Is your business suffering some dry-spells in regards to website traffic or online sales? Do you get frustrated because your competitors seem to be getting all your customers, whilst you continue to go unnoticed? Well, if so, you have probably come across the giant that is Google AdWords. Google AdWords helps a business to appear at the top of Google’s search results page when a certain keyword or phrase is searched for. This means that you are right where you want to be – in front of the right customers.
But how does it work? How do you set up an effective PPC campaign with Google AdWords? Here at SEM Consultants, we have a list of things to help get you started, and get you earning again – tenfold…
Find Your Keywords
Google AdWords is, of course, centred around the focused use of keywords. When a customer is searching for your business, they will Google certain words or phrases, and it is in your best interest to ensure your webpage(s) appear at the top when those customers search for products or services that you provide.
For example, they may search for “shipping companies in Birmingham”. If you are a shipping company in Birmingham, then you will want to appear on the Google search results page, right? Well, a lot of companies won’t, even if they fit the description, because the competition is just too fierce. With Google AdWords, however, you can ensure you are right there at the top with a paid Ad. Your Ad will detail what you have to offer and entice a click.
Before all of that, though, you will need to gather the right keywords. What do you sell? What can you provide? What do people search for? You will need to know the answers to these questions so that you can use effective keywords and phrases as Ad Words and bid for them. Other competitors may bid for the same words and phrases, but with a keen eye, the right focus and continuous adjustments, a professional AdWords Account Manager can ensure this isn’t a problem.
Set a Budget
If you have a good list of focused keywords that you would like to bid for, you will then need to know how much you are willing to spend a day. When your Ad is clicked, you will pay. This is the Pay-Per Click (PPC) part of the AdWords campaign. Bidding for keywords will not be the only thing you have to do. This means you will need a realistic daily budget, and know that what you put in, you get out.
Write your Ad
Once you have a budget and the keywords, you will need to write your Ads. These are important because they can mean the difference between an Ad click, and a lost customer. The Ad copy should be succinct, informative, human-friendly and relevant. Anything otherwise will only confuse, bore or trick a customer, meaning a lost sale. The Ad Copy is what appears underneath your Ad (appearing as a meta description and meta title).
Know Your USP
Knowing your business is, of course, the best way to market your business. You will need to know what makes your business stand out. What is your Unique Selling Point? This will be key in defining what can help you beat your competitors and what you might be able to focus on in your Ad copy.
Know Your Customers
Knowing what you customers want; knowing what they search for is so crucial to success. This will determine who they are, what they want, how they want it and where they can get it. If you can provide all of that, then you’re on to a win. However, you need to be able to show your customers that you can provide that. It’s all well and good to be an excellent company, but if no one can find you, it’s pointless. Track and use the data that shows you how your target audience behaves, and then you can start to focus an effective AdWords campaign.
Correct Landing Pages
Once an Ad is clicked on, you will need to ensure it directs your customers to the right landing page. Is it relevant? Is it informative? Will it keep your customer on the page, or scare them off? It’s great to have an effective PPC campaign with AdWords, but if your customers are landing on a poor webpage, then they are likely to leave.
Accurate Location Targeting
Targeting your Ads to only appear for the right demographic is an effective use of your PPC campaign. If it appears in front of anyone and everyone, then it will only cost you more money and be less effective. It is better to focus you AdWords campaign to the right customers who actually have reason to click your Ad and desire your custom.
Use Google Analytics
Once you’re up and running, you will need to watch the analytics to see if it is working. If not, adjustments will need to be made. If so, you will still benefit from seeing what is working and how you can make it work even better! Google Analytics helps you to see how your Ads and PPC campaign is doing.
But setting up your PPC campaign is the easy part. The hard part is maintaining and adjusting your account so that you always gain from it, and don’t lose money. This can be a very time-consuming task, which is why investing in a dedicated, professional AdWords Account Manager can go a long way for you. Luckily for you, we at SEM Consultants have dedicated PPC Account Managers ready and willing to do all the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. We will monitor, adjust and care for your PPC campaign, to ensure you keep making money.
“Together, we’ve got this!”