PPC advertising is a type of digital marketing that uses paid adverts to generate traffic, leads, and sales for advertisers. So roll out pay-per-click ad campaigns on either search engines or social media, and most businesses employ a PPC agency to get the job done right. But what else should you know about PPC advertising?
In this article, we explore the different types of PPC ads and explain how marketing agencies can use this process to produce such an impressive return on investment.
The Different Types of PPC Adverts
Pay-per-click ads are often associated with the “ad” labeled listings that you find at the top of a search results page. These ads appear when online users type a specific keyword/phrase and advertisers place bids to compete for these listings. Advertisers pay for every click on the listing, and there are three types of ads:
PPC ads for products: These adverts appear in boxes at the top of a search engine results page. Advertisers bid to appear next to other ads that offer the same product.
PPC ads on search engines or social media are the most common PPC ads and appear just above organic listings on the search results page. Unlike the featured product boxes, these adverts are more discreet and labeled with “ad.”
Remarketing PPC ads: Marketing agencies are good at collecting data businesses can use to re-target missed opportunities. Therefore, they expose previous visitors to a PPC ad with more or different offers by the same brand.
So that you know, the last of these is a lot more straightforward than it might appear. Remarketing is just a process of engaging with people who once showed interest in a specific brand, product, etc. These individuals are already familiar with the brand, and marketers know this means they are more likely to take the desired action.
Now, let’s look at the inner workings of a PPC campaign.
5 Basic Steps for Success with PPC Advertising
Digital marketing agencies conduct a lot of market and competitor research before creating a PPC campaign.Choosing the right keywords and target market is necessary before producing an advert that will compel online users to click.
But that’s just part of the story so let’s examine the process more closely:
- Targeting and Competitor Analysis
Research always begins with the market and competition. Knowing the landscape and identifying the target market is the only way to ensure PPC ads reach the right people. It also helps to understand what competitors are doing. Some strategies are also likely to work and indicate what type of keywords and ads are gaining traction with the target market.
- Identifying the Right Keywords
In-depth research is needed to identify the most relevant keywords that can gain traction for a PPC campaign. Some keyword queries receive a lot more traffic than others, and some keywords are likely to result in a lot more clicks.
PPC agencies need to also take the bid price into account as they may or may not fit within the allocated budget. Identify negative keywords during this stage, referring to any search queries the agency would like to exclude for the ad.
- Optimizing PPC Ads and Visuals
Creating a PPC ad takes a lot of time and consideration. However, a substandard ad is unlikely to gain traction as the competition will produce a high-quality ad that will grab the online users’ attention. As a result, PPC agencies use expert copywriters to write compelling text and designers to build attractive landing pages and visuals.
Quality copywriting can attract more attention, and so too can an attractive design. It’s also essential to use search engine optimization (SEO) to optimize these ads because what’s the point in doing anything if nobody gets to see the ad in the first place?
- Testing, Tracking and Measuring Progress
PPC agencies use A/B testing to pick out the best ads; split testing can help grow a business. Agencies do this by creating several versions of the same ad but with minor changes in each one and then comparing the performance of these ads against one another. After deploying the ad, the agency will use various marketing tools and metrics to track progress and measure the results against the initial goals and targets.
- Monthly Agency-Client Reporting
Most agencies provide weekly or monthly reports to their clients, which outline the progress to date. PPC agencies can use this information to make tweaks and improve the ad. While reassuring clients of their progress and return on investment. Digital Authority Partners advises this is the only way to properly assess whether or not a PPC agency delivers in line with a client’s expectations.
In-House Marketing Team Vs. Working with a PPC Agency
Some businesses decide to deploy PPC ads without any outside help. While always an option, the results are never the same as when having an expert agency on board. PPC advertising is also a complex area. Many businesses will likely run ads that fail to gain traction or destroy their budget before seeing any ROI.
Remember that PPC agencies have access to a pool of talent that can define every part of the process. For instance, use data experts to identify keywords and designs for an effective landing page. Agencies also use highly skilled copywriters to write the text that compels online users to take the desired action.
Final Thoughts
PPC advertising might not be rocket science, but there is a process that requires skills and experience to master. Of course, it’s possible to take on this task without assistance. Still, most businesses choose to work with PPC agencies because it eventually saves them time, money, and expending energy elsewhere.
Maybe you could do this kind of assistance yourself?
Digital Authority Partners is a PPC agency with a proven track record that can help you achieve your desired results. Get in touch with one of our team to discuss this!