How to Create a Strategy for Your Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC, refers to online ads in which an advertiser pays when someone clicks on the ad. PPC is a useful way to drive traffic, conversions, and sales, and 90% of internet users see Google ads. But without a strategy, you might just be throwing money down the Internet drain. 

Benefits of PPC

PPC ads enable you to target your ideal audience. The better you can focus your audience, the better you can match your ad and landing page to their needs, which increases their odds of converting. If done right, PPC produces results. You can find PPC ads on many websites, including social networking sites. PPC ads also enable you to target audiences and keywords more specifically than some other forms of advertising.

What is the strategy behind your PPC campaign? 

However, like any advertising you consider, you must pause before starting to think about your strategy. For example, are PPC ads your best choice? Some industries and businesses still benefit from direct mail while others find value in radio or ads with online music streaming services. Depending on your budget, you may choose to focus on one particular type of advertising, whether that’s PPC or not.

Other considerations:

• • Keywords – Choose your keywords carefully. You might think it’s best to target high-traffic words. However, those will cost more per click and may not convert as well as a moderate-traffic word that is more focused.

• • Goals – Set some specific and measurable goals for your PPC. You may target 20 new calls, for example, or 20 new customers/conversions.

• • Tracking – Whether you’re doing this on your own or working with a Raleigh marketing agency, you need to track your campaign so you can tell whether it’s working. You can do this with landing pages, unique phone numbers, and your team asking, “how’d you hear about us?”

• • Sales cycle – For businesses with a long sales cycle, PPC is a more challenging investment. In this case, focus less on the cost per acquisition of each customer and instead on the lifetime value of each new person you bring on board.
    
  • Cost – Professional services such as lawyers will have to pay some of the highest per-click rates. Set a baseline budget and keep track of how many calls/conversions you get. Then you can go up or down as needed. A minimum monthly spend is $300, but our SEO team recommends most businesses start with at least $500 to experience any difference.  

PPC can seem complicated, but it’s still one of the best ways to drive high-intent traffic. If you have any questions about PPC, contact us today.