Saturday, October 11, 2008

How to Make PPC Advertising Effective

By Brian Basch

Advertising your products and services using a PPC (pay per click) campaign can be one of the most effective methods of spreading the word about your business. However, it's vital to do this with a good plan, since doing it wrong could actually end up costing you money. Paying attention to all the details will result in a more effective PPC campaign, and will allow you to avoid all the pitfalls. Here are some great PPC tips to help you get all the benefits of this advertising method, without the downsides.

Step one. Get the keywords right the first time. A lot of computer geniuses out there will tell you to choose the most common keyword you can think of. The truth of the matter is that that common keyword might work great, but it will cost you big dollars. To make matters worse, common keywords often attract window shoppers who click but don't buy. However, there's a way to get more bang for your buck with something called a 'targeted keyword phrase' and also referred to as 'a long tail keyword'.

Experiment with a few, more specific phrases by searching Google or another popular engine to find the one that gives you good results for your product. You can also use some of the available tools for finding good permutations of keywords, and which can offer hundreds of viable phrases for your business. Test these keywords to find the ones that are most effective.

Even the best key words will not save a poor advertising, though. You have to a have a catchy or enticing headline to interest a potential customer and that will also encourage him or her to click and find out more about your site. Avoid clicks that don't lead to sales by making sure your advertising has an accurate description of your product or services. When you are certain you already have the best keyword list you can start to design your advertising.

Good ad copy should include a real sense of urgency about the product. Also, don't forget the main benefits of the goods or services you offer. Empower the customer to realize the benefits they can obtain by clicking on your ad right now! Promotions and discounts in the third line often serve this purpose.

Many people click advertising sites that are first on a search page. It could result in more sales or even a visitor just accidentally clicking on the search engine. Focusing on a great advertising campaign that targets your potential customers is a good idea. Being the highest ranking ad on a search page is good too, but you have to make sure that your advertising has all the information and facts otherwise you might not get the sale.

Pay attention to the competition, too. Adjust your keywords and ad copy according to what appears to be working for them, although direct copying should be avoided. Check the results of each keyword set and the ads associated with it to find out which ones are working, and which aren't.

When it comes to PPC advertising there are no guarantees. Reaching the right customer for your campaign is the key to your success. With your insights, knowledge and suitable changes, your marketing campaign will be right on track. And, you will find you are reaching out to the right customer and making more sales.

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