Top Tips for Cost-Effective Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay per click, or PPC, advertising can be a great way to drive traffic and profits. It can also be a huge frustration. The good news is that with a few smart steps, you can make your next PPC campaign work. You can achieve your goals and succeed with PPC. Here are the top tips to help you achieve a successful and cost-effective pay-per-click advertising campaign.

1. Choose low-competition keywords. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to choose highly competitive keywords. These keywords are expensive. They’re also often not very targeted. Spend time researching your keywords. Look for targeted keywords with good demand and low supply/competition. You’ll earn more conversions per click and you’ll save money too.

2. Target your audience/demographic specifically. Consider creating a specific PPC ad for every variance in your audience demographics. Look to target age, gender, location and also need/desire.

3. Use your keywords in your ad. This is another common mistake. People forget to use their keywords in their PPC ad. It’s been shown that ads with keywords in them perform better. You get a better ROI.

4. Don’t forget a call to action. If you want your prospect to take action, tell them what to do next! If you skip this step, you’re throwing away money.

5. Test. This is perhaps the single most important PPC money-saving tactic. Test to see which headlines, promises, calls to action, price and image offer the best return on investment.

6. Look at various PPC services. AdWords isn’t the only PPC service available. Consider other PPC options. They may be less competitive and therefore have a lower price or a higher ROI.

7. Have a goal for your ad. Make sure your advertisement has a purpose. Then make sure your copy and your link support that purpose.

8. Have long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are specific keywords that help you save money. The competition will be lower. Additionally, your conversions will likely be higher because the keywords are more targeted.

9. Send clicks to a specific landing page. This tactic takes a bit of time but it pays off in conversions. Send each targeted ad to a specific landing page. This will help you test results. It’ll also boost your conversions. The best way to accomplish this is to make sure your promise or keywords are represented in your landing page. A few simple adjustments to your landing page copy should do the trick.

10. Start small. Start with a small budget and analyze results. Once you’re happy with the results you’re getting from your PPC ad, you can increase your budget. This way you’re not throwing away money.

PPC advertising can work wonders. Make sure your ad has a specific goal, keywords and audience. Test and track for success and look at all your PPC options. To your success!