Want to grow your business using Pay Per Click Advertising? Well you’re, in luck! Pay, per click (PPC) advertising is an online marketing channel that drives targeted traffic straight to your business. Here’s how it works; you create text based ads. Only pay when someone clicks on them. The real power of PPC lies in its ability to target precisely. Those who are actively looking for keywords associated with your goods or services can see your advertisements. 

Choosing the Right Pay-Per-Click Platform

The first step in running effective PPC campaigns is selecting the right advertising platform. The two primary options are Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Here’s an overview of each one:

Google Ads

Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) allows you to place text ads on Google Search as well as their display network (over 2 million websites and videos). Google Ads work on an auction-style model where advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their target audience. Your ads will show on the top and side of Google results pages when people search for your selected keywords.

Pros:

• Precise targeting capabilities – you can target users based on keywords, location, demographics, interests, and more
• Appears on Google Search where over 3.5 billion searches occur per day
• Detailed performance data helps refine your campaigns

Cons:

• Tend to have higher costs per click compared to other Pay-Per-Click platforms
• Complex platform with a learning curve for new advertisers

Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads allow you to display targeted ads to the 2.9 billion people who use Facebook, Instagram and other Facebook-owned properties. You can target users based on location, interests, behaviors and more.

Pros:

• Massive existing audience of engaged users
• Detailed targeting options beyond just keywords
• Lower average cost per click than Google Ads

Cons:

• Users are not always in an intent-driven state of mind when browsing
• Limit of one display ad per page versus multiple text ads on Google
• Less precise tracking of conversions

Look at your business goals, target audience, and budget to determine if Google Ads or Facebook Ads (or both) will be the best fit to achieve your objectives.

Setting Up Your Pay-Per-Click Campaigns

Once you’ve selected the PPC platform(s) to use, it’s time to set up and organize your campaigns.

Start by determining your overall goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for your PPC efforts. Common goals include:

• Driving traffic to your website
• Generating more leads
• Increasing online sales and revenue
• Improving brand awareness

Knowing your goals upfront will inform how you structure your campaigns, ad messaging, landing pages, and tracking methods.

Within your chosen platform, you’ll want to organize your campaigns using a structure that aligns to your business priorities. For example, you may group campaigns as follows:

• Brand awareness – Broad reach to increase awareness
• Lead generation – Focused exclusively on converting visitors into leads
• Product/service lines – Individual campaigns for each of your products or service offerings
• Location targeting – Campaigns optimized for different geographic regions

Clearly defining your campaign structure from the start will help optimize performance over time.

Keyword Research for Pay-Per-Click 

Now it’s time for one of the most important PPC steps – researching and identifying the best keywords to target.

Keywords are the words or phrases that users type into search engines to find products and services. With PPC advertising, you select and bid on keywords relevant to your business to show your ads to people actively searching for those terms. The right keywords will connect you to audiences already interested in solutions like yours.

Approach keyword research with a test-and-learn mindset. As you build out your campaigns, add a mix of:

• Broad match – Targets any searches containing your root keyword (e.g. “software”)
• Phrase match – Shows ads for searches containing an exact phrase (e.g. “CRM software”)
• Exact match – Displays ads only for users searching the explicit term (e.g. [“customer relationship management software”])

Long-tail keywords (longer phrases with 3+ words) often convert better because they indicate a user’s specific intent. You can utilize free keyword research tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and SEMrush to find new keyword ideas.

Monitor the performance of your keywords over time. Eliminate ones with low click-through rates and average order values. Shift the budget toward keywords generating the most conversions and revenue.

Crafting Compelling Ads

You’ve chosen your platform, organized your campaigns, and selected your target keywords. Now it’s time to write awesome ads to promote your business.

Your ad copy will make or break the response rate of your campaigns. Follow these best practices when creating your PPC ads:

• Highlight benefits – Focus on the value your customers will get, not just features
• Use emotional triggers – Appeal to their desires and paint a vision of success
• Establish credibility – Mention awards, years in business, number of customers, etc.
• Use simple, clear language – Communicate your message concisely
• Add a strong call-to-action – Tell users exactly what to do next

Conduct A/B tests of ad variations to determine what messaging resonates most. Try different headlines, descriptions, call-to-action phrases, ad formats and layouts. The more you optimize, the better your click-through and conversion rates will become.

Also Read – How to Use Influencer Marketing

Creating High-Converting Landing Pages

You’ve now gotten a search user to click on your PPC ad. The next step is sending them to a landing page experience aligned to your ad’s promise.

Your landing page is where you’ll convert interested visitors into leads or customers. Here are tips for maximizing conversions:

• Match the ad – The messaging should mirror what was communicated in your ad
• Limit distractions – Remove navigational links, excessive images, etc. to keep focus on the conversion goal
• Make it easy to convert – Reduce friction wherever possible. Have a short form for lead gen, optimized checkout for sales.
• Encourage urgency – Offer discounts or other perks for customers who take action now
• Build trust – Include customer testimonials, security badges, etc. to address concerns

Creating tailored, high-converting landing pages for each of your PPC campaigns will directly lift return on ad spend.

Tracking and Optimizing Performance

One of the major benefits of PPC advertising is the ability to closely track and optimize performance. Make the most of the detailed analytics provided by Google, Facebook, and other PPC platforms.

Key metrics to monitor for each campaign include:

• Impressions – How often your ads were shown
• Clicks – Number of clicks on your ads
• Click-through rate (CTR) – Clicks divided by impressions
• Cost per click (CPC) – What you pay on average for each ad click
• Conversion rate – Percentage of visitors who complete your goal action
• Cost per conversion – Your cost to acquire each customer
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) – Revenue generated per dollar of ad spend

Study these reports frequently and take actions such as:

• Pause poorly performing ads or keywords
• Increase bids on high-converting keywords
• Refine ad copy and landing pages
• Add negative keyword filters
• Shift budget to better-performing campaigns

With ongoing optimization over time, you’ll be able to improve the effectiveness of your PPC advertising and reduce wasted spend.

Wrapping Up

By following the recommendations provided in this guide you can effectively implement a rounded PPC strategy that offers an measurable solution, for boosting business growth. To maximize the return, on your investment make sure to adhere to these practices;

• Select the PPC platform(s) that best align to your goals
• Organize campaigns by objectives and focus areas
• Research and bid on targeted, high-potential keywords
• Create compelling, benefit-driven ads
• Design landing pages that convert visitors into customers
• Track critical performance data and continuously optimize

Pay-per-click advertising takes dedication to master, but it can become one of your most effective sources of qualified leads and sales. With a thoughtful and strategic approach, you’ll see your PPC campaigns contribute to significant business growth over time.