January 25, 2010

How to Start a PPC Campaign for Your Business

By:

Hostway Team

By Ronda Suder

If you’re reading this article, then you’re likely considering a PPC, or pay-per-click, campaign for your business, but you’re wondering how to get started. Starting a PPC campaign can seem like a daunting task; however, the following information will get you started off in the right direction.

What Do You Need to Run a Successful PPC Campaign?

  • Understand Your Market. Who is looking for your product or service? Where are they looking? Where is your traffic coming from (which search engines)? You may want to consider tracking software when trying to build a successful PPC campaign to aid in answering any or all of these questions.
  • Use the Right Keywords. Keywords are the words a potential customer types into a search engine when he or she is looking for a product or service. For example, if a customer is looking for a professional camera, then they may type "professional camera" into the search engine to see what results come up. So, if you’re a company that sells professional cameras, then "professional camera" would be a keyword for your business. If you sell a specific model of a camera, then you may choose to use that model as a keyword, as well.
    So ask yourself which search terms, or keywords, would customers use to find your product or service on the Internet? These keywords should be used throughout your PPC campaign.
  • Have a Successful Ad Campaign. A successful ad campaign can keep you ahead of the competition. Think about what makes you click on an ad when you’re surfing the Internet. Is it a visual that draws you in? Or maybe a catchy phrase? You want tools that will attract lots of traffic to your links to increase sale conversions.
  • Understand Bid Management. Probably one of the most important aspects of managing a successful PPC campaign is understanding bid management. It’s important to have effective bid management to ensure you’re not overpaying per click; which brings us to the first piece of info you need to place bids—what’s your budget?

    Based on your budget, decide if you want to bid for top spots on search engines. Often, this is not the most cost effective way to place a bid unless you know for sure which sites bring you the most traffic. The only way to know this is to analyze your traffic and conversion rates, or, as mentioned previously, understand your market. If you don’t have historic data to determine your conversion rates, then what is the expected or anticipated conversion rate for your product? You need to know this and your profit margins to effectively place bids. At a minimum, you should be able to make an educated guess based on market data and your specific situation.

By starting with these basics, you’ll have what you need to get a healthy PPC campaign underway. In addition, when you’re just getting started with, or you want to improve, your PPC campaign, utilizing expert knowledge is a plus.

About the Author

Ronda Suder has more than nine years of experience as a professional writer. Her company, RRS Communications, provides creative and technical writing services, including consulting and writing services to Internet marketers and businesses with a focus on articles, keyword, SEO and Web site content. She has a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with extensive training in writing and editing.

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