The advantage of PPC advertising is its inherent flexibility. Traffic arrives instantly from actual users and performance is measured in real time.
Currently, Google and Yahoo! are two giants that dominate the field. Google Adwords is a pay-per-click advertising engine that makes use of its largely popular search engine to encourage browsers to access client websites for a minimal fee. It currently has the largest distribution network compared to Yahoo! and the prices are relatively competitive with results.
For the advertiser considering this form of marketing, using pay-per-click strategies can be a daunting task. But the advertiser just needs to keep in mind a few pointers before plunging headlong into the fray.
1. Create ads with a high click-through rate. Click-through rate is the measure of relevancy in Google Adwords. The more people who enter your site means in theory that more people find your sites content relevant to their search.
2. Choose your keywords carefully. Keywords are the links to which browsers will be able to find your site. Bids are often placed for the most-used keywords and oftentimes the prices for these words escalate to unbelievable proportions.
It would actually be better to take some time to step into the head of your target market and get a feel of what words they would put in the search engine to solve their problems. For example, for people trying to buy motor oil online they would usually enter motor oil into the search.
A more creative bidder can use other keywords that are also relevant to the subject, which the browser is most likely to enter as well like, lube change, overhaul, or tune up. The possibilities can be endless with a little imagination and role playing.
If you fine-tune the key phrases, your click-through rate will increase along with the relevancy of your site to the consumer. Being first in using a new keyword will also give the browser an impression that the bidder is the only solution to this problem.
3. List your site wisely. Google Adwords bidders have three ways of listing on its search engine.
Broad match eat cheese will run a search string with all words that have Google 1 Google 2 in it in any order. This will also display the results that have relative connection to the search like ate cheddar, eating cheese, cheese eating, etc.
Phrase Match – eat cheese will run a search string that will display the results that match the exact phrase eat cheese in that one order only. It will return links that contain such phrases in sentences, lyrics, songs, etc.
Exact Match [eat cheese] is a more precise search will return a search string with only eat cheese in it and nothing else.
Furthermore, you can opt to exclude your site from searches made for keyword listing with a negative perception such as free, porn, cracks, hacks, etc. just add a - at the start of the word (-free).
4. Syndicate. Google Adwords is a syndication so advertisers can choose to appear only in Google, its affiliates, or even other contextual engines. Depending on the companys marketing strategy, you can also decide on which countries and languages to appear in.
5. Bid well. It is well advised that from the start it is wise to overbid slightly to get a more realistic exposure from the start. Because of good exposure, you can get a better feel on whether your click-through rate and keywords matches your market.
6. Geotargeting. Geotargeting is a Google service that lets you appear on search results for browsers of a desired geographical location. Places as big as regions to as small as cities can be targeted. Options are also available as to a specific radius of an area chosen.
7. Affiliates. In Google Adwords only one affiliate or seller ad can actually appear on a single landing page for every keyword. However, if affiliates can create a review for their site with significantly unique and relevant information, then the site can appear in the same page along with the seller ad.
8. Old fashioned hard work. Of course, nothing will ever get off the ground without creativity, hard work, luck, and spending a few more dollars on professional help.
Google Adwords must be taken as a tool in a box of tools for a company. This way, the company can manage to maximize all the markets it can reach on and off the web.