Increasing qualified traffic and boosting sales with Search Engine Advertising

Paid Search Example with Breakout: Google now provides a breakout snapshot of the Web page that is targeted by the paid ad. Note that the Web page is specific to “bad boy mower parts” and contains the “Free Shipping” offer which also appears in the ad. These are best practices for creating and targeting ads in PPC advertising.By Bob McCann

According to a recent study from iProspect, only 32 percent of Internet users will read through to the bottom of the first page. Up top is where our (short) attention span is happening, if only for a few seconds. A few seconds… That’s how much time you have to get potential outdoor power equipment buyers to come your way.

Search Engine Advertising, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM), is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising that you pay a hosting site based on how many visitors click on your ad. SEM produces immediate, measurable traffic returns and brand-building opportunities.

Consulting with an SEM provider that understands the complexities of PPC programs can help you develop a targeted, monitored campaign designed to increase qualified traffic, boost sales, and maximize your return on investment (ROI).

How PPC advertising works

With PPC, you only pay when a visitor clicks on your ad. Host sites and search engines charge differently; sites that contain content have a fixed PPC, while search engines use a bidding system where you select the keywords you want and the maximum amount you’re willing to pay per click.

Your PPC ad is displayed when a keyword query matches the list of keywords you “bought” or when a content site displays relevant content. Your ad will appear as a “sponsored link” or “sponsored ad” on Google, either above or to the right of organic search results.     

Using Google AdWords

With Google AdWords, one of the most widely used PPC campaign tools, the ad position is determined by the bids of other advertisers and what’s known as the “quality score” of all ads shown for a given search.

Your quality score is based on the relevance of the ad text, keywords used, account history, historical click-through rates of the ad, as well as other elements Google doesn’t divulge.

Google AdWords also provides you with geographic and demographic targeting tools so you can focus on specific customers or markets. For example, you can target customers within 50 miles of your store, or run separate ads for each part of your business, linking each one to a customized, relevant landing page to maximize your investment.

This graph, which pertains to www.UpstateOutdoorPowerEquipment.com, tracks the number of conversions along with the conversion rates for the month, by day of the week. As seen in the graph, the busiest days and best conversion rates often occur on Sundays and Mondays. With that in mind, advertisers can modify their daily budget to capitalize on this trend.
Turning clicks into sales

Investing in ad-word campaigns is essential to help drive new, qualified traffic to your website. Whether your goal is to increase market share or attract new target audiences, your PPC campaign can only be effective if it combines innovative paid search strategies with continuous campaign performance improvement.

Successful PPC advertising transcends traditional bid management and extensive keyword strategies. It requires understanding how online consumers search, their buying behavior, and other critical factors influencing purchase decisions.

Choose an SEM solution with performance-tracking reports. This will allow you to analyze results and adjust your efforts to achieve the greatest ROI. When you measure results, it will help you determine where to allocate future PPC ad dollars — to increase your click-through rates and grow sales.

 Bob McCann, a 20-year sales education veteran, is the author of the nationally recognized e-business sales method known as TIPS (Traffic, Interactive Website, Process, Sales). As Director of Education at ARI, McCann has developed proven e-business sales processes to support the company’s growing list of dealer and manufacturer clients in the marine, RV, powersports and outdoor power equipment industries. McCann can be reached at (757) 217-3534 or mccann@arinet.com.

Recipe for PPC success

In order for you to create a successful PPC campaign, you need to understand the core elements of a campaign. Every PPC campaign includes:

Keywords: Resources for choosing keyword phrases abound. Free tools include Google AdWords, Keyword Discovery, and Microsoft AdCenter. When compiling a list of keywords to test, explore long-tail keyword phrases and specific phrases that include one or more modifiers, such as “Best prices on lawn mowers near Indianapolis.” They generate less traffic so they’re less competitive and therefore more affordable, but they’re also often more qualified and have a higher conversion rate.

Account structure: A well-structured account offers relevant keyword groupings. For example, if an ad is for Ariens snow blowers, the keyword you would advertise under is “Ariens snow blowers for sale,” and anyone who clicks on the ad would be sent to the Ariens snow blowers page on your website. This ad group would be separate from the other ad groups in your campaign.

Campaigns and ad groups should be focused on business or keyword seasonality, geographic targeting, branded terms and the buying cycle.

Ad copy: To persuade your target audience to click on your ad, use catchy and unique phrases, making sure to include some of your keywords (“Buy Your Lawnmower Here” or “New and Used Riding Mowers All at Discount Prices!”). This will help improve your quality score, and the keywords will appear in bold when they trigger your ad.

Also, include a call to action to drive more clicks. Research your competitors, then highlight what makes your business different in your ad copy. For example, if your competitors are selling on price, counteract with a lower price, wider selection, better experience, or some other unique selling point.

Test different ad wordings. There’s no magic copy formula, so start new campaigns with two to four versions to find out which one generates more clicks. Google AdWords lets you see which ad performs better over time. Reuse successful ads and copy across other ad groups.

Bid strategy: Set your keyword bids high enough to obtain positions 3 through 5, which have been proven to be better for ROI than positions 1 and 2. Then, determine which keywords produce conversions. For these, increase the bid price gradually until the cost per conversion is at, or below, the maximum bid you defined earlier.