Pay-per-click optimization is the organization, consultation and management of a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign. Most site owners are familiar with the concept of PPC but few understand the effort and scrutiny it takes for a PPC campaign to reach its potential
PPC is a type of advertising in which a text ad is placed on the first page of a search engine's results page (SERP) where the advertiser is charged every time the ad is clicked. Hence the name: Pay- Per-Click.
Think of it as extremely targeted advertising, providing measurable ROI that is available within 24 hours of the ad's placement where the highest visibility is awarded to the highest bidder.
Seem complicated? Keep reading.
As of the creation of this article there are 2 (soon to be 3) major paid listing services:
- Google Adwords, whose ads appear on, you guessed it, Google.
- Overture, a conglomeration of Yahoo! and MSN search as well as many other smaller players.
- AdCenter. MSN's own paid listings service that is continually being introduced to a more widespread audience.
Overture is the simpler of the current two major paid listing services. It basically works how any rational person would think to run it. The higher you bid, the higher up your keyword is placed on the first page of the SERPs.
Google, on the other hand, is far more complex. In an effort to serve its users with only the most relevant SERPs, a high bid is just the first step in achieving the top spot on Google's paid listing. Advertisers must also boast high click through rates (CTRs) on their ads in order to achieve the top spot. It is rumored that Google will also start to factor in conversion rates when deciding which paid listing is displayed first.
In order to effectively manage both campaigns, maximizing CTR as well as cost per conversion, the PPC campaign should be kept under constant surveillance. New ad creative should be tested and retested throughout the year while cheaper more specific keywords should be added into the mix to offset more expensive but higher trafficked words. Seasonal shifts, website usability and click fraud need to be watched carefully for the campaign to be a success.
- 85% off searchers will click on the top 3 paid results, driving traffic to websites that might not ever see such high volume from organic search. It is an excellent tool that goes hand in hand with Site Usability Optimization. Conversions rates will rise and fall based upon where searchers clicking on your links land, and how the page on which they land is organized. A good rule of thumb is to take searches to as specific a webpage as possible that is relevant to the given keyword.
- PPC campaigns take planning and organizational skills. For example, in Overture, every keyword can be assigned specific creative for optimal CTRs. However, in Google Adwords there is no such advantage. Creative is assigned at the “adgroup” level, which results in the juggling of keywords from group to group. Which creative gets the best CTR? Which gets the highest conversion rate?
Handling a PPC campaign is a daunting task that requires time and experience before the campaign can realize its full potential. Contact us and let us organize and manage and teach you to effectively manage your PPC campaign for maximum ROI.