PAID SEARCH :

Google™ AdWords

How to start a PPC Campaign

Google™ AdWords is a very popular portal that allows for the placement of sponsored listings within search engine results pages and within content-related sites. Instant Position understands the importance of paid search, and there are many ways that it can work hand-in-hand with SEO and other efforts to gain more traffic to your site. The question many people ask is: “How should I get into this field of marketing?” On this page we will provide guidelines for creating and managing your very own AdWords campaign. Many of the methods discussed here can be applied to campaigns within other PPC portals.

STEP 1: Research

It is important to target keyword search phrases that are particularly popular. Google provides a keyword suggestion tool that is very easy to use here. This is a good tool because it provides numbers for total estimated searches the prior month. A good method to use when researching keywords is to search the “root” keyword phrase instead of three or four-word phrases which will probably come up in the results.

Here is an example: type “SEO” into the “get suggestions” box and you will be provided with dozens of possible keywords to target. If you type “SEO company,” however, only a dozen possibilities will appear. In the original search (for “SEO”), “SEO company” was actually the number one result. By using “root” keywords, you will be less likely to miss any. Google's tool for this research is excellent, leaving almost "no stone unturned" when it comes to potential searches for your products.

Ironically, one of the best ways to estimate keyword popularity is through the keyword tool provided by YAHOO!® Search Marketing, a competitor of AdWords and the other “big man on campus.” This tool is available at YAHOO!® Search Marketing or on this site with a membership.

STEP 2: Test

Would you buy a car without test-driving it? There are two main reasons to get started in paid search with a test campaign. First, the test campaign will give you an estimate of how much you may need to spend per month per lead, since it is hard to measure until you have “live” data. Secondly, PPC will help you to determine whether your site performs. If PPC delivers 100 visits a day to your site and you only convert 1 of them into a lead or sale, is the site designed properly? Ways to test include using different Titles and Descriptions within your AdWords advertisement as well as using different landing pages. Many companies that spend a high budget on PPC will actually design pages for the sole purpose of using as “landing pages” for the campaigns.

The limits of the test can be set in one of two ways: cost (specific budget) or time (specific period- e.g.: one month). An initial budget of between $500 and $1000 should provide good results and enough numbers to analyze for most industries. Some industries are lucky to not have any PPC competitors, so enough data can be drawn from less. The time method can be costlier, especially in a competitive market. Remember that you have the choice of using contextual matching or just "standard" matching. It is important to shut off the account and take a close look at the numbers after the test, before deciding to continue with a regular account. Most people that try PPC are very happy with it.

STEP 3: PPC Analysis and Budgeting

After the test is complete, take a close look at as many possible variables of the account’s performance. If you can, use traffic statistics to compare to the statistics provided by AdWords or the other portals. If you are going to spend a large portion of your future marketing budget on paid search, it is recommended that you upgrade to an analytics system that can provide clear tracking of both paid and organic search visitors. One such web analytics product is Urchin’s Version 6, and there are others on the market. As you may see, the key to success in PPC (like in any marketing) is the amount of research you can do.

Once you have decided on a budget for future paid search efforts, remember to continue to monitor the account. Based on your industry, it may be wise to budget greater amounts during particular times of the year.

See more PPC strategy and management tips here.

If you have questions, or you would like an analysis of a current campaign, please email a report containing at least one month’s worth of statistics from your account. We will provide a free initial analysis of the account performance.