Following on from our 2 previous articles covering some of the key basic principles of PPC campaigns, let’s continue our look at how you create a successful ad campaign.
We’ve looked at having the right keywords (Part 1) and the right ad messaging (Part 2) so now let’s look at your text and wording itself.
Finding the right words
You’ve got limited space in Google AdWords, so choose your words carefully. Remember that Google will ban some adverts too if they don’t like the wording – for example, advertising a ‘cure’ or saying something is ‘the best ever’ will earn you an advert ban until you can provide Google with the proof to back up your marketing spin!
So to avoid your campaign being sidelined at the beginning, stay away from vague promises and too much spin – stick to the facts, and match your advert wording to the keywords and landing page carefully.
If you do a Google search and look at the adverts, you can get an idea of basic wording ideas from the layouts. In terms of physical space, you’ve got headline 1, headline 2 (both show in blue at the top of the advert) then the main text with which you have to grab their attention and get them to click on your website – so choose wisely, as you’ve only a few words to spare!
- Make sure you have an attention grabbing title so you really stand out
- Include a keyword in your advert and display URL
- Make sure your ad points to an incredibly specific landing page
Have the right landing page
Once someone clicks on your ad, they’ll be transferred to the landing page on your website that you specified. That page is also indexed by Google in relation to your keywords and advert, so this will have a massive effect on your quality score. It is important for your budget, and your overall success, that the potential customer gets what they are expecting when they click through. The landing page must match up to the ad messaging, and your digital marketing agency should have ensured this before launching your PPC campaign to get you the best possible results.
If they found ‘dog trainer in Lincolnshire’ interesting and that’s why they clicked, but the landing page then talks about a cat breeder in London, they’re not going to be very happy! Also Google doesn’t like that, and will score your adverts lower and show them less often as a result. Finally, you’ll have paid for a click that was never going to result in anything.
Have a clear, precise and relevant offer on your landing page that leads them on to the result you’re after, such as getting them to download something, or to buy, or to fill out a contact form or chat message etc (your ‘conversion’ as discussed previously in parts 1 & 2). Keep track of information that will be useful to you by including tracking codes in your thank you pages (Google Analytics – it really is your best friend in PPC terms!).
Your success in running a PPC campaign will come down to selecting the most effective keywords, using the strongest ad messaging and meeting expectations with the right type of landing page and a fantastic offer. PPC isn’t something to just set up and forget about. It’s only through monitoring, updating and strengthening your activity as you go along, that you’ll hit on gold in the end and the right type of traffic will start flowing. That’s why most people choose to engage a good digital marketing agency to run the campaign for them – paying a monthly management fee is a small price for success, after all.
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