% conversion rate. So, even a minor review fluctuation can have a dramatic impact on PPC campaigns.
A good way to boost PPC performance would be to:
- Keep a check on the volume of reviews
- Encourage positive reviews
- Consistent and sustainable generation
- Take care of negative reviews
As per Google, 90% of its users express high trust levels in online reviews. Surveys have also found that it is more trustworthy than personal recommendations from friends and family as well. So, work on the above tips to improve your online reputation.
3. Determine Budget and Bidding Strategy
A PPC budget is the amount of money spent on online traffic acquisition efforts. Start with establishing a profitability goal by answering critical business questions like average order value (AOV), gross margin percentage and cost per acquisition. Analyze the past performance well and identify keyword themes by intent.
Image Source: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/12/19/google-ads-automated-bidding
Smart bidding strategies include enhancing CPC, targeting CPA, maximizing conversions and targeting ROAS. You can also pick a ‘portfolio strategy’ where a single strategy is applied across multiple campaigns. Set your bids management goals like increasing sales, brand exposure, traffic and driving conversions. Do your research when you finalize the bid amount to make sure you are not bidding too high or too low for the chosen keywords.
4. Choose the Right Type of Ads to Invest In
There are multiple types of paid advertising to drive valuable leads for business growth. To upgrade the campaign, you can consider remarketing ads which help ‘re engage’ your audience. You will require a remarketing code known as a tracking pixel that can offer a better understanding of what the audience sees on your pages. Others include local service ads, Gmail sponsored ads, social media ads, instream ads and display ads.Paid search ads are ideal if you are looking to attract new business leads and are one of the most common forms of driving positive results for the business. You can use these formats to reach your target audience on many different platforms. Keep updating and improving the advertising content to drive better conversions. There are four basic ad types: category- specific, franchise, product-specific and store specific. Read and learn about each one to make an informed choice.
5. Optimize for Mobile
The global mobile marketing size was valued at $65.06 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.9% from 2020 to 2027. Mobile PPC ads are your ticket to show up before people who are on the go and make an intent to purchase. This is necessary since surveys have found that over 90% of the youth use smartphones for information.
To create mobile-first PPC ads:
- Use interesting and interactive content
- include features that will work with or without sound for non-sound-friendly places
- perform A/B testing and keep the videos and copy short.
Image Source: https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/
Do think about the entire campaign infrastructure like what a user may do next after seeing your ad. For instance, they will look for the CTA. So, make sure it is clean and compelling. Check for site loading speed and ensure clear design as well. These are a few of the best practices to offer a seamless user experience.
Studies have found that 50% of visitors arriving from a paid search are more likely to convert than anyone who came from organic links. A 2018 Google survey found that for every $1 spent on ads, businesses earn average revenue of $2. Further, 72% of Google AdWords marketers wished to increase their PPC budget in 2019. But there is no recipe for instant success. Carefully upgrade and monitor to sail through the ever-changing marketing tides.
