Internet Marketing Overview Part II - Pay Per Click Campaigns
July 3rd, 2007 by Pat
This is Part II in a series of posts giving a top-level overview of the components of Internet Marketing.
Pay Per Click (PPC) listings augment (in some cases are the sole results) organic listings in a number of search engines. These listings appear alongside, or adjacent to the organic listings. Additionally PPC listings appear on other relevant (somewhat) websites via paid publisher partnerships and other behind the scenes ad deals.
PPC Search Engines
- Primary Engines
- Google Adwords
- Yahoo! Search Marketing
- Secondary Engines
- Microsoft AdCenter
- 7Search
- Many Others
Google and Yahoo! currently offer certifications to show familiarity and competency in using their products; Google Qualified AdWords Individual/Company and Yahoo! Search Marketing Ambassador. Expect Microsoft AdCenter to be included in this group in the very near future.
These credentials are awarded based upon a number of criteria including passing a competency exam (each are paid exams). Spend levels and duration of client management are also factored in, among other criteria.
Keys to a Successful Pay Per Click Campaign
- Well Crafted, Relevant Ad Text
- Effective Landing Pages with a Clear Call to Action
- Careful Keyword Selection
- Effective Use of Broad/Exact Match and Negative Keywords
- Can Piggyback Keyword Research from SEO Campaign
- Target Most Specific Phrases and Keywords for Maximum ROI
- Segment Keyword Groups with Unique Ads for Each
- Make Use of Available Testing Methods (Ads and Landing Pages)
- A/B, A/B/B and Taguchi or Multivariate
- Utilize Available Analytics and Ad Conversion Tools
Some Common Misconceptions of PPC Campaigns
- Myth: Must Have the Highest Bid for the Highest Ranking
- Quality Scores Are Used by a Number of PPC Engines to Help Determine Rank
- Relevancy of Ad to the Query
- Relevancy of Landing Page
- Relevancy of Keyword
- Click Through Rate
- More Details on Google Quality Score
- Myth: PPC Campaigns Are Difficult to Track
- PPC is One of the Easier Components to Track
- Use of Analytics Programs and Provided Snippets of Code
- Goal Identification - Micro-Conversions Measured
Pros of a PPC Campaign
- When Done Correctly, Incomparable ROI
- Cost Effective
- Highly Targeted Traffic - Ability to Reach Multiple Levels of the Buying Cycle
- Can Track to Keyword Level
Cons of a PPC Campaign
- Multi-Faceted: Requires time investment and/or investment in agency to perform tasks involved
- Too Many Focus on Top-Level Keywords and Phrases
- Many Fall Victim to “Set it and Forget it”
- Poor Keyword Selection
