Google AdWords advertising is a highly effective way to attract traffic to your blog or website. You can choose from Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, Facebook Advertising, MSN Adcenter (Bing) or others . However, most online writers prefer Google AdWords for their Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads.
How to set up Pay-Per-Click ads:
The first step is to activate an account at Google AdWords. After you complete the process, your ad containing relevant keywords is displayed next to search results whenever anyone types your chosen keywords in Google search pages.
The price per click of your ad is determined by competitive bidding of the search terms that you choose. Popular PPC search terms such as insurance, weight-loss and stop smoking cost several dollars for the top three positions on the search results page. However, as explained later in this article, you can choose long tail keywords, which are less expensive.
Google AdWords does not have a minimum spending requirement so you are free to decide the budget of your Pay-Per-Click marketing. For example, you can set a maximum daily budget of ten dollars and a maximum cost of ten cents for each click on your ad.
To get full value from your AdWords Pay-Per-Click campaign, follow these 12 steps :
1. Read the Google AdWords guide:
Before you place your ad in AdWords, read the Adwords Getting Started Guide, which has a wealth of useful information for all online marketers.
2. Create a list of relevant keywords and key phrases for your product:
Use the AdWords Keyword Suggestion Tool to see an extensive list of relevant keywords for your products. Choose keywords that people interested in your products are likely to use. For instance, if you want to market an e-book on how to stop smoking, include keywords such as stop smoking, quit smoking, and give up smoking.
3. Use long tail keyword phrases:
These are phrases that may not be searched very often but are more likely to be used by people who are willing to buy. For example, a long tail keyword phrase such as natural ways to stop smoking without losing weight will attract a smaller target group. However, they are more likely to buy your product.
4. Create attractive well-written ads:
Your ads should highlight the key benefits of your product and promotional offers, if any.
5. Include the price of your product in your ads:
Users who see the price of your product and still click your ad are more likely to buy your product. If they think the price is too high, they won’t click your ad and you will save yourself the cost of that click.
6. Use a strong call-to-action:
A call-to-action encourages users to click on your ad and ensures they understand what you expect them to do when they reach your landing page. So, use specific phrases such as buy, purchase, call today, order, sign up etc.
7. Include the best performing keyword in your ad, preferably in the title of your ad:
Whenever users type that keyword and your ad is displayed, the keyword phrase will appear in bold font within your ad on Google. This will draw their attention to your ad and show them that your ad relates to their search.
8. Choose the best URL for your ads:
Add the URL of the specific page in your website that has the information or product described in your ads. If people who click your ad do not find your product at that page, they are likely to exit and click some other ad.
9. Test multiple ads:
Experiment with different offers and call-to-action phrases. Google AdWords automatically rotates ads within your ad group and displays the better-performing ad more often.
10. Don’t allow your ads to be displayed in Google’s Content Network partner sites:
Clicks from these websites are usually of a lower quality than those from search results because they come from people who are browsing that website, not people who are actively searching for your product. So, these clicks will result in fewer sales but will cost you just the same.
11. Fine-tune your PPC management to boost its profitability:
Monitor the amount of money you are spending, and compare it with the amount you are earning in sales. Remove keywords that aren’t getting enough clicks and replace them with other keywords. Raise or reduce your maximum cost per click and check the effect on the performance of your ads.
12. Use negative keywords:
If there are keywords that may cause your ads to be displayed but are not related to your product, be sure to put them in as negative keywords. You can do this by simply putting a negative sign in front of those keywords and phrases. This will ensure that anyone using those keywords will not have your ad displayed to them. For example, if your product is about how to stop smoking, exclude smoking chimneys and other sources of smoke!
Once you select the right keywords and create well-written ads, your Pay-Per-Click marketing will attract a steady stream of visitors to your blog, website or affiliate site. Though Pay-Per-click advertising costs money, it can be extremely cost-effective if you constantly monitor and tweak your ads using the above strategies.
22 February 2012
Rohi Shetty is a medical doctor, Vipassana meditator, writer, editor, translator and blogger. His short stories and articles have been published online and in print.
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