But we’re here to tell you that organic traffic isn’t the only way or even always the best way to generate leads and convert readers. And even though pay-per-click advertising does require payment on your part (per click), it could be a far more profitable way of getting your brand noticed by your target audience.
The BRANDefenders team is here to teach you the basics. Learn everything you need to know about PPC marketing and learn whether it’s the right choice for your brand.
Compare this to a campaign that emphasizes organic traffic. A site has focused on search engine optimization (SEO) to earn the top spot for a keyword search with organic traffic. A user sees what they like, clicks, and goes to the website. There, they may or may not be converted into a customer.
While PPC marketing is essentially paying for a top spot, the core principles of search engine optimization often still apply. Advertisers must continue to optimize their pages, which we’ll touch on later. However, by paying Google for clicks, they can boost their site to the top.
But the truth is that you could pay for the best content and search engine optimization and still be booted from the top rank the next day or be looked over in favor of a compelling PPC ad.
Considering that 67.6% of search engine users click on the first five results of any search, it’s easy to see why paying for the top spot of your target keyword’s results could completely change a campaign for the better. When others pay for traffic, optimization may simply not be enough to generate the leads you need.
To use this model, you’ll first need to design your campaign. What will users see when your ad appears in the results, where will they be sent, and is that page ready to convert? Once you’ve got everything ready, it’s time to enter the world of Google Ads Auctions.
Every time someone searches on Google, there’s an entire auction going on in seconds and involves Google’s algorithm reaching into its store of bidders to produce top-ranking PPC ads for each user.
behind the scenes. Considering this happens over 3 billion times each day, there aren’t any fast-talking auctioneers or bidding paddles.
Here’s how each auction works.
For every keyword, there are always several bidders looking to rank. This means that even if you pay for a spot with a keyword, you’re not guaranteed that spot or even a click. This is why it’s a pay-per-click system — you don’t have to worry about paying a lot of money only to get passed over every time.
However, this means that there’s intense competition between advertisers looking to rank for the same keywords. So how does Google determine each ranking? There are two components for determining the victors: maximum bids and an ad’s quality score.
As mentioned above, the strategies that go into SEO for driving organic traffic aren’t entirely foreign to the world of PPC marketing. You can’t just pay Google to put your ad at the top of every search. If that were the case, Google would be putting irrelevant, low-quality pages at the top of search results, leading users to mistrust the platform and its results.
This is why you must earn a high-quality score. Advertisers must ensure that their pages are relevant to the keywords they want to rank for and that they take users to high-quality pages (mobile-optimized, easy-to-read, fast, etc.), with engaging content that has a strong click-through rate.
Once Google calculates your quality score, they multiply it by the maximum bid you offer. After all, Google wants to push high-quality pages that are also willing to pay more to the platform. You receive your rank based on the resulting number and how it compares with your competitor.
However, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily pay the full amount you bid. This is another reason you want the highest quality score. Once your rank is determined, this is divided by your quality score with one cent then added. The resulting number is the price for a click. The larger your quality score, the less you pay.
Just as keywords are an important part of SEO, the keywords you choose to target are essential in PPC marketing. The keywords you choose should be what your target audience would be searching to get your brand in front of the leads you’re most likely to convert.
Just because your page ranks high in searches doesn’t automatically guarantee a click. The user must see something that answers the question they were asking Google about or present a solution they were looking for. Make sure the meta-titles and descriptions show that you have the information they need.
Once you get a click, you’ve only generated a lead that you’ve paid for. Now, you need to make the sale. Ensure that the landing page is engaging and persuasive with the right calls to action that allow you to earn a profit, well-eclipsing the click price.
This not only boosts your conversion rate. But high-quality pages will also earn you a higher quality score. This increases your ranking while bringing down the price of the click. It’s a win-win-win: higher rankings mean more clicks, cheaper clicks, and the users you bring to your page are more likely to become customers.
If you’re unsure how to write conversion-driven content, reach out to BRANDefenders to help you craft the perfect pitch.
The first round of keywords you choose for a campaign may not be evergreen. Once your campaign is up and rolling, there’s some maintenance you’ll want to do. This includes:
Make sure that you have landing pages that cater to the audience suited to each keyword.
Like the landing pages, you must consider the ad that a user sees. What is it that’s going to get a user to click on your ad? The keyword searched needs to connect directly with the user to encourage them to check it out.
Contact us if you’re ready to give your digital marketing the big boost it needs. The BRANDefenders team is prepared to create and manage your campaign and get you the leads and conversions you’ve been looking for.