Tips for PPC Success

There are several things a website can do to increase the return on investment (ROI) of a PPC campaign.

Lesson One: Develop a Solid Keyword Strategy

A good keyword strategy begins with an extensive keyword analysis. In the section, “Using Google’s Keyword Tool,” the basics of Google’s free online tool that enables websites to explore what people are searching for online – and what keywords those people are using in their searches – are explained. A comprehensive keyword strategy enables companies and websites to decide where their PPC dollars and best spent and which keywords the site should optimize and bid for.

Lesson Two: Start Small

Although many websites want to get maximum exposure through PPC campaigns, a PPC novice should begin by using only one PPC provider. Using only one PPC provider to begin with will allow advertisers to become familiar with the ins and outs of PPC, while also keeping administrative overhead costs to a minimum.

Lesson Three: Test and Measure

After the first round PPC ads have been launched, the results of this campaign absolutely must be tested and measured. Tracking results will provide a clear picture of which keywords are effective and which are not so that the campaign can be modified to achieve the best results. One particularly effective statistic is Cost per Conversion. Cost per conversion is a marketing and advertising term used to describe the cost of acquiring a customer. Cost per conversion is calculated by dividing the total cost of an ad campaign by the number of conversions. A conversion occurs when a visitor clicks on the advertisement and completes a desired action on the advertiser’s website. This action can be a sale or simply the collection of e-mail addresses.

Again, websites use pay per click to generate increased traffic and visibility, but the objective of increased traffic and visibility is usually to make a sale. If customers are clicking through and not purchasing anything, the PPC campaign is not generating a high ROI. Tracking and measuring results enables advertisers to determine the most efficient keywords, the best PPC providers, and the best content for the advertisement and landing page.