Pay Per Click For Newbies

Two of the most important factors of any Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign are creating successful ads and deciding how much to pay per click. There are many PPC options out there to choose from, I am going to focus on the two most popular, Google AdWords and Overture.

Before creating your ads you need to determine your target market and keyword selections. If your company focuses on a specific market niche, try to target your ads in regards to that niche. Properly targeted ads will almost always out-perform those directed at a general audience.

The ad you create should include your main keywords either in the title or near the beginning of the body text. Draw attention by using call to action phrases and words that provoke enthusiasm and response. Use phrases like "Save on DVDs," "Get cheap stereos," or "Join now for 20% discount," etc. Just be cautious and be sure to follow Google's Guidelines. If you advertise something that you don't offer, Google will pull your ad. Also, if your ad offers something free, make certain that its listed on your landing page!

Once you are satisfied with your first ad, create 3 more ads that are radically different from the first. After 3 or 4 days, take a look at how your ads are doing. (If you are using less frequently searched terms you may have to wait 1-2 weeks for better results.) Check the click through rate (CTR) of each ad. In most cases, one of your 4 ads will be out-performing the rest. If this is the case, delete the poorly performing ads and create 3 new ads that are similar to the successful one, each with subtle differences in the title and body text.

Again, wait 3 or 4 days to see which ad is performing best. If you notice that one ad stands out, repeat the process. Eventually you will end up with 4 quality ads that are performing equally. Once the ads have leveled out, continue to keep an eye on them. I recommend that you do so daily. If one begins to slip, tweak the wording. Monitoring your ads is essential, if you want them to perform well.

Unfortunately, there is no way to see what the competition is paying, so in most cases, it's a bit of a duck hunt. I suggest starting with a MAX CPC that is slightly higher than you might normally pay. This will ensure a slightly higher ranking for your ad and increase your chances of accumulating clicks. If your ad performs well, your rank will increase. Once you have attained a good click through rate (CTR), you can adjust your max CPC to reflect the position you wish to obtain. (See part one of this article to find out how Google ranks ads.)

Managing an AdWords or Overture PPC campaign can be confusing at first, but it doesn't take long to get a handle on what works. Creating a highly successful ad the first time around with either AdWords or Overture is a rare occurrence, but with a bit of regular maintenance and a well targeted campaign, it doesn't take long to start seeing results.