How to build an AdWords PPC campaign that works

Building a successful PPC campaign is a bit like walking a very fine line.

Get it right, and the returns are fruitful. Get it wrong, and you can find yourself wasting money, time and effort.

When setting up your campaign, it's important to remember some basics.

It takes research and planning to create a successful PPC campaign.

1) Start by getting your website right - landing pages included

Your PPC campaign won't work unless you've got a website that works right along with it. Enhancing your conversion rate is not simply a case of numbers or figures – having landing pages that work is critical to a successful campaign. There are dozens of little tweaks you can make to your site to increase its viability. Too often, your landing pages can be the reason you aren't getting the results you expected.

2) Research and target relevant keywords

Most people approach an AdWords campaign thinking they can just bid on keywords and the traffic will start flowing in.

The reality is a bit more complex. Luckily, there are a number of useful tools available, such as Google's Keyword Planner, that can be used to find the right keywords. From the onset, research your keywords and correctly target them. It's tempting to want to focus on one popular keyword, but there is competition to consider, as well as the relevance of the keyword to your particular target.

If you do the work -- the keyword research and proper targeting -- you'll find that your keywords will yield excellent results.

3) Write ads to appeal to your specific audience

For your ads to work, you have to know your audience, and then cater to them. It's pointless doing audience research and then throwing that all out the window when it comes down to creating your ads.

Write ads for your audience. If you're in the market to sell watches, men's and women's, then develop more tightly focused ads for each. Writing generic, broad adverts will not convey a sense of authority over your brand and market, and in small business marketing, creating trust is key to success.

It is crucial to determine the right metrics for your ads. If you do, they get sent to the people who will click, instead of those who might.

Make sure you write ads that will appeal to your audience.

4) Test your campaign

The importance of testing in a PPC campaign cannot be overstated enough. Your strategy is only as good as the data it is built on and making sure that data is current and correct is key. Google provides a number of excellent tools like the AdWords Editor, which is part of its Campaign Experiments platform.

Testing your campaign allows you to determine the most successful keywords, provides up to date information about site performance, and allows you to identify and implement the necessary changes required to turn your campaign into a click-making machine.

In small business marketing, having an inbound PPC campaign can be highly beneficial for revenue and exposure. Simply put, AdWords can grow your business if you use it correctly.

An effective pay-per-click advertising approach is an essential part of any inbound marketing campaign. Learn the inbound ropes with our free B2B Guide to Inbound Marketing. Get your free copy today.

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