When you are starting your online business, finding and directing visitors to your website can take some time. However, in business time is money. You do not want to wait around for traffic to appear organically. Instead, you might consider instituting a pay per click (PPC) campaign to help increase the number of visitors.
A PPC Campaign will drive targeted, prequalified visitors to your website. You pay based on how many people click on certain keywords and are then directed to your landing page. In a way, you are only paying for the success of your marketing, but only if you go about instituting the campaign in the most effective manner.
Select Relevant Keywords
No PPC campaign is going to be successful if you do not first select the best keywords for your particular site. Make sure your words are relevant, and that you pick phrases your target customers will use. It does no good at all to pay for keywords that are not going to drive qualified traffic.
For instance, if you sell virus protection software, paying for a PPC Campaign with the keyword “computer” will not likely give you the best results. Instead, consider a more relevant phrase, such as “computer antivirus program”.
You may want to consider utilising a program that will reveal the most relevant keywords for your site, based on a sampling of the competition. These programs usually cost money, but it may well be worth it, particularly if you own more than one site and businesses for more than one type of product or service.
Know Your Target Customers
If you do not know who you are targeting, how can you reach them? Consider the demographics of your target market, where they reside, the websites they visit and the groups they belong to. Know what they are looking for, and how they go about finding it.
You may have to go through some trial and error in selecting the best keywords to reach your targeted visitors. Make sure you analyse the results of your campaign often and take the time to determine what keywords are gaining the most traffic to your website. Get rid of those keywords that are not increasing your sales, but merely costing you money.
Select Appropriate Landing Pages
Not only it is important to select the proper keywords, but you must ensure that your visitors land on the appropriate page. If someone is looking for a one time antivirus service, then direct them to your page featuring a free trial offer. This saves frustration on the part of the person searching, and directs the most relevant traffic, hopefully resulting in increased sales.
Some PPC partners, such as Google Adwords, provide tools and analytics which can help you decide on the best keywords to use, identify your target market, and determine the most appropriate landing pages. After all, your success means that you will stick with their program and it is a win-win situation for both parties.
PPC Campaigns do cost money, but when done right, they can be well worth the expense.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.AussieSEO.com 2010
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
I really have to nail understanding keywords. I need to choose the right keywords not only for creating a successful PPC campaign but also for my blog.
You really have to learn the language that your target market uses. Sometimes what you think is right, really isn’t. Not to mention learning to choose the right landing pages. I have a lot to learn with all of this. I know bits and pieces but it’s the putting them together that’s the problem.
Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn Competition – This is It
It all starts with keyword research Jazz, then testing and measuring your PPC campaign. Like you say, there is a lot to learn, start out slowly and you will learn a lot as you go.
Since this post was written Google have introduced the sktool. This is a PPC marketers dream. Along with the keyword tool external and Market Samurai, I use it for all my seo work now.
Wal Heinrich´s last blog ..Cheapest Granny Flats In Australia
Sounds like you got PPC mastered Wal. Maybe I can get a few pointers from you
I have had minimal success with PPC to date. Even though now I have optimized my campaigns to the point that I am still bringing in traffic/sales to match my investment. I would love it to actually bring in a larger profit, but still learning at this point.
Cemil´s last blog ..Scribe SEO Plugin – Making SEO Easy
Apologies for sounding like I got PPC mastered. Not the case at all. The point I am making is that the sktool makes keyword selection so much more precise. There’s a lot more to PPC than keyword selection, altho that is critically important, is it not?
Wal Heinrich´s last blog ..Cheapest Granny Flats In Australia
Relevant keywords are definitely an important part of any successful PPC campaign Wal. I haven’t used the sktool a lot as yet, I’ll have to check it out further, thanks for bringing it up
Thanks Wal – I havent heard of this one.
Have they incorporated this into their new keyword tool software? It looks like it has the same function – maybe this gives you more refined KW’s.
Jayne Pleysier´s last blog ..How A Marketing Service Can Help Your Business Grow
Hi Sean
What really stands out in this article is the need to do our keyword research as the first requirement. I notice that Wal mentioned Google sktool, something I will take a look at. Keyword research cannot be hit and miss, it is a precise science I think, having the right tools and being clued up as to what words people will type in to search for your product.
It makes sense to research the demographics of the target market. I notice the word demographics popping up quite often in internet marketing vocabulary and I understand how it is also important as you would not want to be pitching online video games to an area of predominantly retired people (or would you… maybe they like playing warcraft!)
Considering the importance of these two research tools, I would need quite a bit more education on how to use them more effectively and to understand them in more depth before I considered starting a PPC campaign.
Elly´s last blog ..
No matter whether you’re trying for a successful PPC campaign or not, one of the mosst essential steps is the keyword research phase. Without carefully chosen, relevant keywords you will not accomplish anything. Resources, such as Google’s sktool and the Adobe Air application, Market Samurai, are readily available to help you through the onerous task of selecting appropriate keywords.
Don White´s last blog ..Psycho-
Hi Sean,
This is good. This article highlights that I need to learn about PPC before using this service. Also that knowing correct keywords to use in a PPC campaign reduces risks. I see the aim is to make money not to lose it by making SEO mistakes.
There’s no doubt that I will be using online advertising as an affiliate marketer. PPC will most likely be my first choice. Thank-you, Sean.
Jill Brown´s last blog ..Couples Marry at Common Law
A successful ppc campaign sounds like the thing you want to have in place when you have a great product to sell. At the moment I am still busy with building my online persona and preparing sites for great products, so the ppc campaign is still a bit further down the track.
But as always the main ingredients online seem to be good keyword research and a great headline
Renee´s last blog ..Self Improvement Books – What Are Your Favourites
PPC campaigns are defineately a way to traffic to your site quickly….like within fifteen minutes..and they can cost a fotune if you dont keep an eye on them ie $15 a day is $450 a month! Like Wal mentioned…I am no expert but PPC is the only form of internet marketing that I have done.
Hi Jody,
So, how effective do you find PPC compared to the amount of money you invest? Also, how much knowledge did you have before you started your first PPC campaign?
I would be really interested in your experiences. I think all of us could learn a lot from you.
Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Finding Your Passion
There are so many KW tools out there which is fantastic – it is just a pity that sometime you get varied results for the same KW and time period whcih can make it difficult to decide what to do with the KW……
Running a good PPC campaign with good KW strategy is very important as many advertising networks are more than happy for you to keep giving them money.
Jayne Pleysier´s last blog ..How A Marketing Service Can Help Your Business Grow