People say that there are no real guarantees in online marketing, and while that might technically be true (since no one can force the world to love your business and buy your products), there are a few PPC strategies that are guaranteed to set you up for success. Whether or not you end up going on to be successful is determined by your subsequent execution, but that's a different topic for a different day. But to get back on track… there are four PPC strategies that are as fail-proof as they come:
1. Go Long-Tail
Using keywords that are too broad (too short and too general) has sunk many a PPC effort by blowing the budget on untargeted clicks, but no one has ever been sunk by going “too long-tail.” The worst thing that can happen is that your targeting ends up being too narrow and then you have to open it up from there. In the scope of potential problems that you may face while managing your PPC, that is a great problem to have because it means that you didn’t waste any money and you can already use the effort you put in to quickly adapt your efforts.
For instance, if you create an ad group around “custom wooden diploma frames” and then find that there’s no search volume for those types of terms, you can always modify the ad group to include less specific keyword variations like “custom diploma frames” or spin off slightly broader keywords like “wooden diploma frames” into their own ad group to test. Then, you’re back in business!
2. Group and Organize
Grouping and organizing your PPC account properly is a must-have for a successful PPC account!
Creating ad groups around tightly organized themes gives them the best chance of succeeding because it lets you create very targeted ads. Grouping and organizing keywords into ad groups and ad groups into campaigns will also help you keep your sanity because it’s much easier to evaluate data and make changes to your account down the road if you have taken the time initially to organize your account.
Some people may argue that dumping all of your keywords and ads into one ad group under one campaign is easier because it requires less planning and is a lot faster to set up, but anyone who has tried to manage this in the weeks, months and years to follow knows that this is a terrible idea. You’ll be able to spot those people pretty easily – they’re likely bald from pulling all their hair out in frustration.
3. Data Mine
Using good data to make decisions will always be a more successful strategy than just winging it. Discovering insights and uncovering trends is key to ensuring that you are making changes to optimize your account and not just making changes for the sake of making changes. When mining data, always focus on whatever metrics make the most sense for your business goals, and then lean on the data to justify decisions.
4. Test, Re-Test and Test Again
There’s one thing that every successful PPC account has in common, I’m sure of it! To be successful, you have to test everything that you do – keywords, ad text, settings, bids, etc. Successful PPC accounts are full of past tests that have since been paused or deleted in favor of their more successful counterparts.
Are there any other PPC strategies that you or your digital marketing agency swear by? We’d love to hear them, so please share!
By Kate Pierce. Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
1. Go Long-Tail
Using keywords that are too broad (too short and too general) has sunk many a PPC effort by blowing the budget on untargeted clicks, but no one has ever been sunk by going “too long-tail.” The worst thing that can happen is that your targeting ends up being too narrow and then you have to open it up from there. In the scope of potential problems that you may face while managing your PPC, that is a great problem to have because it means that you didn’t waste any money and you can already use the effort you put in to quickly adapt your efforts.
For instance, if you create an ad group around “custom wooden diploma frames” and then find that there’s no search volume for those types of terms, you can always modify the ad group to include less specific keyword variations like “custom diploma frames” or spin off slightly broader keywords like “wooden diploma frames” into their own ad group to test. Then, you’re back in business!
2. Group and Organize
Grouping and organizing your PPC account properly is a must-have for a successful PPC account!
Creating ad groups around tightly organized themes gives them the best chance of succeeding because it lets you create very targeted ads. Grouping and organizing keywords into ad groups and ad groups into campaigns will also help you keep your sanity because it’s much easier to evaluate data and make changes to your account down the road if you have taken the time initially to organize your account.
Some people may argue that dumping all of your keywords and ads into one ad group under one campaign is easier because it requires less planning and is a lot faster to set up, but anyone who has tried to manage this in the weeks, months and years to follow knows that this is a terrible idea. You’ll be able to spot those people pretty easily – they’re likely bald from pulling all their hair out in frustration.
3. Data Mine
Using good data to make decisions will always be a more successful strategy than just winging it. Discovering insights and uncovering trends is key to ensuring that you are making changes to optimize your account and not just making changes for the sake of making changes. When mining data, always focus on whatever metrics make the most sense for your business goals, and then lean on the data to justify decisions.
4. Test, Re-Test and Test Again
There’s one thing that every successful PPC account has in common, I’m sure of it! To be successful, you have to test everything that you do – keywords, ad text, settings, bids, etc. Successful PPC accounts are full of past tests that have since been paused or deleted in favor of their more successful counterparts.
Are there any other PPC strategies that you or your digital marketing agency swear by? We’d love to hear them, so please share!
By Kate Pierce. Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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