Get your ppc strategy right by avoiding these three common mistakes
- by Steve Taylor
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- 22 Oct, 2017
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Paid ads are a powerful marketing technique, and can be a low-cost solution for generating valuable leads and website traffic.
Google AdWords has made it easier than ever to get started with PPC marketing, which might be why you’ve unknowingly succumbed to some common mistakes.
As you’re looking for a positive return on your investment, here are the top three mistakes you need to be aware of today.
Your chosen PPC keywords aren’t narrow enough
You’re trying to maximise your chances of getting valuable leads to find and click on your ad.
The problem is, as a new advertiser you’re going to be competing against a lot of experienced professionals who have the budgets to use those general keywords such as ‘men’s suits’.
Do you really want to be paying £s per click that might not turn into a sale?
You need to be starting your AdWords campaign with five to ten long-tail keywords that you’ve selected based on performance data – your own website and Google’s information.
Google AdWords Planner, Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools are where you need to be looking for this valuable information.
Once you’ve started gaining a positive ROI and your ad tactics have been shown to work well, you can begin to introduce broader search terms.
You’re sending PPC traffic directly to your homepage
You need to be directing your PPC ad visitors to a landing page – not having them land on your homepage.
A landing page has been specifically written for the target audience you’re trying to hit through your PPC ads. The copy is appealing, engaging and aligned with what they were specifically looking for on Google.
If you’re letting visitors land on a generic homepage after they were searching for a specific keyword, you can see how they might be a bit miffed at having to work for the information they were looking for.
Ultimately, this leads to missed conversion opportunities, lower ROI and higher bounce rates – the latter of which has a direct impact on your organic SEO rankings.
It takes time and patience to craft a high converting landing page, and it is essential that you run split testing to keep the page optimised for your audience.
You’re excluding negative keywords in your PPC strategy
Research has shown that just under 50% of PPC advertisers don’t add a negative keyword to their accounts. That means they’re losing out on maximizing the effectiveness of their PPC spend and potential return on investment.
Imagine you’re selling watches.
There are a lot of search terms that might include the word ‘watches’ – luxury watches, cheap watches, etc. If you sell sports watches designed for sporting professionals, you don’t want your ad to show up in search results for ‘cheap watches’.
So, you need to add that as a negative keyword.
Failure to do so will dilute your strategy and prove costly, rather than effective.
How many of these mistakes have you been making? Don’t worry too much, PPC marketing is very much a case of trial and error which is why we recommend using affiliates to minimise that risk whilst maximising your return on investment. To find out more, click here.
Amazon has taken the world by storm with its range of products, drone deliveries and streaming services, but one aspect you might not have considered before is its pay per click marketing, otherwise known as “sponsored products”.
If you sell products, then advertising through Amazon is an effective way of reaching a bigger audience and increasing your revenue. But how do you get started with one of the world’s largest retailers?
Sponsored product ads appear in both Amazon’s search results and product listing pages
Although you will find that the PPC ads on Amazon are discreetly marked as ‘sponsored’, they do fit in seamlessly within the rest of the search results, dare I say it far better than on Google where it’s obvious to many that the advertisement has been paid for.
It’s also easy to get started with Amazon’s PPC system.
Any seller with a professional selling plan can place ads, although not all of Amazon’s categories are currently available to advertise under. You can quickly get started and find the answers to your questions under Amazon’s helpful service pages , and as always, their customer service is easily accessible for support.
Just like Google Ads, Amazon’s PPC works as an auction style system where you place bids for where you want your advert to appear, and the highest bidder wins the first position.
There are several key reasons why you should be considering Amazon for your PPC advertising
Amazon is fantastic at running seasonal promotions. Like many people, around those all important dates of the year – Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day and Valentines, you probably head straight to Amazon to either buy gifts or garner some inspiration.
Amazon advertising can be found everywhere, from billboards to television ads, so you know that your PPC campaign can tap into some of that marketing magic too, something that Google still struggles somewhat to achieve.
It’s also perfect for boosting a single product you might be struggling to shift from your warehouse. Where Google is best for landing page campaigns and sales funnels, when you just have a product to clear or a new line to introduce to the market, Amazon is perfect for giving an instant boost exactly where you need it.
Don’t forget about the “accidental effects” to your organic SEO either .
The more your products are viewed online, along with visits to your website, positive reviews and that crucial “social proof” is in place, you will find that your organic SEO is given a boost and the effects of an Amazon PPC campaign will be found elsewhere in your digital marketing.
We think that giving Amazon sponsored products advertising a try in 2019 is certainly worth a try if you’re an e-commerce or drop shipping business owner looking for a new marketing tactic. As always, for advice and support with all things pay per click marketing, get in touch with us here at Bargainarena Limited, and we’ll be delighted to help.
