Saturday, October 4, 2008

Effective PPC Advertising

By Brian Basch

Advertising your products and services using a PPC (pay per click) campaign can be one of the most effective methods of spreading the word about your business. However, it's vital to do this with a good plan, since doing it wrong could actually end up costing you money. Paying attention to all the details will result in a more effective PPC campaign, and will allow you to avoid all the pitfalls. Here are some great PPC tips to help you get all the benefits of this advertising method, without the downsides.

Step one. Get the keywords right the first time. A lot of computer geniuses out there will tell you to choose the most common keyword you can think of. The truth of the matter is that that common keyword might work great, but it will cost you big dollars. To make matters worse, common keywords often attract window shoppers who click but don't buy. However, there's a way to get more bang for your buck with something called a 'targeted keyword phrase' and also referred to as 'a long tail keyword'.

Experiment with a few, more specific phrases by searching Google or another popular engine to find the one that gives you good results for your product. You can also use some of the available tools for finding good permutations of keywords, and which can offer hundreds of viable phrases for your business. Test these keywords to find the ones that are most effective.

Then, when you're confident you have the right keyword combination, it's time to start designing the advertisement. Don't skimp on time here, even the best keywords can't work in a poorly designed ad. What you need here is to compel the reader and draw them towards the headline, then seal the deal with copy that empowers the reader to click and find out more. Make sure your ad is accurate, bad descriptions will always lead to lost sales.

Make sure your ad copy includes a sense of urgency, as well as the chief benefits of the products and services you offer. Let your customer know that clicking on the ad now to make a purchase has advantages. Many ads do well by including promotional or discount information in the third line - a limited time offer is an excellent choice.

Try for a high ranking on a search page, but remember that many people click reflexively on the first-ranked ad. That could result in more sales, or more empty clicks, as visitors realize that wasn't where they meant to go. Being high on the page is good, but if it's a waste of resources, don't try to be the highest. Focus on a great ad that's well targeted to your audience, instead.

Benchmark your campaigns by having a look at what your competition is doing. If something is working for them then keep up with them. Direct copying of someone else's work is a mistake, so adapt their campaign and look to improve on it again. After all, you don't want to spend your life following in line. There are also benefits in looking at people's bad advertising. This will help ensure you don't do what they did.

When it comes to PPC advertising there are no guarantees. Reaching the right customer for your campaign is the key to your success. With your insights, knowledge and suitable changes, your marketing campaign will be right on track. And, you will find you are reaching out to the right customer and making more sales. - 15359

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