PPC Trick or Treat: Maximize Your ROI With Smart Ad Campaigns This Halloween
Imagine you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect PPC campaign, but when it’s time to check the results, you’re greeted by a haunting sight — minimal conversions and a bunch of wasted money. You just got ghosted by potential leads!
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be an effective way of reaching niche audiences and providing your website with an instant boost in traffic. Running a PPC campaign can also be a scary proposition. Here’s a look at common PPC mistakes to avoid and some tips for turning your campaign into a smashing success.
The PPC Tricks to Avoid
Don’t get ghosted by your PPC strategy. To make sure you get the best results, avoid these common mistakes.
- Wasting Money on Poorly Targeted Ads
One of the scariest tricks in the PPC world involves wasting money on ads that don’t reach the right audience. If you’re not segmenting your audience properly, you could end up targeting people who are uninterested or geographically irrelevant.
For example, say you run a local service company. Unfortunately, you accidentally configured your campaign to run nationwide ads and drained your budget with virtually nothing to show for it. Your ad spend goes up, but your conversions remain frightfully low.
- Ignoring Negative Keywords
Negative keywords don’t get enough love — and not without reason. They are literally named after something negative. However, they can be a great tool to make your campaign more relevant.
A negative keyword is a search term you exclude from your campaigns. By adding a few negative keywords to your campaign, you can keep your ads more focused and reduce the likelihood that they will appear in front of irrelevant audiences.
- Using Generic Ad Copy
Bland ad copy will crush a PPC campaign in the blink of an eye. Just because you are paying for premium ad placement doesn’t mean you can cut corners in terms of content. You need compelling copy that will encourage users to click on your ads and explore what your brand has to offer.
Generic copy leads to forgettable campaigns. Don’t be surprised if your click-through rates (CTR) and conversion percentages are lackluster if you have a bunch of generic phrases in your ads.
The PPC Treats: What to Do Right
Pay-per-click advertising can be a real treat for your brand. Here are three things you need to do to make the most of every PPC campaign.
- Be Precise With Targeting and Keyword Research
Keywords are the foundation of every digital marketing strategy. Whether you are publishing organic content or paying for ad space, the success of your efforts hinges on the quality of your keyword research. By using specific terms and geotargeting, you can ensure your ads are shown to those most likely to convert.
We won’t sugar coat it: The right keywords will lead to more efficient use of your ad spend and higher conversion rates. Use Google’s Audience Insights to get a better understanding of who’s engaging with your ads. This allows you to refine your targeting for even better results.
- Use Ad Extensions and Engaging Visuals
Ad extensions include site links and structured snippets. These add-ons give users more information and make your content more interactive. A few extensions can increase your CTR and ensure the user experience by making your ads more visually appealing.
Make sure to pair your content with engaging visuals that stop users from scrolling past your advertisements. Ensure your visuals are on-brand and relevant to the keyword you are targeting. The entire experience needs to be seamless and consistent.
- Optimize Landing Pages for Conversions
A click represents the start of a customer’s journey, not the end of it. PPC campaigns are designed to get users to your landing pages so you can win them over.
Make sure you’ve invested in high-quality landing pages that give you a chance to win more business. A smooth and consistent journey from the ad to the final call to action will increase your odds of success. Test different landing pages to see which performs best, and always ensure your mobile users have a great experience.
Data So Good It’s Scary. How to Measure Campaign Success
Did your ads work? You won’t know unless you are paying attention to the right metrics. A few data points to consider include impressions, CTR, and conversions. Here’s what each of these metrics tell you:
- Impressions: How often your ad was shown
- Click-Through Rate: The percentage of people who clicked
- Conversions: The number of users who completed your desired action (purchase, sign-up)
Use these insights to figure out what worked and what you need to do differently in the future. Crunch the numbers to calculate your cost per conversion so you can better understand if the results were worth the effort.
Make Your Next PPC Campaign Frighteningly Good
Don’t let a bunch of tricks derail your next PPC campaign. Team up with Dagmar Marketing, and let us help you make every advertising dollar count. Our hands-on PPC pros will assist with everything from content creation to audience targeting. Connect with us online or give us a call at 877-753-0050 to learn more.
Angie Batten
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