Paid search is a fantastic way to drive web traffic to our site from the major search engines. It can also suck our marketing budget dry in just a couple of days if not done properly. The bottom line is someone is going to profit by implementing paid search. The question is, is it going to be us or the search engines? The goal of the search engines is more clicks. The more people click on our ads the more money the search engines make. Their strategy is to get as many clicks as possible within our budget are willing to do that all day long. The real goal should be "fewer clicks, lower cost with more conversions". Let's take a few minutes to look at some strategies that should make a difference in our campaigns.
1. Turn off "Content Network" when you first set up a your campaign. The default setting "on". The "Content Network" represents most of the loss in paid search. Content Network presents your ads on websites that are using AdSense. If you go to a website and see "Ads by Google", those ads are coming from Google paid search accounts. The content of the website determine the ads that show up on these sites. Consider the following before turning on the content match. One, the website that is hosting our ad gets paid every time someone clicks on the ad. Secondly, most people who click on these ads are doing research. The great thing about search engine marketing is that you come in contact with individuals who are actively searching for what you have to offer, pay for clicks that come from people in that category.
2. Use the most specific terms possible. In most cases the more general the term, less qualified the lead and the more the cost. Try to figure out which terms work best to get the ideal customer to the site.
3. Keyword "types" There are three types of keywords "Broad", "Phrase" and "Exact". The rule of thumb that I use is: for single word phrases, use exact match and for search phrases that are two to three words, used "phrase matching". I am also experimenting with using "exact" matching for these terms as well. The more specific the search term is to what you are offering and who your ideal client is, the more qualified to lead will be. Better a small number of qualified leads than a large number of leads that waste your time and ultimately cost a lot more money.
4. Just a couple thoughts on writing creatives (ad copy). Use the following in your "headline" box: {keyword: "your main keyword}. This will put your keyword phrase into the headline. You want to attract only your ideal client (someone who is looking for exactly what you have to offer) so be specific. Add at least one of your "unique selling propositions". This can be very challenging because of the space limitations. Rule of thumb, find out what your competitors are doing and do something different. For example, if everyone is offering free shipping, use one of your other unique selling propositions.
5. Give careful consideration to your landing pages. These pages should do one thing; answer the questions that the searcher had in mind when he started his search. The searcher type in his search terms because he has a problem, needs a solution and is in some kind of "pain". You have about two seconds to convince him that you understand what he is going through and what he needs. You must show him that you possess the answers to his needs. Don't just send them to your home page unless your home page can accomplish the above. Once you connect with your searcher you must have a call to action. You must be very specific and clear about the next steps. Have your "phone number" or "contact us button" on every page.
6. Tracking. Finally, track everything. Paid search is not an exact science. It takes time to set up and optimized your campaigns to get the results that you are looking for. You must monitor your campaigns at least weekly in order to catch market changes. Google, Yahoo and MSN have free tracking tools that work great.
There is good money in paid search, if done correctly. If you are new to this or do not have several hours a week, it might be a lot cheaper to find someone who knows what they are doing to help you rather than lose thousands of dollars trying to figure it out yourself.
By Terry Stanfield
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