How to Manage Your PPC Campaign Like A Pro

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Running a successful digital marketing campaign in Tampa, FL does not need to be an uphill battle. A great way to begin harnessing the power of online advertising is to run a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. Big and small companies alike should understand the massive source of revenue provided by PPC campaigns.

In 2017, about 7 million advertisers invested more than $10 billion in PPC campaigns worldwide. Even with a small budget, an expert pay-per-click campaign generates more website hits and a greater return on investment (ROI) than non-paid advertising alone.

Read on to learn how to manage your paid advertising campaign like a PPC professional.

How to Start an Expert Pay Per Click Campaign in 9 Steps

Follow these nine simple steps to craft a profitable PPC campaign.

#1. Establish Your Goals

Prior to designing your PPC campaign, you need to establish what you hope to achieve through the campaign. Do you want to increase your subscribers? How about boost sales? Or do you simply want to raise awareness about your brand?

The structure of your PPC strategy will heavily depend upon your end goal. Be sure to determine what you want to accomplish before you start and avoid wasting time and money going in the wrong direction.

#2. Know Your Target Audience

You must also know your target audience before crafting a paid marketing campaign like a PPC expert. Creating a consumer persona can help you visualize your ideal customer. You do this by learning about the people who like and use your products or services.

Conduct keyword research. Use analytics to find out what pages users access the most and where they look on those pages with heat maps. Review customer surveys and feedback or independent market research to learn more about their likes and habits. All this data will help you find your target audience.

#3. Determine the Best Keywords

While conducting keyword research to reveal your target audience, keep track of the words or phrases that appear most. Use a keyword tool to determine the best keywords of the bunch.

Remember that the more competition for a particular keyword, the higher the cost per click. Test out a variety of low and high competition keywords to see what works best for your campaign.

#4. Set a Budget and Work Backwards

Once you better understand your keywords and the hits they produce, you can set up a PPC campaign budget. Narrow down your keywords to the ones that generate the most clicks and focus on those. You can also do some research into the average cost per click (CPC) within your specific industry if you cannot pull from a large pool of data.

You can apply a general formula to determine the max profitability per click for a keyword. Use analytics data to fill in the following formula:

[profit per customer] x [1 – profit margin] x [website conversion rate] = Max CPC

Be sure to target keywords with a lower estimated CPC than your max CPC otherwise you will end up losing money.

#5. Write Compelling Copy

No matter the size of your digital marketing campaign, you must always write compelling copy. This is especially true when you need to capture a potential customer’s attention with only a few written lines.

Aim to craft headline and description copy that gets inside a consumer’s head. Make personalized ads that highlight the value of your service or product. Personalization does not mean serving up dynamic ads that feature a customer’s name. It means knowing why your target customer would need to your goods or services and including a focused call to action based on that knowledge.

#6. Include a Powerful Call to Action

Your ad’s call to action will determine whether you succeed as a PPC expert or fail like a beginner. Ask the potential customer to do something with powerful words proven to encourage them to click like:

  • You
  • Get
  • Buy
  • Shipping
  • Best
  • Save
  • Free
  • Your

#7. Consider Including Ad Extensions

Ad extensions do not increase the cost of your PPC ad campaign despite the benefits they provide. Both Bing and Google offer ad extensions through their PPC programs. These extensions allow searchers to take certain actions without leaving the search engine results page.

There are many different kinds of extensions, but here are just a few examples. A call extension adds a clickable phone number. A review extension shows top reviews for your product. A callout extension lists other pages on your website that take the searcher directly to the page when clicked. All these extensions make it easier for searchers to find what they need with fewer clicks.

#8. Create a Welcoming and Relevant Landing Page

Once you go to all this trouble to craft an intriguing PPC advert, do not just send users to your homepage. Creating a specific landing page to funnel through potential customers will result in a much higher ROI.

A PPC professional ad should send traffic to whatever page relates most to the ad and the promise made to the user in the ad. If your ad states the user will be able to enter a drawing for a new pair of shoes, they better arrive on a page with a registration form. A welcoming landing page should always include similar keywords and load very quickly to keep the user’s attention.

#9. Monitor Your Results

Once you set your PPC strategy in motion, have a plan to continually monitor it. Monitoring your analytics saves you money by revealing when to eliminate poor performing adverts. Keep an eye out for how certain keywords perform and adjust bidding to focus on the words with the most ROI.

Strategies for Ads on Google, Facebook, and Bing from Top PPC Professionals

Already comfortable running a basic PPC campaign? Check out these expert pay-per-click strategies that will improve your ROI and boost your conversion rates.

Google

Most marketers and small business owners looking to run their own PPC campaigns begin with Google AdWords. Once you familiarize yourself with the platform, you can delve deeper into its more complicated features.

Add Reviews

Consumers love online reviews. Research shows that 88% of consumers consider online reviews as trustworthy as a personal recommendation. Adding reviews to your PPC advertisements earns you a potential customer’s trust immediately. They do not need to click onto another page first.

Google AdWords allows you to include reviews as long as the product or service has at least 30 unique customer reviews. It requires an extension and Google only charges if someone clicks on the ad. They do not charge you if the user only looks at the review.

Enable Accelerated Delivery

Accelerated delivery is very advanced and only true PPC professionals with a larger budget should enable it. In the standard ad delivery method, Google uses algorithms to predict how often people search for your keyword. These algorithms also determine how often to show your ad based on your budget and similar prior campaigns.

The standard ad delivery method spreads the ads throughout the whole day. This may leave you with unspent budget money if more people click in the morning and less in the afternoon.

Alternatively, accelerated delivery allows Google to show your ads whenever people seem to click the most. It will submit your ad into the ad auction until your budget reaches its limit. You hit your budget limit sooner, but get access to the better clicks.

Bing

A PPC professional marketer leaves no potential source of clicks untapped, so consider running ads on Bing if you do not already. Bing accounts for the highest number of desktop hits with 77% taking place through its search engine. Here are a few techniques to positively impact your Bing PPC campaign.

Ad Scheduling

Bing’s ad scheduling feature works even better than the one in Google AdWords. In AdWords, you must schedule each post in every individual time zone. Bing lets you schedule a post in your time zone between 8 am and 9 am in EST and it does the same thing in any other time zone you select.

Location Targeting

Any expert PPC campaign will take into account location targeting and Bing makes this easy. Their ad tool allows you to target specific locations with different ads depending on what works best. Google AdWords does not offer this same laser-focused location targeting.

Partner Targeting

Again, unlike Google, Bing offers a more focused partner-targeting tool for their PPC ads. Choose to show ads based on demographics and the device used for search along with the time of day and specific locations. Bing’s tool also provides data about which search partners send traffic to your website.

Facebook

Facebook might not be a search engine in the traditional sense. However, a survey done by the analytics company Aimia revealed that of the users making purchases through social media 19% make direct purchases through Facebook. Here are a few strategies for tapping into that PPC market.

Retargeting

Have you noticed that when you log onto Facebook not long after visiting certain websites you will suddenly see ads for that same website? This is a PPC marketing strategy called retargeting. It reminds potential customers of their interest in your products or services.

Facebook allows you to customize your target audience based on a variety of factors. Choose to target people who viewed a particular page on your site or the website as a whole. You can even target potential customers based on how long ago they last visited your site. Enable retargeting in your Facebook ad settings.

Life Events

Since Facebook has access to so much personal data, you can gear your ads towards consumers based on the current happenings in their life. Choose life events based on your industry for the best results.

For example, if you sell wedding supplies, you only have a small window of time to advertise to the bride and groom. Targeting recently engaged people during the several months leading up to their wedding gets you more clicks than if your ad appeared on a single person’s dashboard.

Leave it to the PPC Experts

Not sure you have the time or knowledge to run your own successful PPC campaign?

Leave it to our expert PPC professionals in Tampa, FL!

Call us today to start earning more from your paid advertising campaign as soon as possible!

Why You Should Outsource Your Business’ SEO Needs

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Are you ready to launch a successful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign?

SEO helps every business owner take advantage of the billions of Google searches performed every day.

The right campaign can draw more organic traffic to your website. More organic traffic boosts your conversion rates and establishes your reputation.

Effective SEO can be an essential component of every business. That’s why you need to hire a SEO Agency. 

If you’re keen to tackle SEO, you may be wondering if you should do it yourself or turn to experts. This distinction comes down to more than mere cost and scale.

In this post, we’ll discuss the reasons why you need SEO outsourcing to get ahead. Read on for insight!

1. Many Factors Influence Google Rankings

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing online content for keywords ideal customers are likely to enter into Google.

A standard user will search for a phrase or word that best approximates their desire.

Search results appear according to Google’s own assessment of the “best match.” In general, the closest matches appear at the top of the first page of search results. Lower rankings indicate poorer matches.

With SEO, websites can increase their chances of a higher Google ranking.

Keywords

A DIY Search Engine Optimization campaign may thus involve some intensive keyword research and content optimization. However, SEO is about more than merely sprinkling your content with trending keywords.

It is definitely possible to thoroughly research phrases that your ideal clients are likely to enter into search engines. It’s equally possible to optimize your content well with these keywords.

Nonetheless, there’s much more to SEO than keywords!

Domain and Page Authority

Google ranks sites according to specific “signals” or authority factors. It has to do this in order to fairly distribute results.

Google does pay attention to how well you optimize your content with popular keywords. It will certainly prioritize a site that seamlessly integrates searchable phrases and words than one that arbitrarily crams its content with these terms.

Yet it also considers domain authority, an indicator of how well referenced your site is on the web. You can build domain authority by acquiring backlinks, links from other sites that send visitors to your pages.

Website Technicalities

Google also inspects bounce rates, the rate of visitors who come by your site and immediately leave. Page loading speeds and content quality can influence SEO rankings as well.

These are just a few of the many factors that can impact your visibility on search engines.

For some business owners, this complexity and challenge of SEO may seem perfectly viable. For others, however, there are simply too many factors to take into consideration.

SEO outsourcing entrusts your optimization efforts into expert hands well-versed in all that influences SEO performance. The right SEO consultants will ensure that your campaign hinges on more than solid keywords (although these will be high-value terms).

When you outsource SEO services, you invest in a holistic optimization campaign that considers every single factor that can influence results.

2. Google’s Algorithms Keep Changing

SEO is a constantly changing industry. Keywords that are popular one week may not be so popular the next. Consumers’ preferences shift and adapt to changes in technology and culture.

Most importantly, Google itself keeps changing its algorithms, the tools it uses to assign rankings to individual sites.

This is not malicious on the search engine giant’s part at all; in fact, it’s an indicator of how keen Google is to rank content fairly and weed out sites attempting to “cheat” the system.

It can be tough to keep up with these algorithmic and industry changes if you aren’t already fluent in all things SEO. In fact, wrapping your mind around algorithms themselves–and finding out when they change–may feel impossible.

Nonetheless, keeping up with the changes in SEO and Google’s guidelines is essential to maintaining high rankings. Failure to stay in line with the trajectory of optimization can mean less digital visibility.

SEO outsourcing is valuable insurance against falling behind the SEO times. A professional SEO agency or service will be sure to implement a campaign that aligns with the most recent trends.

3. Effective SEO Isn’t Just SEO

We’ve already discussed the multiple factors that influence SEO performance. It’s also important to note that true SEO isn’t just SEO.

Optimization can be a critical component of your business’s bid for greater visibility, both online and offline.

However, SEO is often linked to other, more comprehensive digital marketing aims. Its performance can also hinge on additional online advertising measures designed to develop a powerful web presence.

For example, an SEO campaign may depend on solid content marketing. Google emphasizes in its guidelines to a Google-friendly site the value of relevant content. In fact, high-quality content is at the core of its SEO priorities.

If you don’t already have rich content in place, you may find yourself reaching out to a content marketer before taking up SEO.

What’s more, you may also recognize that your site’s current design isn’t where it should be when it comes to creating user-driven content. Enter the web designer.

The most powerful SEO campaigns fit snugly inside of a larger digital marketing strategy, which may involve other marketing efforts. Most commonly, an optimization campaign will be linked to web design, social media campaigns, and content marketing.

Many SEO professionals recognize how much goes into a solid SEO campaign. The most effective consultants will therefore be digital marketers, ready to link your optimization efforts to a comprehensive strategy.

Most importantly, hiring SEO experts means that you don’t have to dream up all of these other digital marketing solutions. At the very least, you’ll receive high-quality, industry-informed advice that can direct you to the digital advertising efforts you need to implement to achieve SEO results.

4. Monitoring an SEO Campaign Requires Dedication

Because the world of SEO is always changing, a well-crafted campaign has to be a well-monitored one. We tell all business owners who wish to tackle SEO on their own that optimization is not a “single set-up” strategy.

True, it does require extensive research before implementation. Optimizing content may take an afternoon or a week.

Nonetheless, simply inputting keywords, launching a social media campaign, and changing your web design may not generate the results you are seeking. This is because it’s essential to track your keyword and SEO performance.

Most website owners can easily assess the viability and performance of certain keywords by using a tool like Google Analytics or Keyword Explorer on Ahrefs. Google Analytics can also provide insight into bounce rates, page loading times, and organic traffic sources.

It’s critical to monitor this data on a daily basis and to change keywords and content accordingly. In many cases, SEO campaign management requires assessment of competitors’ keywords and rankings. This knowledge can help you hone your campaign so that your content can eventually take the lead.

All of this requires a lot of SEO savvy, time, and effort. As a business owner, you simply may not have the time or the technology to invest in SEO campaign management. But you guessed it–an SEO agency will. It’s what we’re made for!

Save valuable time and money by handing over your SEO vision to professionals.

5. It’s Easier to Acquire a Google Penalty Than You May Assume

Remember what we just said about the factors that influence Google rankings and SEO performance? It’s tough to keep up with all of these guidelines if you’re handling SEO yourself.

If you miss a rule, this could lead to a Google penalty. A penalty occurs when a web crawler identifies a violation of its guidelines in your online content and presence. Penalties can tank your current rankings and discourage more traffic from viewing your site.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to acquire a penalty than most assume. We simply don’t want you to experience a penalty, no matter how earnest your SEO efforts!

SEO professionals will be extremely familiar with Google’s guidelines. With their assistance, you can rest assured that your content will never be penalized by Google. In fact, it will be entirely within the scope of Google’s rules.

6. Outpace Your Local Competition

At the end of the day, SEO can be your magic wand for outpacing competitors, especially if you implement local SEO. The more powerful your online reputation, the greater your odds are of earning customer preference over other companies.

Implementing SEO with the purpose of outranking competitors can be an intimidating prospect. While it’s possible to surpass your peers with your own SEO campaign, turning to the experts can dramatically boost your odds of coming out on top.

This is particularly the case when it comes to SEO services with proven track records of bringing clients the traffic and results they desire.

Final Thoughts: The Value of SEO Outsourcing

SEO is a valuable digital marketing tool that can transform your digital visibility and reputation.

While it may be tempting to take your optimization into your own hands for financial reasons, SEO outsourcing can be the difference between an ineffective campaign and a powerful one.

For one thing, SEO depends on more than just keywords. Other digital marketing efforts and Google’s own ranking factors can influence campaign results.

An effective campaign is time-intensive, requiring knowledge and dedication most business owners simply do not have.

All in all, SEO outsourcing can bring you the expertise and results you require when it comes to truly surpassing your competition.

At Digital Neighbor, we love turning our clients’ SEO campaigns into results. Learn more about the SEO services we offer here!

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Want to learn even more?

Whether you have a simple SEO question or want to have a deep conversation about your digital strategy, we’re all ears. Contact us today for a chat or to learn how we can put our digital marketing expertise to good use for your business.