HOW TO GET MORE LEADS WITH PPC
PPC is an art form that few can master, but you don’t have to be an Ads genius to take advantage of these simple but effective hacks.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or attempting to improve existing campaigns, here are some handy tips that’ll help those sweet leads roll into your lap.
BACK TO BASICS
Ascertaining your foundations
First and foremost, you’ll need to consider the type of website you have in place. eCommerce and services must have PPC ads in place. They’ll take people searching for your services and products from Google straight to your page if they click your ads, driving more and more traffic to your page.
If you’re a service-based business, the PPC ads may follow a less rigid process, as you won’t likely be using ‘shopping’ ads to show off particular products of interest. However, the key takeaway is that you MUST have a PPC strategy built into your overall marketing strategy if you fit into either of these two categories…
CONSIDERING POSITION & MARKET SHARE: AN INTRODUCTION
When someone is using Google, we doubt they’re on there just to hang around on the “interwebs”. No, more likely than not they’re already actively looking for a particular product or service.
Furthermore, the layout of searches usually has ads at the top of the rank for each search result, making it difficult for searchers to avoid ads. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to differentiate paid ads from organic content so PPC ads are a great way to increase your visibility rather than solely relying on SEO. Leading to more leads!
Copy matters!
Your business is 100% in control of the copy used in your PPC ads, so make sure every word counts! The keywords you want to be found for and the extra information or extensions you want to share (site links, promotional extensions, location extensions, etc.) should be carefully thought out and written (or at least looked over) by a copywriter. Good copy means better leads, so invest in the words you use.
Expert targeting
Also, keep in mind that you can optimize your ads to reach particular audiences. By narrowing down your targeting, you’ll be able to reach audience personas based on age, gender, previous searches, interests, household income, location, devices (desktop, mobile, tablet, smart TV), and time schedule. The sky’s the limit! Careful targeting will result in a better ROI for your ads cause you’re not spending everything willy-nilly but directing your carefully tailored ads to people who will respond favorably.
EXISTING CAMPAIGNS
Now for ads that are already existing, you may feel like you’re hitting a brick wall in terms of their effectiveness. Furthermore, your marketing manager may be super keen on you improving ads to get more leads (who wouldn’t be), but without increasing spend (pfft, typical marketing managers). That’s where these handy hacks come in. Try some of these options and see what kind of results they bring in.
Keyword expansion
Before you start creating new ads, why not consider expanding your keyword list. You most likely have already developed a preliminary list, used the traditional keyword tools, and mined your search query report to its barebones. Well, it doesn’t end there, it’s time to stretch your net.
Try to widen the search of your keywords by mining more SEO data as well as uncovering keyword verticals you didn’t use previously in campaigns. These can often be discovered by targeting whole new keywords you didn’t use before.
You may even want to go deeper by mining the search query data already generated in your current campaigns.
Improve your quality score
Google always rewards ads with a high-quality score with a lower CPC (cost per click) and higher position among other ads. No doubt this will bring in better leads as your ad will be on a higher (or the top) wrung.
You can improve your quality score by once again, revisiting your target words or increasing your bid with match keyword phrases. You can also attempt to target more branded keywords, up to 10% according to WordStream founder Larry Kim.
Use new platforms
While Google is most definitely the first port of call when it comes to PPC ads, you’d be surprised as to how powerful other search engines may be in generating more leads. Bing, Yahoo, and other engines like Bai Du may be great options for reaching out to better audiences and achieving more qualified leads.
You may even want to consider completely different platforms like Linkedin, Adbrite, or Advertising.com, all of whom are perfecting their PPC platforms and making waves. This will all of course need to be based on data research that will justify your actions. Just don’t be afraid to try something new!
Consider mobile
More and more people are using mobile phones for their searches. You’d be wise, therefore, to optimize your ads for mobile.
In doing so, be sure you offer a click-to-call feature for ads, especially if you’re aiming to have these ads drive direct phone calls. You can also ensure you have Google mobile marketing in place.
Some other things you may need to consider if you’re planning on working with mobile are the following:
- Make sure your ads are short and clearly written. Mobile screens are little things, so you’ll need to make sure your message is concise and impactful to make it worth your while.
- Be sure to segment your mobile campaigns from your PPC campaigns. There may not be a significant difference in results but it’s important to see how well either is performing with the data coming through.
- Make sure that you’re using mobile-responsive landing pages as the UX will be completely optimized to suit your audience and their behaviors. A better user experience will leave a good taste in people’s mouths and more likely lead to a conversion.
Perfect your remarketing
Remarketing is a powerful tool that often gets neglected once it’s put in place. Be sure to revisit your remarketing ads regularly to optimize them once you receive more data on their performance. A great way to increase leads through remarketing is by ensuring you direct these ads to target individuals who have already shown interest in your services through your top funnel ads.
By investing more attention and budget into these groups, your remarketing ads will help channel them through the funnel towards your desired goal and hopefully capture them as a lead.
These are just a few things to consider when it comes to attaining more leads with PPC, but there are plenty of other methods that could better suit your business objectives. Get in touch with the team here at Impressive to talk more about your current standing and where you plan to take your business in the future. We’ll help gauge your opportunities with a free consultation and if we’re lucky enough to have you onboard, help your campaigns reach the skies.
