By Pranit Mesvania – Paid media manager
Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of pay-per-click (PPC) marketing? If you’ve ever seen an ad pop up at the top of a Google search or while scrolling through social media, chances are you’ve encountered PPC in action. Here our PPC expert Pranit Mesvania gives a step-by-step guide to ensure the process is as fun as ordering your favourite coffee – straightforward, customisable, and oh-so-rewarding.
What is PPC marketing?
PPC marketing is like renting a billboard on the internet, but you only pay when someone actually stops to take a look (or in this case, clicks). Platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Ads (formerly known as Bing) allow advertisers to bid for prime ad spots within online search engine result pages. Whether it’s showcasing your product, promoting your service, or just driving people to your website, PPC ensures you’re front and centre where your audience is actively looking.
Why should you care?
Imagine having a tool that targets your ideal customers at the perfect time, when they’re actively searching for what you offer. That’s PPC magic. Benefits include:
- Instant visibility: Be the star of the search results or social feeds
- Budget-friendly: Start with small amounts and scale as you see success
- Highly-targeted: Focus on location, age, interests, and even devices
How does it work?
Here’s your crash course in PPC mechanics:
- Keywords are key: Select the search terms your customers are likely to type. Tools like Google’s in-platform Keyword Planner can help you find golden keywords with monthly search numbers for those keywords also listed side by side.
- Bid wars: You decide how much you’re willing to pay for a click. Higher bids, combined with high-quality ads, win better placements within search result pages (SERP).
- Ad creation: Write a snappy headline (30 characters max) and engaging descriptions (90 characters). Make it irresistible.
- Measure and optimise: Use Google Analytics, Google Ads in platform metrics or reporting and even third-party programmes to tweak campaigns for better performance.
Common PPC platforms
- Google Ads: The giant. Covering search, display ads, YouTube, and more
- Microsoft advertising (Bing): A hidden gem, often cheaper than Google and still holds enough market share to generate a good enough return on your ad needs
- Social media PPC: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer robust ad options tailored to their platforms
Tips to ace your first PPC campaign
- Start small: Focus on a single campaign and a modest budget. Test the waters. Keep your account structure consolidated as best as possible so Google’s platform can machine learn faster and begin to gather enough data.
- Negative keywords: Exclude irrelevant search terms to save money on clicks that won’t convert.
- Write killer ad copy: Be clear, concise, and exciting. Use strong calls to action (e.g. Shop now!).
- Use extensions: Add phone numbers, site links, logos, or product/service promotions to boost credibility.
- Keep an eye on metrics: Monitor click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per conversion for success. Being clear on your core KPIs before launching an activitywill help you figure out what metrics will be key for you to monitor for success.
Bonus tip: Google offers free online learning programmes via its Skillshop, either for beginners or those with prior experience of Google ads set-up. It’s great for knowledge gathering and gaining Google certifications once a course and exam have been passed.
Whilst a lot of the above covers the basics, mastering the fundamentals is often overlooked when launching activity on Google ads. This is regarded as helping to drive 80% of the results, with advanced tactics driving the remaining 20%. That’s not to say you shouldn’t test new features or ideas – that’s a healthy way of earthing new findings within your activity to feed into future or current planning. However, like most things within Google Ads, testing one element at a time is the most sensible way of going about this.
Let’s keep it real
Like any marketing strategy, PPC isn’t a magical ‘set it and forget it’ solution. It requires ongoing tweaking, testing, and learning. But if you stay committed, it can deliver an incredible return on investment (ROI).
In a nutshell
PPC marketing is the secret weapon for businesses wanting fast results and razor-sharp targeting. Whether you’re launching a new brand or scaling an established one, it’s the marketing channel that puts you in the driver’s seat.
Ready to try it out? Set your budget, choose your keywords, and let your creativity flow – your audience is waiting!
For further expert advice on how we can help your business with PPC marketing, contact our digital marketing experts today.