Two of the most important factors of any Pay Per Click (PPC)
campaign are creating successful ads and deciding how much to
pay per click. There are many PPC options out there to choose
from, I am going to focus on the two most popular, Google
AdWords and Overture.
Creating your ads for AdWords Creating your ad copy is the
single most important part of any ad campaign. You want your ad
to stand out amongst the others and scream out ‘click me!' If
your add looks and says the same thing as everyone else users
will simply pass it by.
Before creating your ads you need to determine your target
market and keyword selections. If your company focuses on a
specific market niche try to target your ads in regards to that
niche. Properly targeted ads will almost always out-perform
those directed at a general audience.
When creating your first ad be sure to fit in your main keywords
either in the title or near the beginning of the body text. Say
something to draw attention by using call to action phrases and
words that provoke enthusiasm and response. Things like “ Save
on DVDs," "Get cheap stereos," or "Join now for 20% discount,”
etc. Just be cautious, if you advertise something that you don't
offer, Google will pull your ad. If your ad says you have
something for free, you better have something for free listed on
your landing page! Always be sure to follow Google's Guidelines
.
Once you are happy with your first ad, create 3 more ads that
are radically different from the first. After 3 or 4 days take a
look at how your ads are doing. (If you are using less
frequently searched terms you may have to wait 1-2 weeks for
better results.) Check the click through rate (CTR) of each ad.
In most cases one of the 4 will show to be out-performing the
rest. If this is the case, delete the poorly performing ads and
create 3 new ads that closely resemble the successful one, each
with subtle differences in the title and body text.
Again wait 3 or 4 days to see which of the ads is out performing
the rest. If you again notice that one stands out, repeat the
process. Eventually you will end up with 4 quality ads that are
performing equally. Once the ads have leveled out, continue to
keep an eye on them, I recommend daily. If one begins to slip,
slightly tweak the wording. You must always keep an eye on your
ads if you wish for them to continually perform well.
Determining your Max Cost Per Click with AdWords With AdWords
when you enter your MAX CPC, it will then show you what Google
estimates your average position will be for each keyword. ( The
position predictions provided by Google are based on historical
data from previous advertisers and are not 100% accurate, but it
will give you an idea what to expect.)
Unfortunately there is no way to see what the competition is
paying, so in most cases it's a bit of a duck hunt in the
beginning. I suggest starting out with a MAX CPC slightly higher
than you would normally, this will give you a slightly higher
ranking and increase your chances of accumulating clicks. If
your ad performs really well your rank will increase. As you
begin to establish a good click through rate (CTR) you can
adjust your max CPC to reflect the position you wish to obtain.
(See part one of this article to find out how Google ranks ads.)
Creating your ads for Overture With Overture, writing the
perfect ad is slightly different than with AdWords. Overture
only allows you to create one ad per keyword, so this takes away
the option of trying out various ads and going with the obvious
winner, however, the basis for creating your initial ad remains
virtually the same. After you have selected your target market
and main keywords, write a specific ad targeting each individual
keyword and be sure to include the keyword in the title or
beginning of the main body text along with a call to action
phrase or something that is sure to draw attention. Remember to
check the status of your ads on a weekly basis, and tweak as
needed. Keep and eye on your click through rate and regularly
tweak poorly performing ads
Determining your Max Cost Per Click with Overture Deciding how
much to spend on Overture is simple. Take a look at what the
competition is spending, and out bid them. With Overture you
should always try to be in the top 3 if you wish to have your ad
dispersed among partner sites. (Yahoo, Lycos, MSN, etc). If the
number 1 spot is currently paying 25 cents per click you need
only bid 26 cents to grab the number 1 spot. If you want the
number one spot, but are also willing to pay more, you can bid
40 cents, and will only be charged the 26 cents. One penny above
the competition. Keep in mind though, if someone else increases
their bid, your actual cost will also increase up to the max CPC
you have entered.
Managing an AdWords or Overture PPC campaign can be confusing at
first, but it doesn't take long to get a handle on what works.
Creating a highly successful ad the first time around with
either AdWords or Overture is a rare occurrence, but with a bit
of regular maintenance and a well targeted campaign it won't
take long to start seeing results.
About the author:
Scott Van Achte is a Search Engine Optimization Professional and
PPC Manager at StepForth Search Engine Placement Inc. Based in
Victoria, BC, Canada. You can read more of Scott's articles and
those of the StepForth team at http://news.stepforth.com or
contact us at http://www.stepforth.com/ Tel - 250-385-1190 Toll
Free - 877-385-5526 Fax - 250-385-1198
