PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is an online marketing model used to direct traffic to sites, drive sales, and generate leads. With this system, companies accrue costs only when a user clicks on their ad.
Google is by far the largest provider of PPC advertising in the world. Each year, more than seven million companies from every corner of the globe use the Google Ads platform to find new customers. Google made almost $150 billion in revenue from online ads in 2020.
The most common type of PPC advertising is the paid search ad. These ads appear when users search for things (especially products or services) on Google.
Paid search is not the only kind of PPC marketing, however. Businesses like yours can also drive sales using display ads and remarketing.
Why Your Company Should Be Using Google Ads
Put simply, your company ought to be using Google Ads because it will increase your bottom line. Google estimates businesses that run paid search ads on its platform make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend.
PPC visitors are also more valuable to your company than organic visitors. Users who click on your ads are about 50 percent more likely to buy your products or services than those who come to your site organically.
Of course, PPC ads dont just drive sales and generate leads. Research indicates online ads can increase brand awareness by as much as 80 percent.
Marketing your business on Google Ads can also make life a little better for your customers.75 percent of people say paid search ads made it easier to find the information they needed about a product or service.
In short, if you arent using Google Ads, you are likely missing out on a lot of sales.74 percent of brands say PPC ads are a huge driver for their business.
How to Run an Effective PPC Advertising Campaign
To run a highly effective PPC campaign on Google Ads, you must do two things. They are:
Create an ad that will entice Google users to click your link, and
Get your advertisement in front of the right people
Ready to start driving sales and generating leads with Google Ads? Were going to give you practical, proven strategies that will help you do just that!
Creating Your PPC Ad
Creating a PPC ad that will persuade Google users to click on your link is not the daunting task it may appear at first. To achieve your goal, all you need to do is follow these simple tips:
Write in the Second Person
It can be tempting to write your PPC ads in the first person:
We are proud of our wide selection of new and used cars.
We offer helicopter tours of Los Angeles.
We have 74 luxurious guest rooms and 16 suites.
However, you should generally avoid making your ad copy about yourself. Instead, your customers ought to be the subject of your ad.
Writing your ad in the second person is a great way to keep your focus on your customers:
With tons of new and used cars to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect one for your family.
Enjoy a helicopter tour of Los Angeles with your friends.
Get away with your partner to a luxurious guest room or suite.
Focusing on your customers in this way will make them much more likely to click on your ad.
Mirror the Users Search Phrase
When searching for products and services online, people tend to use as few words as possible. Very few Google users search for:
Catering for office parties in Los Angeles, California
Shoes for ballet dancing in New York City
Instead, they are much more likely to search for terms like:
Office party catering in LA
Ballet shoes in NYC
When writing your ad copy, you should strive to include phrases that mirror those used by Google users. Avoid using unnecessarily complex language.
Include Relevant Keywords
Dont forget to sprinkle some relevant keywords into your ad copy. As a general rule of thumb, you should try to include your primary keyword at the beginning of your headline and at least once in your ad description.
You should always insert your keywords in a natural way.Keyword stuffing is likely to upset Google and make you appear unprofessional to potential customers.
Google offers a Keyword Planner to help you select the right keywords for your ad. This tool is completely free to use. All you need is a Google account.
Outline the Benefits of Your Product or Service
Google users wont click on your ad just because it appears on their screen. You need to give them a good reason to take that step.
Outlining the benefits of your products or services is one of the best ways to convince potential customers to interact with your ad. Shoot for sentences like these:
Get a free three-year warranty when you buy a car from ABC Autos.
Save 20 percent when you insure your home with John Smith Insurance.
Grab a free toy with the purchase of any kids meal at LA Chicken.
These kinds of statements give users a reason to click on your ad instead of continuing to scroll through their search results to find other options.
Describe What Sets Your Company Apart from the Competition
What does your company do that sets it apart from the competition? Do you:
Offer a money back guarantee?
Have a dedicated customer service team?
Make your products from better quality materials?
Offer lower prices?
Guarantee on-time service?
Offer free shipping?
Tell users about your companys unique selling point in your ad. The following statements are clear and convincing:
Free shipping on all orders.
The lowest prices on used cars in NYC.
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.
You can also mention any awards your company or its products have won to show you are better than the competition.
Include Relevant Facts, Figures, and Statistics
The world of online advertising is filled with vague statements like:
Save money when you switch to John Smith Insurance.
Customers prefer the taste of ABC Soda.
XYZ Athletic shoes last longer than the competition.
These sentences may be true, but they are unlikely to convince users to click on the ad. People tend to see these vague statements as untrustworthy.
If you want to get shoppers to click on your ad, you need to provide them with hard data. The following sentences provide them with the facts, figures, and statistics they want:
Save up to $400 when you switch to John Smith Insurance.
84 percent of customers prefer the taste of ABC Soda.
XYZ Athletic shoes last 40 percent longer than the competition.
The headline is the best place to insert your facts and figures. However, if you cannot put them there, you may also add them into your description.
Link Your Ad to a Purpose-Built Landing Page
When Google users click on your PPC ad, they expect to go to a relevant page on your website. For example, if a person clicks your ad for used SUVs, they expect to find themselves on a page full of pre-owned SUVs for sale.
The best way to ensure users find the products or information they expect behind your ad is to build a customized landing page. This landing page should have the following elements:
A relevant main headline
A detailed description of the benefits of your product or service
Answers to frequently asked customer questions
High-quality pictures or videos of your product
A compelling call to action
Avoid including details about your companys other products and services in your dedicated landing page. This information is likely to distract the user and may result in them failing to convert into a customer.
Add Relevant Ad Extensions
You can expand the size of your advertisement using ad extensions. Extensions are additional snippets of information designed to make your ad more valuable to Google users.
Google currently offers 10 types of ad extensions. They are:
Sitelink extensions
Callout extensions
Message extensions
Call extensions
Location extensions
App extensions
Promotion extensions
Price extensions
Structured snippet extensions
Affiliate location extensions
These extensions can make your ad stand out on the search results page. There is no additional charge for using them, so you should try to include at least a few in your ad.
Include a Compelling Call To Action
You need to let users know what you would like them to do after seeing your ad. If you dont, they are likely to become confused and continue scrolling.
The best way to provide shoppers with the direction they need is by including a clear and compelling call to action in your PPC ad. The following statements are likely to have the desired effect:
Call (123) 456-7890 today to schedule your free estimate.
Find out more about this new sedan on the ABC Autos website.
Buy your new phone case today on the XYZ Accessories online store.
The more compelling your call to action is, the more likely you are to convince Google users to call you, visit your website, or buy your product.
Targeting Your PPC Ad
Now that youve created an enticing PPC ad, its time to get it in front of the right people! To accomplish this feat, all you need to do is follow these tips:
Target the Places Your Clients Live
Google Ads gives you the ability to target your ads at people who live in certain cities, states, or ZIP codes. You should try to ensure your PPC ads only end up in front of users who are likely to become your customers.
The locations you should target will depend on the nature of your business. If you operate a lawn mowing company, you might want to focus your efforts on suburban areas around your town. However, if you run a car dealership, you may prefer to target everyone within driving distance of your showroom.
If you arent sure which areas to target, consider conducting a survey to find out where your existing customers live. Their neighbors may also be interested in your products or services.
Run Your Ad at the Optimal Times
The name of the game in PPC advertising is putting your message in front of the right eyeballs at the optimal time. Luckily, Google Ads lets you schedule your ads down to the minute.
When deciding what times to run your ads, you should consider:
Your Opening Hours: If you are only open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, there is little point in running an ad asking people to call you at midnight.
Your Customer Demographics: Are your customers usually tucked up in bed by 10:00 pm? Consider stopping your ads around 9:30 pm.
The Nature of Your Business: Do people tend to need your products more in the morning than the evening? It may be wise to run your ads from 7:00 am – 11:00 am.
If you arent sure what times make the most sense for your business, you may run your ads 24/7 to start. You can then begin to focus your efforts as you gather more data.
Target the Types of Devices Your Customers Typically Use
Mobile devices now account for about 55 percent of worldwide website traffic. But does your target market follow that trend?
If you primarily market your products and services to seniors, you may find that it doesnt. Elderly Americans typically prefer to use laptops and desktop computers to shop online.
However, if your services are aimed at teenagers and young adults, you will likely find that upwards of 80 percent of their browsing occurs on mobile devices.
Google Ads gives you the ability to target your advertisements by device. Consider focusing your efforts on the devices your customers usually use if you want to maximize your return on investment.
Select a Range of Valuable, Relevant Keywords
Before you can publish your PPC advertisement, you will need to select your keywords. But what steps should you take to make sure you pick the right ones?
You can start by using the Google Keyword Planner. This tool can analyze your business and suggest relevant keywords. It will also provide you with estimates of the search volume each keyword receives and the cost to target them.
You may also wish to research the keywords your competitors target. If they work for the competition, they may also work for you.
The most successful PPC marketing campaigns generally have a mix of the following types of keywords:
Brand Keywords: Keywords that include a company name.
