Managing PPCs - Old and New
by Kirt Christensen
In times past there was no trouble getting an upper position in those highly searched, general keywords like 'china', 'business', 'running' and 'headache' for a nickel a click. When you did a search on Google for one of those terms, you would get only 1 or 2 results, indicating to you that you could bid a minimum price for your clicks.
The only problem was that an advertiser would have difficulty getting those non-specific terms to convert to sales. If a searcher entered in one of those terms like 'business' the idea that compelled him to use that term might have stemmed from a broad spectrum of topics. The likelihood of his clicking on your ad was small and the likelihood of him making a purchase was even smaller.
Since then, the PPC management norms have changed. Now there is no minimum CTR, you don't have to worry about keeping the clicks up. Advertisers have gotten smarter over the fast few years and are able to take those non-specific terms and make of them opportunities for profitable information marketing.
So currently it is worth the effort to put bids on the highly searched, general keywords. The question is how do I make them work?
Here are the secrets:
Change your ads until you find a winner. Make copy changes and run trials, then more trials. This can be a lengthy process with plenty of failures but the victories will come if you will be willing to try and try again until you get a winner.
Use negative keyword to your advantage.
In your ads have phrases that are disqualifying to those you don't want to click. By offering 'Free Golf Instructions' with your ads you will most likely attract undesirable traffic, but if you advertise '$49 Golf Video" most of your clicks will be folks serious about making a purchase.
Market information, not just products. Send people to a landing page that collects opt-ins, and offer a free guide, a tutorial, or an e-mail course of some kind, which will establish you as an information source, create longer-term customers, and grow your visitor value to where even the most generic clicks are worth getting.
The New Rules Of PPC Management
Literally every keyword in your list is a market of its own.
The outlooks of the people searching are represented by the keywords in your list.
Behind everything explicit that your customers type in when they're searching, there's some want, need, question, or assumption, they have (but may be completely unaware of).
The markets for your keywords will vary in size large, small and in between.
Some keyword markets are more competitive than others.
Some keyword markets produce more dividends for the winners than others.
Some keywords will have an overabundance of competitors making the bid prices above market value and unrealistically high.
On the other hand there will be some keywords that, though they make up a better more reactive market, and are available using good keyword tools, are generally neglected.
You sell when you match that implicit conversation that your customers have with themselves.
With over a decade of experience in pay per click management , Kirt Christensen, will share his expertise in PPC management, by presenting you tips he found that work (and some that don't work). http://www.managemypayperclick.com">http://www.managemypayperclick.comunique content version of this article.
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