Digital Profits Podcast – Episode 19: PPC Frequently Asked Questions Answered
Are you an entrepreneur or business owner trying to figure out PPC advertising? Are you concerned about the return on your investment? Not sure what options are available to you or how to maximize your budget? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this blog post, we’ll answer some of the most common questions related to using pay-per-click (PPC) marketing strategies. Whether it’s understanding bidding strategies or learning how best to optimize campaigns, by the end of this post you should have a better understanding of the basics when it comes to effective PPC advertising!
What is PPC and why is it important for businesses to use it?
PPC or pay-per-click, is a form of online advertising that allows businesses to direct traffic to their website by paying a small fee every time a user clicks on their ad. But why is PPC important for businesses?
Well, first off, it’s a cost-effective way to generate leads, especially for small businesses. With PPC, you only pay for the clicks you receive, meaning you don’t waste money on ad space that isn’t performing. Plus, it helps improve your search engine ranking and increases brand exposure.
And the best part? PPC campaigns are highly targeted, so you can reach your ideal customer base with ease. So why not give it a try and see how PPC can boost your business’s online presence?
What are the different types of PPC ad campaigns available and which one should I choose for my business specifically?
Are you ready to boost your business and attract more customers online? Then it’s time to explore the world of PPC ad campaigns! With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to determine which one is right for your specific business needs. From search ads to display ads, shopping ads to video ads, each type has unique advantages and disadvantages.
Don’t worry though, with a little bit of strategic planning and our expert guidance, you’ll be able to choose the perfect campaign type that will get your business noticed and generate real results. Get in touch with us now so we can dive in and discover which PPC campaign will take your business to the next level!
How do I determine the most effective keywords to target in my PPC ad campaigns to drive conversions and leads efficiently and effectively
Feeling frustrated by PPC ad campaigns that drain your budget without delivering the results you crave? Stop wasting your budget and start targeting the right keywords! Determining the most effective keywords can be a daunting task, but it’s essential for driving conversions and generating valuable leads.
With extensive research and analysis, you can identify the keywords that resonate with your target audience and lead them to revenue-generating actions. It’s not about targeting the most popular keywords, it’s about targeting the right keywords that align with your business goals. So, let’s get energized and start crafting PPC campaigns that’ll drive conversions and boost your bottom line!
What are the best practices when creating a successful PPC ad campaign and how can I track its performance accurately over time ?
First and foremost, you want to make sure your ad is tailored to your audience, with clear and compelling messaging that speaks to their needs and interests. You should also carefully select your keywords and targeting options to ensure you reach the right people at the right time.
Of course, creating the ad is just the first step – to truly maximize its impact, you’ll need to track its performance over time. This is where accurate tracking comes into play, allowing you to see which ads are resonating with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly. By following these best practices and using effective tracking tools, you can create PPC ads that really perform – driving more clicks, more conversions, and more revenue for your business.
Are there any tools or strategies that I can use to maximize the ROI of a PPC campaign?
Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and strategies available to help you achieve this goal. For starters, take advantage of keyword research tools to identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for your campaign. Also, consider using ad scheduling features to ensure your ads are displayed at the most optimal times for your target audience.
Don’t forget about the importance of tracking and analyzing data – this will allow you to make informed decisions for future campaigns. By implementing these tactics and utilizing other available resources, you can boost the ROI of your PPC campaign and see incredible results.
What common mistakes should I avoid when running PPC campaigns so that I don’t waste budget?
Running a PPC campaign can be exciting and, at the same time, nerve-wracking. You’re putting your money on the line, hoping to get the best returns possible. However, a common mistake of first-time PPC advertisers is not being mindful of their budget. This is where you need to be smart and careful in deciding where to invest.
For starters, avoid overly broad or generic keywords that dilute your efficacy and lack focus. Also, don’t make the mistake of careless bidding and auctioning, which can result in overpaying for keywords that don’t convert. Stay ahead of the game and monitor your campaigns consistently to ensure that your budget is spent wisely and efficiently. With patience and attention to detail, you can avoid costly errors and create a winning PPC campaign that generates a strong ROI.
Ultimately, PPC ad campaigns have the potential to be incredibly effective for your business if done correctly, and the rules and best practices discussed in this post are a great place to start.
Whether you’re just getting started or have been running campaigns for years, paying attention to these key points can help you optimize your campaigns and boost ROI. Start setting up your campaigns with confidence now! And as always, feel free to reach out to us at any time if you need help planning or optimizing your PPC ad campaign.
Tune in to Ep 19 of the Digital Profits Podcast to discover potent strategies for business growth as the Profit Squad dissects PPC advertising and highlighting its efficiency in driving clicks and impressions. Join us now and supercharge your business growth with expert insights!
Ben Page: Hey, Squad. We have another special rapid-fire episode for you today, and I’m joined by Ray Sawvell.
Ray Sawvell: Hello.
Ben Page: And as always, I’m Ben Page. So let’s jump right in. Ray, I’m going to ask you the first question.
Ray Sawvell: I’m nervous. Yeah.
Ben Page: But then we’ll have a volley back and forth.
Ray Sawvell: There you go.
Ben Page: All right, quick hitters, pay-per-click questions answered. First question, what is PPC and how does it differ from organic search results?
Ray Sawvell: Yes. Yeah, PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising, or just pay-per-click, but it’s kind of an umbrella term nowadays. We kind of talked about this in the last episode A little bit, but PPC essentially just stands for every time somebody clicks on one of your ads, you then pay for that click. However, it can kind of fall into Facebook ads that tend to be like, they can be impression based, that kind of can fall underneath PPC. But anywhere you can kind of buy ads online, that’s sort of where PPC kind of falls today, just because it tends to be like an umbrella type of term. And the way that it differs from organic results is paid tend to be the number one spot on the page in most instances. Actually, I would say in every instance. And then organic tends to be the free listings to just kind of simplify things a little bit. So paid versus free in very basic terms.
Ben Page: Right. And in the Google search results, as an example, paid ads will have either a sponsored or an ad badge alongside them, typically in the, I guess, upper left, at least on desktop. Yep. Whereas organic results do not. All right, next question.
Ray Sawvell: Yeah, Ben, what is an ad impression?
Ben Page: An ad impression is a metric that simply means your ad was shown and in search, it would mean that your text ad, say, or your shopping ad appeared in the Search engine Result page. And on other types of campaigns, like display ads, it would mean that your banner ad, for instance, was shown on a publisher website. Gray. Therefore, what is a click?
Ray Sawvell: Yes. A click is when someone just clicks on your ad. Now, this doesn’t mean that they necessarily made it to your website. So that’s a very key distinction here. So just because someone clicks on your ad does not necessarily mean that they make it to your site.
Ben Page: It doesn’t.
Ray Sawvell: You’re right. Yeah. In search it does mean that you land there, but on display they might land somewhere else. The cookie may not fire on your site and it may not register like a user. So like GA may not fire. So there’s key discrepancies between clicks and sessions or users. But again, a basic term for a click is someone clicks on your ad, you’re then charged for that click, and that’s where PPC kind of lands.
Ben Page: Got it?
Ray Sawvell: Yeah.
Ben Page: And sometimes clicks lead to engagements and sometimes clicks lead to a landing page, aka typically your website.
Ray Sawvell: Clicks lead to dollar bills. Ben, if I’m doing SEO, do I need to do PPC?
Ben Page: I believe so. And not just because I offer SEO and PPC services, though that is a key reason. But really I offer those because of this finding. Because while organic search improves your visibility in different areas, like the map pack, the blue links, et cetera, on Google search results and other search engine results, pay-per-click can help you maximize the number of times you appear in the search results pages. And it can also help you appear more quickly than you can, sometimes organically. But the best is when you do both together to some degree. There was a 2012 study that sometimes cited. It’s titled Incremental Clicks Impact of Search Advertising. It found through meta-analysis of several hundred of these studies, revealed that over 89% of the ads clicks are incremental. And I’ll just read really briefly the abstract from that study. It says in this research we examine how the number of organic clicks change when search ads are present and when search ad campaigns are turned off. We then develop a statistical model to estimate the fraction of total clicks that can be attributed to search advertising. A meta-analysis of several hundred of these studies reveals that over 89% of the ad’s clicks are incremental in the sense that the visits to the advertiser’s site would not have occurred without the ad campaigns. It’s that incrementality that is key. And because we know many user journeys to becoming a qualified lead or a sale are multi-touch journeys, this is the essence of why it’s important to invest in both disciplines.
Ray Sawvell: Yeah, and to add on to that briefly, it’s sort of that surround sound effect that we’ve been talking a lot about here internally. But you’re maximizing your presence on the SERP. And one other quick call out is this study did come from Google, so take that for however you may. But the study did come from Google, which I think that’s an important call out.
Ben Page: Yeah, you can still find the paper online if you’re curious. All right, Ray, what are some key benefits of using PPC advertising over traditional advertising methods, like billboards or TV commercials?
Ray Sawvell: Yeah, I mean, for me it’s two or three things, and we talked about this last episode, but it’s speed, how fast and agile you can be when making changes. It’s the targeting that you can do. A lot of the times with traditional media, it’s difficult to get in front of exactly your target customer. Where on Google Meta other online advertising channels, you can say, exactly, here’s who I think my target customer is and here’s how I expand upon that. And then just again, tracking if things are set up properly, you can clearly establish here is my return on investment. Whether you’re an ECOM lead gen, like whatever type of business, if you have the proper data signal set up, you can clearly measure what your ROI is, which again is so powerful in this medium and then scaling that.
Ben Page: Yeah, and that’s a great insight at the start of your statement, Ray, talking about the timing element here. And I think in traditional, know, conceptually it’s like, all right, we’re going to do our research, we’re going to plan our buy, we’re going to execute our buy, we’re going to flight our media out. It’s going to run for eight weeks. It’s going to be this channel, whatever, and then it’s done. That campaign’s over with, let’s say paid search. We think of it more as, again, using Blake’s gardening analogy that he’s been using for know, you could think of it as tending your garden. It’s evergreen, it’s always on. We’re always collecting new data, learning, adjusting, growing. And that’s another mindset shift that I think is helpful when you get into PPC. If you were doing more traditional media previously.
Ray Sawvell: Yeah. And I mean, you can also change things very quick as well. So back to the gardening analogy. If you have a new creative that you want to implement or a new offer or what have you, you can be very, just agile in making those updates where in traditional media it could take days if not weeks, if not months. So it could take significantly longer. Ben, I have a really hard question for you. What is better, Facebook ads or Google Ads?
Ben Page: TikTok ads.
Ray Sawvell: TikTok.
Ben Page: Just kidding.
Ray Sawvell: Or not. Go Dogg, go. What’s the other one? I’m reading too much. Dr. Seuss.
Ben Page: Thank you. Depends on your goals, but it’s sort of a trick question. The thing is, with Google Ads and with paid search, we are capturing existing demand. So if there is existing search demand for your product or service, I would probably instruct you to go there first. However, if that demand is absent or perhaps challenging, and you can reach the same audience on a social network such as Meta, Facebook, Instagram, et cetera, then you should try it. But know that you’re engaging in more of a demand generation or discovery type of campaign versus a demand capture kind of campaign. So, next Question. Right? In one word, literally one, you only get one word right, not three. What do you believe is the biggest bottleneck to successfully scaling Google Ads? And imagine someone has a campaign that’s kind of working, but it’s small scale. They want a ten X. What’s the number one bottleneck?
Ray Sawvell: Data. Data. I’m going that route right now.
Ben Page: Data.
Ray Sawvell: Data drop mic.
Ben Page: What? Data.
Ray Sawvell: Data in your ad account that is relevant. So customer data for scaling your campaign. So ensuring that you have, if you’re a lead generation business, qualified leads is the big one. And then when it comes to ECOM, just having proper purchase signals, or customer data as well. So I know that’s a long way to. There’s a lot of pieces in data, so I would say proper tracking to summarize, and then customer data as well.
Ben Page: Yeah, that makes sense.
Ray Sawvell: How about you, Ben? What’s your one word?
Ben Page: Creative. I mean data. Yeah, I could see that. For me, it’s creative because you can have an ad that works well at a small scale, and when you start to pour on budget, it stops working for a number of reasons. Either it wasn’t as strong as you thought, or as your targeting broadens, it’s not as relevant to the additional users, or the saturation of the users in your target gets too high and they develop banner blindness to that ad. I use that term loosely. And really, it’s about having a framework for developing and testing creative that I think is number one, and it’s what sets elite media buyers apart from average ones.
Ray Sawvell: Next question. I’ll kind of turn this into a question. It’s kind of a lame attempt at a question, but here I go. No one clicks on ads in Google, right?
Ben Page: Wrong. Ray.
Ray Sawvell: Oh, man.
Ben Page: False. Common objection. People will say, I don’t click those ads. No one clicks those ads. But somehow, in 2022, Google earned $224,000,000,000 in advertising revenues, with a large majority of that coming from search ads.
Ray Sawvell: Yes.
Ben Page: Debunked.
Ray Sawvell: Oh, man, I was wrong.
Ben Page: All right, last one. Ray, how do you know if your PPC campaign is working? Yep.
Ray Sawvell: Again, to put it very simply, you’re seeing conversions happen. So you’re seeing people walk in the door, you’re seeing sales. The phone is ringing. You’re getting an action that you would like from your campaign. So you know if it’s working simply, if business objectives are happening and if your phone’s ringing, essentially love it.
Ben Page: All right, well, as promised, a quick-hitting episode with some Q and A and some myths. Busted. But sign up for our newsletter at two one Hundreddigital.com. Also, reach out to us with your questions. We would love to answer those on the show. Thanks for listening, Squad.
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