What Is PPC Marketing and How Can It Benefit Your Business?
You might hear a lot about SEO when it comes to digital marketing, but did you know that PPC generates twice the number of visitors as SEO does? With a 200% ROI (when done right), this makes PPC marketing an attractive investment for businesses of all sizes.
What is PPC marketing, though? Why does it seem like every digital agency wants to sell you on the benefits of investing in PPC campaigns? Well, put simply, it’s one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing for small business owners.
Because you don’t pay unless someone clicks on your ad, you’re never paying a dime unless someone interacts with your business. That’s not the case for other forms of marketing. But, we’ll get into all of that!
Scroll on to learn all about PPC marketing, how it can benefit your business, and a few tips for getting started with PPC campaigns.
What Is PPC Marketing?
PPC is short for “pay per click.” It’s a type of online advertising in which you pay every time someone searches for something and clicks on your ad that appears. This is why it’s called “paid” advertising and not “organic” like you might hear with something like SEO.
The benefits of PPC marketing include the ability to reach a large audience quickly and efficiently, as well as the ability to track results and ROI (return on investment).
However, it’s important to note that PPC is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to online marketing. A successful strategy will typically use a variety of different channels, including SEO, social media, and email marketing.
But if you’re looking to get started with paid advertising and need a quick bump in traffic, PPC is a great place to start.
How Does PPC Marketing Work?
With numerous stats on the effectiveness of pay-per-click marketing, we’ve found that most business owners don’t necessarily need to be sold on the perks of investing in this type of digital marketing. Instead, they need to first understand how it works.
Basically, by targeting ads to specific keywords, businesses can reach consumers who are already interested in what they have to offer.
First, you’ll identify relevant keywords that potential customers are likely to search for. Then, you’ll create ads around those keywords and bid on them in order to appear in the top spot of search engine results pages.
Once a customer clicks on an ad, they are directed to your website or landing page that’s been built specifically for the campaign. If you’ve done it all correctly or had a PPC agency help you build the right campaigns, they’ll convert on that page and you’ll win their business!
The Benefits of PPC Marketing for Businesses
There are so many benefits of PPC marketing for businesses, but let’s run you through just a few of them if you’re still on the fence about investing in this type of marketing.
Target Specific Customers and Demographics
If you own a brick-and-mortar shop and sell pastries, how amazing would it be to be able to attract only pastry lovers to your store each day? That’s basically what PPC ads allow you to do.
By targeting your ads to specific keywords and phrases, you can ensure that your ads are only seen by people who are interested in what you have to offer. Likewise, if you’re running ads for a physical business, you’re able to target specific geographic locations.
For example, if your pastry store is in Hartford, you’re able to run ads for people looking for the “best chocolate pastries near me” in the surrounding area.
This allows you to save money on advertising costs, as you are only paying for ads that are likely to be seen by potential customers that you know are interested in what you’re offering.
Generate Qualified Leads
Because you’re targeting people who are interested in what you’re offering, any leads you capture on your website or landing page are already highly qualified. The mere nature of an optimized PPC marketing campaign means you’re pre-qualifying leads.
By targeting your ads specifically to people who are searching for what you have to offer, you can be sure that you’re reaching only those who are already interested in what you have to say.
This allows you to focus your marketing efforts on those who are most likely to convert, saving you time and money in the long run.
Track, Monitor, and Modify
While most digital marketing strategies and techniques allow you to track and monitor your campaigns, it’s a bit different with PPC.
PPC ads allow you to track how effective your campaigns are, so you can continue to fine-tune your approach and get the most out of your marketing budget. This is because dashboard analytics provide you with in-depth information about what’s working and what’s not.
For example, if you see that people are clicking on your ads using the search term “auto insurance” but you sell “auto repair services” then you can add “auto insurance” to a negative keyword list. In doing so, you quickly optimize your campaign and reduce your costs.
Enjoy Cost-Effective Marketing
With a 200% ROI, PPC marketing is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing out there.
Unlike traditional advertising methods like print or television ads, PPC ads only charge you when someone actually clicks on your ad. This means that you only pay for results, making it an extremely efficient way to reach your target market.
Now, it’s important to mention that, eventually, it makes sense to combine your PPC marketing strategy with other tactics such as SEO. However, we’ve found that PPC is great for businesses in need of immediate traffic and leads.
How to Get Started With PPC Marketing
Thinking that a PPC campaign might be right for your business? Great! Now, how do you go about getting started?
Usually, you’d get in touch with a great marketing agency that has experience with PPC campaigns. However, if you’d like to do some preliminary research, here’s where to start.
Do Your Research
Before diving into PPC marketing, it’s important to do your research and understand how it works.
There are a lot of different factors that go into determining how much you’ll earn per click, so it’s important to have a good understanding of the system before you get started.
Choose the Right Keywords
The keywords you choose will determine which ads are displayed on your site. It’s important to choose keywords that are relevant to your content and that are likely to be searched for by potential customers.
Set a Budget
It’s important to set a budget for your PPC campaigns so that you don’t overspend. Keep in mind that you’ll need to bid on keywords in order to have your ads appear, so make sure you have enough budgeted for those bids.
When you meet with the right agency, have this budget in mind. And remember, if you sell big-ticket items or services, you can expect to have to pay more for those conversions.
If a customer is worth $500 to you, for example, it makes sense to have to invest $250 before you get that first conversion.
Overall, PPC doesn’t have to be scary or costly, though!
By doing your research, choosing the right keywords, setting a budget, and testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can maximize your earnings potential from this form of marketing.
Tips for Improving Your PPC Campaigns
If you’re running campaigns on your own and aren’t ready to get the help of an agency, how can you improve your campaigns? Follow a few of our top PPC marketing tips.
First, review your keyword list. Make sure that you’re targeting ones that are relevant to your product or service and that have a good chance of converting into sales.
Then, take a close look at your ad copy. Is it well-written and targeted to your audience? If not, make some changes.
A/B testing can be helpful here. Try out different versions of your ad and see which performs better.
Additionally, don’t forget to check your landing pages. Are they optimized for conversions? Make sure that they’re relevant to your ads and that they contain a strong call to action.
And, finally, review your bid amounts. Are you bidding too low? If so, you may not be getting as much exposure as you could be.
On the other hand, if you’re bidding too high, you could be wasting money on clicks that don’t convert into sales. Experiment with different bid amounts to find the sweet spot for your campaigns.
Get Help With PPC Marketing
So, what is PPC marketing? It’s a cost-effective way to appear at the top of search results. When you do, you have a higher chance of getting qualified leads to your website that can turn into paying customers.
While that’s a pretty short summary of PPC marketing, there’s actually a lot that goes into creating a successful campaign. If you’re looking for help with setting up or optimizing a PPC campaign, get in touch.
Our experienced PPC specialists are here to help! Schedule your strategy call today.