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PPC: 4 tips to get the most of paid search efforts | Inbound 281

Written by Mark Parent | March 3, 2016 9:59:23 PM Z

A pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign may seem too expensive, but it also offers fast results and a (potentially) high return on investment (ROI).

It can be an easy way to increase your brand’s reach and boost your sales, especially if you use in conjunction with a well-rounded inbound marketing strategy.

So don’t let yourself be intimidated by the thought of launching a PPC campaign, or worry that you’ll spend your ad budget without anything to show for it; with these four tips, you’ll be able to get the most of your PPC efforts

As much as you might hate crunching numbers, channeling your inner
math nerd
could help you succeed in your PPC campaign. 

1. Balance bid cost with relevance

Expensive keywords cost more for a reason in a PPC campaign. More people search for them, so they create greater traffic volumes. However, you don't want to bid on a keyword just because it's more expensive. You'll need a balance between bid cost and relevance.

As much as you might hate math, you'll have to channel your inner algebra nerd if you want to succeed at the PPC game. If you calculate potential click rates on specific keywords, you'll know how much traffic you should expect to earn from each keyword.


2. Know your business and your audience

A successful inbound marketing strategy often includes PPC advertising, but it's far more diverse than a single source of lead generation. You need to know your business and your audience intimately if you want to have any success in marketing or advertising. This is especially true for PPC, according to Hubspot.

Create a list of questions to answer about your business, your prospects, and your budget. Get as detailed as possible so you can use the answers to fine-tune your approach to PPC advertising. Know your audience's demographics, for example, and your business's specific offerings.


3. Constantly monitor performance

Changing your keywords, tweaking your landing pages, and updating your sales copy are all part of a successful inbound marketing campaign. If you want to get the best results from PPC advertising, you must constantly adjust your strategy based on your analysis of past performance.

If you discover that a high-dollar keyword doesn't result in clicks, for instance, ditch it in favor of an alternative that might produce better results. Change the wording on your calls-to-action and adjust the layouts of your landing pages. Keep testing different solutions so you get the most value for your spend.

Don’t forget, PPC campaigns allow you to track where every cent you spend is going. In order to be successful, you need to analyze your campaign right from the start and adjust your approach accordingly.

 

A successful PPC campaign requires careful monitoring and analysis – and don't be afraid
to make changes based on what your data tells you. 

4. Look beyond traffic

A PPC campaign isn't just about getting eyes on your website. You want more customers, more subscribers, and more communication. If consumers click your ads but never convert, the problem could lie with your ads or with your website.

If visitors are coming to your site and not making desired conversions, it could be that your content offers or keywords on your website don’t align closely enough with your ads and what your audience is looking for.

Working with an inbound marketing agency can help you identify the exact nature of the problem. Sometimes it's difficult for business owners to look at the data objectively, especially if they don't have experience with an inbound marketing strategy.

If you’d like to find out where you could improve your marketing and advertising efforts, click here to get a free inbound marketing assessment.get a free inbound marketing assessment. We're happy to examine your past PPC efforts and help you prepare a road map for the future.

 

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