PPC: So Easy, Cavemen Use It!

PPC stands for pay-per-click, which is a form of paid search marketing. In this post, I'm going to show you how to use it effectively with an article and infographic by Jomer Gregorio. Plus, we'll put the Spotlight on Geico, who is very successful with their marketing tactics.

PPC with Gregorio

In this article/infographic by Business 2 Community's Jomer Gregario, he uses stats to help people make PPC effective by showing them how most companies use it incorrectly. According to Gregario, here are 8 reasons why a lot of companies struggle with using PPC:

The first reason is that companies are not being exact enough when it comes to tagging their ads with words for searching purposes. If you're being overly generic, more often than not your company will not see as much of a profit from that ad. If you think about it, when you search for something in Google, such as a new pair of shoes, you wouldn't just type the word "shoes" and hope for the best, would you? Most people would search for a specific brand, color, or style of shoe. Think about what kind of products or services that you have and plan accordingly with "keyword targeting", as Gregorio calls it.

The second reason is that people are using a certain channel to advertise. Most companies use Google, which works most effectively (most of people in "America" see ads this way according to Gregorio). Think BIG when it comes to advertising.

The third reason is that companies are implementing their advertisements with checking to see if they work first. It would be like if the Wright brothers sold their first airplane to a company without flying it first. If you want a successful advertising profit, play with your ads first, especially if it's supposed to be interactive, to make sure that they work.

The fourth reason is to make sure that wherever your ad links to is of good quality. We're kind of going back to the "Landing Pages" concept that we talked about with Google Analytics (Gregorio). Whatever your consumers first look at should best represent your company.

The fifth reason is that companies aren't using good "call-to-action" words (Gregorio). In your ads, make your consumers WANT to click your ad. If they don't click it, then you won't get paid.

The sixth reason is that companies need to not just focus on what consumers see when they first click the ad, but everything else too. Don't be so wrapped up in that first page, even though that is important too, that you forget about the rest of your site as a whole.

The seventh reason for PPC struggles is that companies aren't advertising to the right people. Make sure that you know who you're consumers are and what they value so that they'll interact with your ad.

The eight and final reason companies use PPC incorrectly is that companies aren't updating their ads like they should. They just send their baby off to college without making sure that it's adjusting to the world properly. Constantly update your campaigns to meet the ever-changing world.

If you're still struggling with PPC, you should definitely look at Gregorio's article and infographic to see the stats of its success and the strategies to help you implement it.

Spotlight

According to an infographic by WordStream, one of the top companies to have used Google AdWords, which is what most companies use for paid search marketing, in 2011 was Geico. They spent "$23.7 million" in 2011 alone with Google AdWords, but, if you ask me, I'd say that for them it has paid off (WordStream). If you type in "car insurance" into Google, the first sponsored Google ad that pops up is Geico. Having a first page, first spot clickable ad is a very successful accomplishment!

To see more companies that use Google AdWords heavily, you should look at WordStream's 2011 infographic and study the companies listed. Have fun with PPC!





Pictures found on Google Images. I do not own these pictures, nor the Geico trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.