When you’re planning a PPC campaign, a lot of work needs to go into it in order for it to be worth the investment. You can’t just write up an ad, add a funny or relevant picture to it, and call it a day. In order to create a successful campaign there are a handful of things you’ll need to do.
1) Decide on Your Goals
Before you start creating a PPC campaign, you need to set a goal. Do you want more visitors to your website? Are you marketing a specific product that you want to sell more of? Do you want to get people to subscribe to a service? No matter what the goal is, your ad copy, calls to action, landing pages and more will have to correlate to that goal. Be sure to decide on a concrete result before you start creating ads.
2) Target the Right Keywords and Use them Meaningfully
Be sure to do keyword research before you write your ad, so that you know what kind of ad will work the best. Ad relevance will be determined on how sought after your search terms are, and in addition to utilizing good keywords, you should also capitalize on them by using them both within your ad’s description and the URL of the ad.
Once you choose keywords, you have to bid on them. Generally speaking, the higher you bid on a keyword, the higher your PPC ad will rank. You may want to start out with your highest bid and then tweaking things as the campaign goes on.
3) Use Targeted Copy that Matches Your Goal
Effective ad copy needs to be short and to the point, engaging, and targeted. By targeting the copy to specific audiences, you may see a drop in the click-through rate, but you’ll be getting higher quality clicks. Targeted copy means that the people who do click will be interested in what you’re offering, and may be more likely to partake in what you are selling.
3) Include a Call to Action
So many ads out there don’t include calls to action, or include ones that aren’t directly correlated to what your ultimate goal is. “Click Here” is relatively weak, even if your only current goal is to get more visitors. Instead, use clear calls to action, such as “View More,” or “Buy Now.” Don’t underestimate how much of a difference a great call to action can have.
4) Use Different Versions of the Ad
Using a few different versions of your advertisement running can help you track which methods are most beneficial. Every month, you should update the ads after analyzing the click-through rates. Test new messaging including offering different benefits, promotions, or prices, and change up the URL that the ad links to.
5) Include Ad Extensions
In addition to including a link to a relevant landing page, your ad should include ad extensions, such as offer extensions. Traditional options for extensions include call, location, product, and social profile links. Including additional links helps ensure that if, for some reason, your main ad copy is not quite what visitors are looking for, the other links will point them where they want to go.
[Tweet “Ensure success for your #PPC campaign! http://clickxstag23.wpengine.com/ensure-ppc-success/ via @clickxio”]
6) Use a Dedicated Landing Page for the Ad
Simply linking to you website might seem like a good idea in order to boost traffic, but it’s harder to track whether certain ads are having the desired effect. Make sure that your PPC ad links to a dedicated landing page that is targeted at the audience who will be clicking the ad. On this landing page, you can include further calls to action or instructions, more information about your company, or anything else you think might be relevant.
7) Effectively Follow Up With Visitors and Leads
Once people get in touch with your business, it’s on you to keep the momentum going. Don’t drop the ball—once people start submitting their details or requests for more information, you have to follow through and keep in touch with them. Your PPC ads can be effective and profitable, but it’s on you to make it happen.
Want to learn more about creating an effective PPC ad campaign? Contact Clickx anytime to find out how we can help you boost your engagement.
