So you’ve just launched your new website. It looks amazing and you’re ready for business to start rolling in. The problem is, it’s not rolling in quite as fast as you’d like, and you’re not sure how to get your website working harder.
One answer is a paid search campaign, also known as pay per click (PPC), sponsored listings or search engine marketing (SEM). These are the sponsored links that appear above and alongside the regular results on a search engine results page.
How it works
As the advertiser, you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. How much you pay depends on the keywords you target and how competitive they are. The more competition for a keyword, the more you’ll pay for your ad to appear ahead of a competitor’s. An ad for an online travel company, for example, will usually cost far more per click than one for a niche handmade-doll shop, because competition for the keywords is much stronger.
Either way, the key to success is the keywords you choose, so research matters. It’s also essential that your ad copy is persuasive and convinces people to click through to your website.
Why it works
If you don’t have a large marketing budget, PPC is a great way to kick-start your campaign and raise awareness of your website. Results are easy to monitor and evaluate, and if a keyword isn’t pulling its weight you can change it and find the ones that do.
A well-planned, well-managed PPC campaign improves visibility, drives traffic, builds brand awareness and generates inquiries when you’re just starting out or business is slow.
If you’d like help getting your PPC campaign started, get in touch and let’s start thinking keywords.
What our PPC management includes
- Keyword research: finding the searches that bring buyers, not just browsers, and excluding the ones that waste budget.
- Ad copy: ads written to earn the click from the right people.
- Landing pages: making sure the page people land on matches the ad and makes it easy to call or buy.
- Conversion tracking: measuring calls, form submissions and sales, not just clicks.
- Ongoing optimization: adjusting bids, keywords and ads based on results, with regular reporting.
PPC and SEO work best together
Paid ads bring in traffic right away, while SEO builds rankings that keep paying off without a cost per click. The keyword data from your ads also shows which searches are worth targeting organically. Local businesses should pair ads with local SEO so they show up in the map results too.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
It depends on how competitive your keywords are and how many leads you need. We’ll look at the costs in your market and recommend a starting budget you’re comfortable with, then scale up what works.
How quickly will I see results?
Ads can start bringing traffic as soon as they’re approved, often within days. Results typically improve over the first few months as we learn which keywords and ads produce customers.
Do you manage Microsoft Advertising (Bing) as well as Google?
Yes. We manage campaigns on both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, which reaches people searching on Bing and other Microsoft services.