PPC Campaigns: The Ultimate Guide
Since it was introduced in the late 1990s, Pay Per Click advertising has become one of the most popular and effective ways to generate targeted traffic to your business. Craving more information on this often-misunderstood form of marketing? Look no further than this ultimate guide! We’ve compiled a comprehensive set of tips and tricks for beginners who are interested in PPC campaigns, as well as advanced tips for seasoned veterans. You can try Spotifystorm to have more traffic to boost popularity. You’ll get everything from a detailed understanding of what PPC is, how it works, and how you can design a successful campaign to information on specific tactics that have helped other businesses grow.
What Is PPC Advertising
PPC: Paid Search
PPC: Paid Social
How PPC Advertising Works
Who PPC Advertising Is Right For
PPC Advertising Costs
How to Build a PPC Search Campaign in 8 Steps
- Log In or Create a New Google Ads Account
- Go to Campaigns
- Click the ‘+’ Button to Create a New Campaign
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns are a type of digital advertising model used to drive website traffic through online ads where advertisers only pay when a user clicks their ad from high-traffic sites like Google. Businesses looking for an affordable way to increase brand awareness, web traffic and sales are ideal candidates for PPC.
Many businesses use PPC advertising to drive sales and while it is typically considered a very cost-effective means of advertising, if its not done correctly it can become expensive. To avoid this, use Hibu, which is a professional PPC management service that puts your PPC campaigns in expert hands for optimum campaign performance and a higher return on ad spend.
What Is PPC Advertising
PPC advertising is a popular form of search engine marketing where businesses create ads to display on major sites like Google to capture awareness and clicks. The PPC model means advertisers only pay when users click on their ad, making it very cost-effective for most businesses with costs per click (CPCs) averaging around $1 to $2 on major PPC platforms.
There are two main types of PPC advertising: paid search and paid social. The main difference between them stems from differing user intent. For example, where paid search users are actively looking for your product or service, social media users are mostly using the platform to seek entertainment.
PPC: Paid Search
Paid search is the traditional type of PPC where ads are displayed as search results in search engines like Google. Businesses use it to rank highly for search terms (keywords) to gain exposure by landing in the top search results. The focus of paid search is to bid on keywords so that your ads display when users search those keywords.
For example, a company that sells luggage uses Google Ads to rank on the first page of search results by bidding on keywords like “best luggage for frequent travelers.” Advertisers can’t target specific audiences. They can only work to ensure their company is visible to anyone searching for that keyword or phrase.
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An Example of High-Ranking Google Search Results
PPC: Paid Social
Paid social is advertising on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Advertisers create ads that display to audiences of their choice to appeal to those users and drive clicks. Businesses use paid social because its robust audience targeting options let businesses choose who their ads will display to, allowing them to get their ads in front of people who are likely to become customers.
For example, same luggage company above might use Facebook Ads to advertise to their target audience on Facebook. While users are not necessarily using social networks like Facebook and Instagram to find new luggage, the platforms’ comprehensive audience targeting allows advertisers to choose precisely who their ad will show to, getting in front of the right people who are likely to purchase travel gear at some point.
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Example of a social PPC ad on Facebook.
How PPC Advertising Works
PPC campaigns are created within advertising platforms, such as Google, Bing or Facebook ads. For the most part, they all work the same way; the platform walks you through the new campaign build-out process, which tells the platform exactly how your ad should be displayed and what your ad will say.
In paid search, PPC campaigns work like an auction where advertisers compete against one another by bidding on the keywords they want their ad to display for. Keep in mind the amount an advertiser is willing to pay isn’t the sole factor in how PPC platforms determine which ad gets displayed. Other factors include ad quality, landing page experience and historical click-through rate.
Both PPC social and search campaigns include the same major elements, including an ad’s message, an offer that will incite action from the user and a landing page where your user will be directed to after clicking your ad. The advertising platforms want to provide their users with a good experience, so they look for ads that are the most relevant to their users.
After completing the new campaign build process, the advertising platform will determine whether or not your ad will be approved. If your ad complies with their policies, then it will go live, and you should begin tracking your campaign’s performance. PPC campaigns should not only be consistently monitored but also be optimized to help maximize ad spend.
Who PPC Advertising Is Right For
With so many different PPC advertising platforms available, nearly any business can find a platform that will meet their advertising goals and reach their target audience. Businesses should consider where their target customers are spending time online, and then align their PPC campaigns with ads on sites that speak to their target audience.
PPC advertising is a good option for:
Businesses that sell online: PPC advertising is ideal for businesses that sell products or services online as these businesses not only gain brand awareness, but these ads can also lead directly to sales
Business-to-business (B2B) companies: Business-to-business companies typically do well with PPC advertising because they can promote free trials and demos to prospective customers, driving more sales
Business-to-consumer (B2C) companies: PPC gives business-to-consumer companies a way to reach many more consumers, particularly with social PPC
eCommerce companies: PPC advertising serves product-based and ecommerce businesses well with shopping ads designed to generate online sales
Service industries: PPC isn’t only for online-based businesses; it can also be great for getting your name out there and building recognition
Businesses in competitive markets: Those with a high degree of competition are well-served by PPC advertising as it gives them a way to outrank their competitors
PPC advertising is suitable for most businesses and industries, given that PPC advertising has options spanning numerous advertising goals, from simply building awareness to increasing event attendance or mobile app downloads. What you should be considering is whether a PPC platform will get your ads in front of your ideal customers and if it is a cost-effective way for your business to do so.
PPC Advertising Costs
PPC advertising costs vary from platform to platform and are influenced by many factors, including bid amounts, targeting options, ad relevance and level of competition. The average CPC on Google Ads is approximately $2, whereas on Facebook Ads it’s 37 cents, although CPCs can range anywhere from 20 cents to more than $30. The total amount an advertiser spends per month is set by the advertiser, so the lower the CPC, the more clicks you can get out of your budget.
Here are the average CPCs across all industries for the leading PPC platforms:
Google Ads: Approximately $2 per click
Bing Ads: $1.54 per click
Facebook Ads: $1.86 per click
Pinterest Ads: Approximately $1 per click
LinkedIn Ads: $5.26 per click
Don’t be deterred by platforms with higher CPCs as the focus should ultimately be on which platform is best suited for reaching your target audience and your advertising goals, leading to the highest return on ad spend. There is a reason why many businesses are willing to pay $30-plus per click; it is because their return on those clicks is high enough to remain cost-effective. Get a better idea of what Google Ads will cost you by reading our article on Google Advertising Costs.
How to Build a PPC Search Campaign in 8 Steps
To build a PPC campaign on Google Ads, start by logging in to your account or create a new account if you don’t already have one. From the home screen, you will select the new campaign button to begin the new campaign build-out process. Google walks you through this process, ensuring that you complete the process correctly.
Here’s how to build a PPC campaign in eight steps.
- Log In or Create a New Google Ads Account
Go to Google Ads to sign in if you have an existing account. Alternatively, click “Start Now” to begin and complete the registration process if you are new to Google Ads.
Google Ads sign-in screen.
- Go to Campaigns
From the new Google Ads interface, look to the left-hand menu and select “Campaigns.” This will open your campaigns tab where you can then create a new campaign.
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Google Ads Campaigns page.
- Click the ‘+’ Button to Create a New Campaign
Click the round blue “+” button from the upper left-hand side of the campaigns screen. This will expand an options menu option where you will select the first option, “New campaign.
