Pay Per Click StrategiesBetter Pay-Per-Click Results Start Here – We Guarantee It!

If you’re a Google AdWords pay per click marketer, you know how important it is to rank high for the right keywords. However, many PPC marketers pay too much – unintentionally. Following is one way they do so, and how to avoid it.

Are Your Organic Listings Robbing You of Valuable Pay Per Click Dollars?

In the 8/24/09 post here entitled, Get FREE Traffic with Pay Per Click Marketing, we stated:

Once you start to get traffic [via paid search methods like pay per click], search engines notice. Once search engines notice, they rank your site higher – which means it gets even more traffic. This last part is significant because it means you start showing up higher in organic (emphasis added) traffic results – ie, getting free traffic.

The point is, traffic brought via pay per click ads can result in higher organic listings. So for example, if your site is ranking in the top 3 in organic listings, check to see if you can adjust your bid(s) to be in the fourth or fifth position.

As you already hold spots in the top 3 organically, there’s no need to spend more pay per click dollars to rank in those positions.

How to Get Double the Bank for Your Buck Using Google Pay Per Click Advertising

To further capitalize on this, make your Google AdWords pay per click marketing dollars do double duty. How? When you’re doing your keyword research for your AdWords campaigns, optimize your pages so that they rank high for these same keywords organically.

When used in this manner, Google pay per click marketing makes an excellent “tester” for your search engine optimization efforts, for it measures the possible success/failure of keywords before you go through the time-intensive process of optimizing your pages using them.

If you want to learn important strategies for AdWords success, then sign on and listen to the expert led sessions during the AdWords Advantage Online Summit going on now through March 25th!

Wanna know the easiest way to capitalize on all the leads your Google AdWords pay per click marketing efforts are bringing you?

Get organized BEFORE you start an AdWords campaign. It’s so simple that most internet marketers don’t even think about.

The Psychographics of the Average Internet Marketer

We say this a little tongue-in-cheek, but really, the average internet marketer is so overwhelmed that they wind up doing only what is necessary to keep things rocking along. This is why most never get around to things like categorizing leads, doing follow up, designing special offers for their various niches, cross-marketing to their database, etc.

You can take class after class, learn “inside secret” after inside secret and buy the latest pay per click campaign management software, but if you don’t take the time to get organized – to use all of these tools – you will never realize their full potential.

Google PPC Marketing Advice: What to Do Before You Start Your Pay Per Click Campaign

So, before you start a Google pay per click campaign, decide:

How you’re going to store leads (do have a way to capture leads don’t you?). You should store them with some type of data management software;

When you’re going to follow up;

How often; and

With what kind of offer.

This is the bare minimum.

Keeping the Pareto Principle in mind (ie, 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers) you should have no problem increasing your bottom line if you get organized – before you start your Google AdWords pay per click campaign.

Have you heard? The AdWords Advantage Online Summit starts this week (Mar. 9)– there’s still time to register and save 40%!  Learn how to fast-track your AdWords profits during 14 educational sessions led by the Pay Per Click experts on March 9-30, 2010.

Just announced….The AdWords Advantage Online Summit (AAOS) has announced the schedule of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising online training classes to be held  March 9-30, 2010.  All AAOS participants will save 40% upon registration by the early bird date (March 4).

“Next week we will unveil the first ever online educational AdWords training summit for marketers to learn unbiased Google AdWords techniques from experts who have run multi-million dollar Google AdWords campaigns,” said Mary O’Brien, Adwords Advantage Online Summit and PPC Summit Founder.

 These 14 educational classes uncover the value of AdWords tools, resources and methodologies, and gives students ample opportunity to learn how to improve their AdWords campaigns through hands-on guidance for results at the top of Google.

Each one hour class will teach advertisers step by step how to leverage AdWords to their advantage and develop more profitable campaigns. Attendees will learn Google AdWords Pay Per Click solutions for all business types — Ecommerce, B2B, SMBs and more. Attendees will be able to access the recorded class for 90 days.

AdWords Advantage Online Summit Training Schedule (March 9-25):

> AdWords Optimization in Challenging Times
> Promoting to the Right People at the Right Time - Ad Scheduling & Geo-Targeting
> Assign Proper Attribution and Solve the Complexities of Measurement
> The New AdWords Interface – Save Time and Optimize Your AdWords Campaigns
> AdWords on Steroids: Implement Advanced Strategies Leave Your Competitors Gasping
> Slash Click Costs (37%) & Increase CTR (82%) Using Mathematical Formulas
> 30 Tips in 60 Minutes: Convert MORE AdWords Visitors into Buyers
> Understanding the B2B Buyer Sphere: How to Apply Enquiro’s Latest Research to AdWords
> Utilizing SEO and Social Media Marketing to Improve AdWords Strategy
> Researching and Managing Keywords-the Key to Google AdWords Success
> Get the Most out of Google Analytics & Google AdWords
> Contextual Advertising – Best Practices and Hot New Secrets
> AdWords for Local: Sort Heads from Tails, Find Free Clicks and Calls 

More information at AdWords Advantage Online Summit.

Everyone has inherent traits that affect their job performance. Before you wonder if you’ve landed on the right blog (yes, this blog is about pay per click marketing), let’s explain how this can help – or hurt – your Google AdWords PPC marketing success.

For example, if you’re super competitive, you may have to do some ego checking at the door. Why? Because it can cause you to get into a bidding war – not because the keyword phrases are the absolute best ones for you to use – but because you want to command the top spot on Google.

This not only costs you time and money, it can cost you Pay Per Click sales as well. How? As stated in the post, Recession-Proof Your Pay Per Click Campaigns:

. . . research has proven that being number one isn’t necessarily the best spot to be in. . . . Because you get  a lot of curiosity seekers who’ll click on ads in this spot. An ad in the third, fourth or even the fifth spot can convert [even] better.

Luckily, Google’s Pay Per Click program makes it easy for you to control costs. If you do your part (eg, controlling inherent impulses that can lead to negative campaign results), Google does the rest by giving you tools like:

(i) the ability to set a daily ad budget so you never have to worry about overspending;
(ii) in-depth reports to track how your campaigns are going; and
(iii) and the ability to start, stop and/or change your ad campaigns at any given moment.

This is what makes pay per click marketing with Google an ideal choice for new and experienced online retailers.

To learn more about how to fast-track your AdWords success, attend the AdWords Advantage free preview webinar on March 2 to learn money-making tips from the experts!

AdWords or any other type of pay per click marketing, one of the best ways to increase your ROI is to learn how to write headlines that get clicked. You don’t only want headlines that get clicked through; you want headlines that get clicked and lead to sales (or gets the prospect to take some type of action, eg, subscribe, call, etc.).

Following is a simple formula used by successful SEO copywriters that you can use. Even if your writing skills are marginal, if you use this formula, you are practically guaranteed to increase your ROI (return on investment).

Marry a benefit with your main keyword phrase.

That’s it; it’s that simple. The benefit should be one that is unique to your brand AND one that your market research has shown is extremely important to your customers. This part is important because it’s easy to parrot your competitor’s ads, touting the same benefits they do. But, if your benefit is unique to your company/your brand, then it sets you apart.

You become “an industry leader,” or a “world apart.” For example, let’s say you sell ethnic candles – made from soy. You can tout the benefits of your ethnic soy candles, eg, how clean they burn, which makes them green” (eg, safe for the environment) and good for your health.

While there may be quite a few manufacturers of ethnic candles, you can set yourself apart by touting this unique benefit of your ethnic candles in every headline you write.

Your headline must “speak” to web surfers. And, if it speaks their language – and addresses the classic marketing idiom “what’s in it for me (WIIF),” you’ll be well on your way to Google AdWords pay per click marketing success. To learn more on how to fast-track your AdWords success, attend the AdWords Advantage free preview call to learn money-making tips from the experts!

A good argument can be made that landing pages should not sell. “But,” you may be thinking, “I’m spending a lot of money on Google AdWords to drive traffic to this page to make sales.” We know, we know. But, hear us out on this point.

Are You Wasting Money by Using Your Landing Page to Sell?

While Google AdWords is an excellent way to make immediate sales, is it the sale today you want, or a long-term relationship with prospects that lead to ongoing sales?

As anyone with even basic marketing experience knows, loyal customers who stick with you over the long haul are much more profitable. Why? Because you don’t have to “sell” them over and over again. They already know and trust your product/service. Hence, they are a better return on your investment.

Too many businesses make the mistake of taking the short view. And this is especially true in online marketing. They drive traffic to a landing page and immediately ask for the sale. And, while this may be great in certain situations, eg, holiday PPC campaigns, it misses the mark a lot of the time.

Pay Per Click Marketing Tip: How to Better Use Your Landing Page

“So,” you may be wondering, “what exactly should I use my landing page for?” The answer is simple, to forge a long-lasting relationship that can be worth thousands of dollars in the future sales. You can do this by educating prospects about your product or service.

For example, by offering a free booklet or free seminar on your landing page, you “hook” them first. While this is a longer route to a sale, it engages the prospect on a different level than other marketers whose main goal is to get the prospect to “Buy Now!”

And this is the real way to get a better ROI on your Google AdWords campaigns (or any other form of marketing).

Google uses a number of measures to determine how much a pay per click advertiser pays for one click. One of these ways is called a Quality Score. One way to improve your Quality Score – and pay less per click – is by properly using header tags.

Without spamming, you can use header tags to your advantage in upping your quality score. Following are some tips for doing just that.

Frequency: Some pay per click marketing experts say that you should only use one H1 tag per page (eg, on your landing page).

Sequence: Other Google AdWords pay per click marketers advise not breaking the sequence, the hierarchy of the header tag. For example, don’t use an H1 tag, followed by an H3 tag. Keep the correct sequence of H1, H2, and H3.

Keywords: Your keyword should always be included in your header tags. And again, it shouldn’t be meaningless, keyword stuffed copy. But, copy that actually helps search engines – hence, searchers – to know what a given page is all about.

In order to help with this, use Google’s AdWord Keyword Tool to help find related (secondary) keyword phrases. By using this free tool, you will not only uncover many related keywords, but you won’t have to worry about whether or not Google thinks they’re related. This tool ensures that they are in Google’s eyes.

These tips not only help you improve your Google Quality Score; they bring down your pay per click costs as well – all the while driving more targeted prospects to your site.

Search engine optimization is mercurial. Things are constantly changing, which means that internet marketers must change with it in order to get the best returns from their PPC campaigns, for example. Following are two recently announced changes by search engine giant and ad network Google that every pay per click marketer needs to be aware of.

Site Speed Matters: When a user clicks through from you Google AdSense ad, your landing page had better load quickly. Why? Because Google is considering using site speed as a ranking factor. 

While the company has come right out and said emphatically that it plans to do this, the fact that it’s even a part of the conversation means that at some point they probably will. Also, they’ve rolled out tools webmasters can use to speed up their pages. Learn more about this at Google’s Site Speed site.

Personalized Search: This has caused a big hullabaloo lately. What exactly is it? It means that when you conduct a Google search, it returns results that are tailored to what the search engine thinks is most desired by the individual user as opposed to a more general relevancy for the average person who may be searching the web.

To explain by way of example, let’s say you conduct a lot of searches for home décor tips and click on results from HGTV.com often. Accordingly, Google might rank HGTV.com higher on the results pages it returns the next time you do a search for home décor ideas – simply because it sees that you go to this site often.

Why is this important to you as an online marketer? Think about it this way: if web users are getting more personalized results, it can fragment your target market more. This makes it harder for you to reach larger numbers of prospects.

While you can’t change what ad networks like Google do, you can stay abreast of the changes and adapt your SEO and pay per click marketing strategies to continually maximize your return on investment.

If you’re in a highly competitive PPC marketing niche, eg, credit, weight loss, insurance, and have a very small budget, there are going to be some keywords that you are never going to rank for. So, how do you put together a competitive Google AdWords pay per click marketing campaign? Following is one way to do it.

Taking the Long Road to Google AdWords PPC Marketing Success
You’re going to have to niche it to success – and be patient while doing it. To explain by way of example, let’s take credit repair.

If you ran a credit repair agency and wanted to rank high for strong keywords in this niche, good luck unless you have gobs of money. Keywords like credit repair, credit repair services and credit score repair are in the $5 to $10 per click range.

But, there are quite a few phrases in this niche that go for 5 cents per click, ie:
* New Credit Repair (260 monthly searches)
* DIY Repair (260 monthly searches)
* Credit Repair Experts (110 monthly searches)
* Sample Credit Repair (210 monthly searches)
* Good Credit Repair (140 monthly searches)

These keywords account for almost 1,000 searches per month and they cost pennies compared to higher traffic keywords like the ones mentioned above, which bring anywhere from right at 2,000 to over 90,000 searches per phrase, per month.

You may be able to find 20, 30 or 40 phrases or more like the low-cost ones just above. Combine your bid on these with a good organic marketing campaign (eg, writing and distributing SEO articles via free article directories) and over time, you will start to get steady traffic and sales.

Depending on the pricing of your services, you may not need to get hundreds or thousands of clicks to see a noticeable difference in your bottom line.

Just because you’re in a super-competitive niche does not mean you can’t put together a profitable Google AdWords pay per click campaign. It just means you have to be patient and take a different approach. You can learn more AdWords success tips from the experts during the AdWords Advantage Online Summit http://www.AdWordsAdvantage.com coming in March.

Click fraud is, unfortunately, part of advertising online. Major players like Google, MSN and Yahoo! take great pains to help advertisers prevent it. If you’re a pay per click marketer and you suspect click fraud, following are some actions you can take:

Identify the source: There are primarily three culprits when it comes to click fraud. They are listed below.

3 Types of Click Fraud Culprits

Your Competitors: By draining your account as quickly as possible, you are less competition for them. Except in the case of Google, this actually gives you a higher ranking (after all, if you’re getting a lot of clicks, your product must be good/popular, right? Google rewards this). While it may suck for your bank account, in the end it helps you.

Affiliates: Google AdSense affiliates make money every time someone clicks, so some are unscrupulous enough to click (or get someone else to click). 

Traffic Thieves: These are probably the most insidious of the bunch because it’s so hard to identify them. They can be a company that sells traffic to other sites, or an individual who is stealing traffic from you because they sell a similar product, or another type. 

4 Ways to Combat Click Fraud

Track Your Traffic: Knowing where your traffic is coming from is vital to preventing click fraud. You’ll have to provide this to Google anyway if you suspect it, so make it a habit to track it. You can find this out by looking at your web log referrer reports, or by using various tracking tools on the market.

Report Suspicious Activity to Google: Gather all of your evidence, eg, logs of the source of your traffic, normal activity report compared to a suspicious one (comparison click charts), region traffic is coming from, spike dates, etc. Give them everything you think they may need to do a proper, thorough investigation.

Contact the ISP. If the suspected click fraud is coming from an identifiable ISP, contact them to let them know. Do it in writing (email) and by phone.  If this doesn’t work, you can always resort to the following . . .

Retain an Attorney: They will be able to help you, for example, get a court order to release the name attached to the ISP from which the suspected click fraud originated, as well as several other options.

While this may not be cheap, it can literally cost you less if you spend thousands on pay per click marketing.