Whether you’re new or kicking it old school with PPC (pay-per-click), it’s important you stay on top of the PPC best practices. And, yes, there’re a lot of them. And, yes, they may change here and there along the way with algorithm updates.
So, today we thought we’d give you three relevant, quick, and easy PPC best practices. They’re so quick and easy, you can update a poor performing PPC campaign right now if you’d like to.
Without further ado…
Your PPC Ad Copy
It should come as no surprise that your PPC ad copy needs to be on point. If your copy isn’t resonating with your target, no one will be clicking on your ad.
First step is to snag your targeted keywords so your ad is seen by the people who will buy from you. If your copy is written well, it will compel those people to click.
Ask yourself what the purpose of your ad is. What is it trying to solve for your ideal customer? Once you narrow that down, you’ll have the basis for excellent ad copy because you’ll know what the searcher is searching, and how they’re searching for it.
PPC ads aren’t lengthy, in fact, you have a maximum number of characters to create your headline, URL, and description. So be sure your ad comprises these attributes:
- Understands and talks to your target buyer
- Uses your main keyword
- Has a clear CTA (call to action- what you want them to do)
- Relates to the info you have on the landing page
Because space is limited, don’t overthink your ad copy. Be direct and give the customers the answer to what they’re looking for.
Your Landing Page
Your PPC ad should have a landing page that gives the results it promises when the ad is clicked. That means, more likely than not, the page will be dedicated specifically to whatever your ad is offering.
Say your ad is talking about house cleaning services directed to customers with pets who have accidents, focused on carpet cleaning. You wouldn’t want your user to be taken to the homepage of a house cleaning company that details nothing about pets or carpet care, but is rather very general about the cleaning services offered.
You were very specific with your ad, make it easy for your users to find the answers they’re looking for. If it’s not relevant, your user will bounce. The hope is that the user turns into a buyer, so if they clicked, they’re well on the way, don’t ruin it with a faulty landing page.
A good landing page gets conversions which will help you with better search engine credibility and rank, too.
Here’s how to create a converting landing page:
- Have a good headline that matches your ad
- Make the page readable, scannable, and clean
- Create an easy way for the user to get in touch/buy, with a clear CTA
- Have targeted, strong, relevant content that utilizes your keywords
- Provides what your ad said it would
A/B Test Your PPC Ads
Think you don’t have time to create a few ads so you can properly test for effectiveness? You’re wrong. What you don’t have time for is creating ads that don’t work. A/B test ‘em!
Consider A/B testing to just be a run of the mill part of your PPC campaign, no thought should go into it, it’s just done. You’ll get invaluable information on what will work and what won’t. And you’ll get insight into both your clickthrough and your conversion rates that will help you in your current campaign and future campaigns.
A/B testing doesn’t have a go-big-or-go-home attitude. In fact, simple adjustments are all you need and you’ll see some pretty remarkable results. You’re only working with a headline, a description, your landing page, and your keywords. Mess with them a bit.
Determine the best keywords. Is a landing page with an image working better than one without? What headline is getting more clicks? This information will greatly help your PPC success.
Stay organized and keep track of what you’re testing, if you test too much at once, it can easily get confusing. And, don’t forget that your ads need a bit of time to work, so allow for that. You know what they say about patience. Once you find out what’s working, base your ads on that and you’ll be on your way to a profitable PPC campaign.
The Takeaway
Sometimes just a few tweaks can turn a PPC campaign completely around. Using strong ad copy combined with a winning landing page will offer you customer satisfaction, website traffic, higher ranking on the SERPs, and more business.
If you want your PPC ad to pay off and give your the ROI you’re looking for, follow the PPC best practices and you’ll get the results.
If you’re looking for more info on PPC and paid ads, Denver PPC is here to answer your questions. Contact us today or feel free to give us a call.
