As pay-per-click consultants, we constantly monitor and adjust client ad campaigns in order to improve their performance.  We have PPC expertise on the best approaches to take when your PPC campaign needs reviving and would like to share that so you can get the most traffic possible, without spending more money.  One of the most common mistakes PPC beginners and professionals alike make is not regularly experimenting and refining their campaigns in order to keep them optimized.

It is best to think of your PPC campaigns as having two modes—experimental and standard.  You’ll start off in experimental mode, then move to standard once you’ve determined which settings work best for your campaign.  Ideally, you will experiment once per quarter in order to continually fine-tune your campaigns.  The internet changes at a very rapid pace.  Settings that worked for you last year might not be the best choice this year, so it’s best to regularly reevaluate.

There are many settings you may experiment with, but there are five that have the biggest impact on success: day parting, location, device, bid prices, and keywords.

1.       Day Parting

Day parting means dividing a day into different parts.  Day parting in PPC means setting ads so they only run on certain days at certain times.  During experimental mode, you probably want your ads to run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 

After you’ve gathered substantial data, go in and check the time of day conversion info.  (If you’re using Google AdWords, it must be connected to Google Analytics for this.)  This will show you which hours on which days have the most conversions.  It’s best to schedule ads to run during these times.

2.       Location

There are many reasons to specify the locations from where searchers may view your ad.  If you’re a local business owner, perhaps it’s worth checking if people living an hour or two away will click as they’re searching for what to do on their weekend getaway.  Even national and international companies can get results by specifying location.  It makes much for sense for ski equipment ads to run in Colorado than in Florida, for example.  Or perhaps your product does well in urban, but not rural areas.  It will save you money to target accordingly.

Like day parting, location is something you don’t want to be too specific about during experimentation.  (Unless, of course, there are already areas you’ve decided on excluding).  Once you’ve received adequate data, only continue to run ads in the successful locations.

3.       Device

“Device” refers to something other than a computer such as a smart phone or tablet.  Because the screens are smaller and the device-user is more likely to be on-the-go, you want to craft a different campaign aimed for these devices.  It should be very simple and contain only the basic information—what you’re selling, how much it costs (or how much of a deal it is), and how they can contact you.  We recommend that your device-targeted ads do not run to regular PPC locations and that your regular PPC location-targeted ads do not run on devices.  Keeping them separate makes sense and allows for better comparison in terms of success.  Certain campaigns might end up being device-only, or computer-only, based on successes.

4.       Bid prices

In AdWords, bid prices can actually be experimented with while you simultaneously run a standard campaign by using the AdWords Campaign Experiments (ACE) option.  This allows you to test a percentage of the ads running with different bid criteria for a specified amount of time and compare it against a control group running at the same time, allowing you to see which bid prices are more successful. 

Just remember: if you experiment with high bid prices and they work well, you have to pay for them!  Make your budget high enough so you can get information from the experimental bid, but low enough that you won’t be upset if it is maxed out.

5.       Keywords

The AdWords Campaign Experiments option also allows testing of different keywords so you can monitor what leads to more clicks and conversions and what doesn’t.  After enabling ACE on an ad campaign, create new ad groups with the keywords you want to test and make the groups part of your experimental campaign.  Let the experiment collect data and then analyze which keywords lead to a higher click through rate and conversion rate.

Still have questions about PPC?  View our other PPC resources available on our website or contact ClickXPosure’s online marketing specialists at 1-888-909-RANK. 

Get More Traffic and Save Money by Experimenting with Your PPC Campaign is a post from: Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Pay Per Click Management (PPC) Local Maps Optimization

There are almost as many PPC agencies as there are keywords to choose from. Finding the one that is the right fit for your small business can be very time consuming and confusing. There is a lot to consider when choosing a PPC agency to manage your campaign. Making the wrong decision can end up costing you time and money – both of short supply when you’re a small business.

To help prevent you from spending unnecessary time and budget on the wrong agency, following are some key factors to look for in a PPC agency to help you make the right decision.

• Does the agency have a knowledgeable staff? It is perfectly acceptable to request to speak to your potential campaign manager on the person on the phone or even to have a face-to-face meeting if the logistics work for both sides before you make your decision. You want to feel comfortable with the person who will be managing how your money is spent, so taking a few extra minutes to set your concerns to rest can be the difference between a failed campaign and a successful campaign.
• What bid management tools does the agency use? Find out if the agency you are considering has its own proprietary tools to manage your campaign. Make sure they can “speak” to search engines such as Google and Bing via API access. If they don’t have their own tools, ensure that they are well-versed in the tools provided by these search engines. Knowing what bid management tools your potential agency has will give you the confidence to make an informed decision.
• What reporting will be available to you? Every agency provides standard reporting to their clients. Ask to see a sample. If it doesn’t contain all the metrics you require, ask if customized reporting is available. Also, find out how often this reporting will be provided. Some agencies will provide reporting on a monthly basis, however, you may need more frequent reports. This may help you determine the flexibility of the agency.
• How attentive is the agency to your needs? It is perfectly normal for you to have questions about your campaign’s performance as the days and weeks go by. If you get the impression that your emails and phone calls are not welcomed, this is a strong indicator of the level of client service you will receive. You want to know that if you see something you don’t understand in the latest performance report provided, you can pick up the phone and receive a clear and detailed explanation.
  However, do bear in mind that every phone call and email that must be answered takes your campaign manager away from actively managing your campaign. So, while it is very important that you know this person is just a phone call away, it is in your best interest to take stock of the urgency of your questions. If they can wait, consider scheduling a thirty-minute weekly phone call to have them all answered at one time rather than calling every time you have a question about your campaign.
• What value-added extras does the agency provide? There are a number of marketing strategies that when combined with PPC, makes PPC even stronger and more successful. Ask your potential agency what other strategies related to PPC they provide. Learning about other potential strategies that complement your PPC campaign may give you even better ROI.

You might not find a PPC management agency that meets 100% of your criteria. However, if you’ve done your homework and found an agency that meets the most important ones, you can feel better about moving forward and begin discussing your budget and their management fees.

What to Look for in a PPC Agency is a post from: Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Pay Per Click Management (PPC) Local Maps Optimization

Pay per click (PPC) has become a go-to marketing strategy, but there are still some smaller businesses that have not yet chosen to try it. Following are five reasons why you, as a small business owner, should explore this valuable marketing option.

 
1. Your competition is there.
   If you are not advertising alongside your competition, they will get the sales you might have captured. Visibility is a powerful tool in today’s world of fast paced search, shop, and purchase.

 

 

2. Your customers are there.
   There is a very good reason why your competition is allocating budget to PPC – your customers are shopping online. If you do not make yourself available where your customers are shopping, their hard earned dollars will go elsewhere.

 

 

3. PPC is growing year over year.
   Each year, more consumers spend more dollars online. PPC is no longer considered a fad. It is here to stay, and shows no signs of slowing down. Your business model must grow with the times to make room in your budget for PPC.

 

 

4. PPC is more accessible today than ever before.
   Your customers are shopping on the go via their smartphones and tablets. They are no longer tied to a desktop computer or even a laptop. Small hand-held devices with wi-fi capabilities are now commonplace and have turned impulse buying from a grab this to a click that.

 

 

5. The cost of hiring PPC experts is within reach.
   If your concern has been that you don’t know how to manage a PPC campaign, worry no more. Some PPC agencies have realized the very important niche of the small business. They have set their rates affordably for businesses with smaller budgets like yours. For example, ClickXposure has PPC management packages that start as low as $200 per month. This includes expert handling of your campaign traffic up to spend of $1,000. These are numbers that other, perhaps larger, agencies won’t touch. And if a monthly investment of even $1,200 is a concern, look at that risk weighed against a new steady income stream. With a little time, patience, and investment, the right agency can grow your business beyond your greatest dreams.

 

Remember, your potential customers are not seeking you out like they used to. They are not buying a newspaper to clip your coupons, they are not waiting for your circular to land in their (snail) mailbox, and they are not waiting for precious time off to browse your brick and mortar shop. In today’s weakened economy, the best sale price and the quickest avenue to purchase is winning.

Agencies geared to small businesses make it easy for you to get your feet wet. So stick a toe in, the temperature is just right!

For more information about ClickXposure’s PPC packages, please follow this link.

Five Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs PPC is a post from: Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Pay Per Click Management (PPC) Local Maps Optimization

When done correctly, a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign can create qualified traffic for your business. Aside from being able to control your spending, PPC campaigns allow you to target your ads to those specifically searching for your products or services within your specified geographic area. That means you receive more qualified leads, which mean higher conversion rates.

Here are the top three mistakes to avoid when launching a PPC campaign.

1) Directing Your PPC Ads to Your Website’s Home Page
While one of the reasons behind PPC is to bring more qualified traffic to your website, visitors don’t want to arrive at your website only to keep on searching for what they need. Your PPC ads should be targeted to a particular product, service or promotion you are running. This means that when someone clicks on your ad they expect to be led to more information about that specific product, service or promotion. They certainly don’t want to arrive at a welcome screen only to have to search once again.

Rather than directing traffic from your PPC ads to your website’s homepage, opt for using search engine optimized landing pages or microsites to deliver a more powerful message.

2) Writing Generic Copy for Your Ads
Writing the ad copy for your ad is one of the hardest parts of creating an intelligent PPC campaign. Using generic or general content is ineffective and does offer a compelling reason for visitors to click on your ad. Since search engines’ advertising platforms restrict the number of characters your ad may have, make sure you choose your ad copy wisely. When writing your ad copy, make sure it’s relevant and compelling.

3) Not Taking Advantage of Ad Testing Capabilities
All major search engines offer ad-testing capabilities to allow you to assess the effectiveness of your ads. Google, Yahoo! and Bing allow you to create different versions of your ad, varying from as little as one word or a phrase to a completely different ad, to find the most effective ad.

Take advantage of ad testing capabilities to increase the effectiveness of your ads and your overall click-through-rate.

Creating a successful PPC campaign is a little more complicated than at first sight. However, careful planning, research and expert guidance can make a difference. Avoid these top three PPC campaign mistakes to achieve better results.

Want to ensure the success of your PPC campaign? Schedule a free consultation with one of our Google, Yahoo! and Bing certified internet marketing specialists today.

Top Three Pay-Per-Click Campaign Mistakes is a post from: Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Pay Per Click Management (PPC) Local Maps Optimization

If your business or organization doesn’t directly depend on your website for business, chances are that you are neglecting your online presence. A mistake many business owners make is thinking that having a website is all they need.

While having a professionally designed website that accurately represents your business or organization is fundamental, stopping there greatly reduces the effectiveness of having a website at all.

Just like you would try to let everyone in your community know about your newly opened store, you need to let the internet community know that you are online as well. Neglecting to invest in your online presence is like shutting the shades on your storefront: you’re there but no one knows it.

There are many different ways to increase the exposure of your website online, however, the most effective way to increase awareness and targeted traffic to your site is to use a combination of internet marketing techniques: search engine optimization and pay-per-click internet marketing.

Here’s how they work:

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a comprehensive internet marketing technique that works to naturally increase your website’s ranking on search engines. By making on-page and off-page modifications to your website (including content, design and structure), SEO helps to slowly increase your chances at being number one on major search engines.

Pay-Per-Click Internet Marketing

If you’re looking to jumpstart your internet exposure, opt for a strategically implemented pay-per-click (PPC) marketing campaign. By focusing on keywords relevant to your industry or business, PPC campaigns increase website exposure almost instantly. Ability to control your budget and track progress real-time are just a few of the pluses of PPC campaigns.

Of course, combining both SEO and PPC gives you the best of both worlds: almost immediate increased exposure and a more search engine friendly website.

Make the most of your website with search engine marketing strategies that are sure to increase your site’s visibility. To get started on your SEO or PPC campaign, call us at 888-663-4671.

The Importance of Investing in Search Marketing is a post from: Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Pay Per Click Management (PPC) Local Maps Optimization