According to Search Engine Land, Google now allows users to block pay-per-click (PPC) ads from certain companies from showing up in their search results. This “block sites” feature was added in November and works whether you are signed in or signed out of your Google account.
The block sites feature used to allow users to block sites from both the web search results and the PPC results. However with the release of Search Plus Your World, the ability to block sites went away and hasn’t come back. Users can still block PPC ads from certain sites from showing up in their search results, which can definitely impair their paid marketing efforts. This is just another reason why focusing on the local search results is important. Users cannot block your business information from showing up there, which means you still have the chance to put your business in front of your ideal target audience, potential customers searching for your business in your area.
Are you using pay-per-click (PPC) marketing and beginning to get frustrated on the lack of ROI? Before you give up, try these six PPC advertising tips. They could be the key to your business’s PPC success.
1. Make an excellent offer then reel them in with a “call to action.” With so much competition out there, it’s a great idea to make your potential customers an offer they can’t refuse. This will rope them in and entice them to use your product/service rather than your competitors’. Include a “call to action” phrase at the end of the ad, such as “Learn more,” or “Free download,” to let them know what to expect when they click.
2. Use long tail keywords. Long tail keywords are three or four word phrases that are more specific to your product. Long tail keywords are less popular, meaning bidding on them is less expensive. Also people who are searching using long tail keywords are usually further along in the buying process, which means once they come across your ad, they’re more apt to click and buy.
3. Create a landing page. Your website homepage is not a landing page. Your landing page is there for the sole purpose of enticing your potential customer to buy. The landing page needs to pick up right where your PPC ad left off, not confuse them with unnecessary content that the homepage sometimes is guilty of providing. The more the landing page relates to the content of the ad, the more likely it will be for your ad to appear higher than other PPC ads. When the keywords for your ad are more relevant to your landing page, it also lowers the bid on that ad. This is a form of PPC optimization.
4. Test your ads. Run two different ad campaigns at the same time and see which one does better. Also pay attention to the times during which your ads are at their highest conversion rate and restrict your ads to run at only those times.
5. Focus on location. Make sure to focus your impressions by location by using the geo-location features of the PPC service you’re using. These features allow you to target your market based on IP addresses or geo-specific keywords. Don’t forget to set these restrictions, otherwise your ads may be showing up in a location where your potential customers can’t even get your products/services.
6. Change the content of your ad at least once a month. No one wants to keep seeing the same ad over and over; it’s boring. Changing your ad copy once a month is a great way to test different call to action phrases and copy to see which ads get the most attention. Fresh content is more appealing to users, so write several ads and alternate them, making changes according to your monthly PPC analytics reports.
Pay-per-click advertising can be a difficult task if you are inexperienced. However, it reaps great benefits for many businesses who have figured out how to use it correctly. Local Splash has many Google Ads certified individuals who can help you set up the best campaign for you business. To get started, call 877-635-6225 or learn more about PPC advertising here.
Google Ads is a service that allows users to create and run pay-per-click ads for their business. Pay-per-click (PPC) means just that, that you only pay for the ad when someone clicks on it. These ads are displayed along with the search results when someone searches Google using one of your keywords. The ad will appear under “Sponsored links” in either the side column of the results page or the top row above the free search results.
The main advantage of Google Ads is that since you choose relevant keywords for your ad, it allows you to advertise to an audience that’s already interested in your business. When potential customers search for your keywords on Google, your sponsored ad will appear above or next to the natural search result (see image). With Google Ads, you get the freedom of choosing from multiple ad formats that can include text, images and videos.
This is what Google Sponsored Ads look like on the search results page.
PPC marketing is especially valuable to those local businesses who are in very competitive industries or industries where you travel to the customer rather than the customer coming to your physical location. This is because Google Maps is geo-targeted which means its hard to get exposure in a certain location without a physical address. For example, if your business is in Huntington Beach, but you would like to service customers throughout Orange County as well as Los Angeles County, the easiest way to reach your target audience would be with PPC ads. In fact the entire PPC system can be customized so ads appear exactly in the area where your target audience resides. At Local Splash, the option of PPC advertising is available to all of our clients through our premier local SEO services. We will work with you personally to target those zip codes, days of the week and time of the day you’d like your PPC ads to appear.
If your business is in Orange County but you would like to service customers throughout Orange and LA Counties, PPC advertising can help.
The cost of your Google Ads PPC ads varies depending on the audience you are trying to reach and the location of your business. There’s no minimum monthly charge for Google Ads. You have full control over how much you’re willing to spend each day as well as how much you’re willing to pay per click or per impression (your ad being seen in the search results). The best part about a PPC advertising campaign is that you pay only for clicks on your ads or for impressions your ads receive.
The price per click of each ad also depends on which keywords you want to use. The more competitive keywords, or the keywords that people want to use the most cost more money per click. These are generally broad keywords; for example, “salon.” The more targeted and specific keywords tend to cost less because there is less competition for them. An example of a targeted keyword is “huntington beach salon” or “hair stylist orange county.” Being more specific when choosing your keywords is a good idea because targeted keywords convert to business and phone calls. You can use the Google Keyword Tool to view keyword traffic and cost estimates then make a decision about choosing the right keywords in order to maximize your budget.
Once you get your account set up, you can analyze your Google Ads reports to figure out which ads are working for you and which ads need to be replaced or altered. PPC campaigns are all about trial and error because what works for one business might not necessarily work for yours. If you aren’t familiar with PPC advertising, it can be complicated and in many cases it’s best to let a professional handle your campaign.
Local Splash will take care of all aspects of your paid ad campaign. Local Splash only charges a 25% fee to manage the majority of our clients PPC campaigns. Many companies may charge up to 50%. For customers who spend $500 or more on their Google Ads campaign, Local Splash charges even less for management. For example, customers that spend $1000 or larger on their PPC ads, will only be charged an 11% management fee by Local Splash.
Local Splash currently has 14 Google Ads Qualified team members who have demonstrated expert status in Google Ads by taking and passing both the Advertising Fundamentals exam and one advanced-level exam. These individuals have received a Google-branded certificate that showcases their Google Ads knowledge.
According to our Local Splash Google Ads Certified experts, any business that goes out to service their customers should definitely think about using PPC marketing to reach customers that may not be in their direct area. However, companies that have a physical business location can benefit just as much as those that don’t. This is simply because Google only allows 5 keyword categories on Google Places accounts and their Google Ads accounts allow up to 2000 keywords. The additional keywords will help your business show up for more keyword phrases, therefore increasing the chances of potential customers finding you rather than your competitors.
Are you ready to start your pay-per-click advertising campaign? Call one of our friendly customer service representatives and let one of our Google Ads experts set up a campaign that will give you the maximum bang for your buck today.
Are you using pay-per-click (PPC) marketing and beginning to get frustrated on the lack of ROI? Before you give up, try these six PPC advertising tips. They could be the key to your business’s PPC success.
