Home » Pay Per Click
Category:

Pay Per Click

Content MarketingContent WritingGoogle AdsPay Per ClickPPC

Content Marketing and PPC

by Tom Bowen
written by Tom Bowen

Digital marketers who utilize pay-per-click advertising generally tend to focus their efforts on improving click-through rates and quality scores. Optimizing account structures and proper use of negative keywords round out the basics of implementing effective PPC campaigns. One crucial aspect that can drastically improve the effectiveness of PPC campaigns is by providing great content to link from PPC ads. While great content is not always included when talking about the elements of successful PPC campaign plans, they work together to provide positive results from PPC ad investments.

Content marketing can (and should) be used as a way to improve PPC ad campaign performance and vice versa. Ways to get the most of out of both PPC campaigns and great content include:

PPC Campaigns Drive Traffic to Sites Fast

With millions of blogs being posted online every day, getting exposure without an established SEO strategy is less likely to drive users to your site. If you are still working to build your site’s organic rankings, PPC ads are a quick and effective way to drive traffic to your site and be seen on search engines.

Driving the kind of traffic PPC ad campaigns are designed to draw can provide necessary brand exposure in the early stages of your digital marketing plan. Focusing on PPC and content marketing simultaneously uses your content to inform, while paid ads can be used as a valuable conversion tool.

PPC Ads Create Brand Recognition

Viewing paid ads will help users remember your brand and increase organic listings. Having both a PPC ad and an organic listing on the same page improves click-through rates increases brand recognition and creates a bias to your brand, even if users are not readily aware of the connection.

Your brand appears as more of an authority and will increase click-through rates of returning visitors, as well, and marketing research has consistently shown that retaining a customer is far less expensive than acquiring a new one.

Link Ads to an Actionable Landing Page

Successful user navigation through a conversion funnel must include quality landing page content that is compelling, intriguing, and original.

Users who click on PPC ads will likely browse your website before making a purchase or performing other acts of conversion. Actionable, compelling content throughout your website can affect the buyer’s journey to conversion.

Keep in mind that decisions are not always made during the initial web session that came from a PPC ad. However, a PPC ad that links to quality content increases the chances of conversion when it comes time for potential customers to make a purchase decision.

PPC Keyword Data Provides Valuable Content Insights

Pay-per-click keyword research and data can be leveraged to drive high traffic to produce increased revenue. Ad copy that performs well can be applied to organic content with similar effects.

Branded keywords tend to have greater CTR success than other standard keywords.

Organic and paid keyword strategies grouped together can deliver successes that can be applied to either or both campaigns. A/B testing will help to determine the keywords which will perform best in each campaign.

Doubling Up SERP Real Estate

Two links are better than one. Having both paid ads and organic links show up on the first search page will increase traffic.

Grabbing up SERP real estate is even more critical in mobile applications where users are more likely to click through on paid ads and top organic results. Multiple links will also serve to increase your brand’s identity and authority.

4 Actionable Tips to Increase the Effectiveness of Content Marketing through PPC Campaigns

Understanding the benefits of using PPC ads and content marketing to increase click-through and conversion rates is the first step to a successful campaign. Some common sense ways to maximize the relationship between PPC and great content include:

Use Facebook ads to promote great content: Facebook’s Audience Insights feature can be used to segment audiences and target ads to relevant users in the conversion funnel. Paid ads created within Facebook Ads Manager can be used to reach relevant users or customers spanning a variety of interests and demographics.

Clickable headlines: Leverage industry keywords and topic groupings that have gone viral to create a compelling and relevant headline to grab user attention. Engaging and unique headlines can entice users who don’t generally click on paid ads. A/B testing can help to determine the headlines that will produce the highest click rates and conversions. Note: When writing compelling headlines, caution must be made to avoid turning clickable headlines into clickbait that are not relevant to the content people are being directed to.

Mobile-first mentality: Every day, the number of mobile searches across all platforms and devices is rising. Images, infographics, and other forms of visual content will help conversion rates from paid ads seen on mobile devices. Landing page content that is optimized for mobile devices is created with a slightly different perspective. Some guidelines to help improve the conversion of PPC ad campaigns for mobile include:

  • Short headlines
  • Concise paragraphs
  • No pop-up ads
  • Mobile-optimized image sizes
  • Prominent, clear calls to action

Proper CTA placements convert more users: Landing pages linked from PPC ads need to have several clear calls to action prominently placed throughout the content for more accessible user conversions. CTAs may include an on-page contact information form or pop-up CTA that help transform leads from PPC ads to conversions and sales.

Different marketing philosophies suggest CTAs either above the fold or at the bottom of the article. Either way, prominent and user-friendly calls to action are a must for paid promotion campaign landing pages.

Austin, Texas Content Marketing and PPC Ads

Content marketing and PPC ads are integral parts of an overall marketing strategy. The experienced team at Seo Insights can help you create actionable, compelling content and effective PPC ads, yielding high returns for your business. Contact a member of our team today and let us know how we can help you achieve your business goals.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterest
Blog PostsBrandingContent MarketingConversionsEngagementGoogleLocal SEOPay Per ClickSEOSEO NewsSERPSite OptimizationSocial MediaVoice SearchWebsite TrafficWriting

Winning SEO Content Strategies for the Remainder of 2019

by Pythagoras Matko
written by Pythagoras Matko

2019 has been a banner year for search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns. In fact, many webmasters and brands adopted best-practices to produce measurable results this year. While SEO trends continue to evolve, the emphasis on streamlined content remains pivotal in achieving higher visibility across Google. Similarly, many companies are investing in digital campaigns geared towards positive user experiences. With six months left to go, there are still ways to attract and engage new clients to your products and services.

Here are the most important facets of SEO so far this year:

  • Great user experiences across multiple platforms and networks.
  • High-quality content that is centralized, thought-provoking, and gives folks something to take away with.
  • Mobile optimized websites, blogs, and online stores with faster page/download speeds.
  • Acquiring natural – organic links that accentuate any pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns.
  • Not rely on social media to build brand visibility and awareness. Instead, many brands are churning out content that is industry-specific, relevant, and insightful for their readers and users.

Google Marketing in 2019

While Google remains the most popular search engine in the world, it continues to update its algorithms to correlate with the current trends. With this in mind, Google has called on all brands to produce in-depth content that answers questions and serves the needs of your users. No longer is creating content for the sake of content acceptable across Google’s SEO services. Instead, your content must now meet the following in order to remain or become competitively viable:

  • Create pages for users and not search engines. Remember, reader engagements drive web traffic, lead generation, and potential revenue for your brands.
  • Don’t deceive your clients, customers, and new users. Always provide precise, concise, and truthful content that meets the needs of your bases across the web.
  • Always abide by Google’s White Hat criteria to secure higher page rankings and visibility on Google. Avoid tricks of Black Hat techniques (misleading titles and click-bait) to improve search engine rankings – this can get your site and pages permanently banned from Google and other search engines.
  • Use your own photos of products and brands within the content. Try to avoid common stock imagery which may be in use by competitors and other brands.
  • Develop content that is unique, enticing, and engaging across the board. Make your website stand out from others within your field, sector, or niche.

Set aside some funds to invest in a sound and effective SEO campaign. This can help your brand grow and flourish – especially if you are pressed for time. Your local advertising agency has the tools and expertise to help your company catch up in 2019. It’s as simple as reaching out to them to discuss your online marketing and brand expansion goals.

Best Practices for Content in 2019

If your brands are struggling this year, you may want to rethink your existing strategies. Again, the valuable context within the content is everything in 2019. No truer is this than when it comes to meeting Google’s quality standards. In order to build better user engagements and experiences, here are some content essentials that continue to soar in popularity:

Long-Form Content

Long-form content is once again the norm in the world of SEO marketing. You should aim to produce 1,500-2000 word posts that are engaging and full of substance. Add relevant social media links as well as strategic keywords to boost site traffic and increase conversion rates. Your content needs to establish your brands as helpful resources in the industries they serve. Similarly, it must evoke emotions while inspiring thoughts and questions. This can only lead to longer stays on your pages which help reduce bounce rates and increase visibility. Here are a few more things to keep in mind when developing brand content:

  • Provide solid recommendations for your readers. Give them helpful links, resources, and links back to your products and services.
  • Make sure your content is unique and different with each post. This will set you apart from competitors and help users cut through the clutter.
  • Stay abreast of all the current SEO trends and developments. This will give you and your brands the edge on promoting content to core, niche, geo-specific or mass audiences.
  • Scale your content plan if targeting smaller audiences. However, you can increase promotions via paid ads, e-mail automation, and especially social – mobile media platforms.
  • Make sure to match your content to user intent. This gives validity to keywords while ensuring your information is valuable to those that demand and need it to the most.

Snippet Content Optimization

Featured snippets are now what most SEO plans strive to achieve. This, of course, is rank #0 or enhanced results on top of organic results. In the past, most brands fought to reach the number one spot in the SERPs. This is no longer the case due to snippets providing detailed information like titles, descriptions, bullet lists, and content that differs or aligns with brand intent.

Snippets are essentially teasers that entice users to click through the content. This lets them access information without ever leaving Google. The best part is that snippets appear in voice search results as well. This gives users substantial information and timely answers to their queries and concerns. Therefore, it is important to optimize your content with snippets in mind to increase user engagements. Here are some ways to try and secure the coveted zero ranking spot on Google:

Be Direct in your Content

High bounce rates occur when your content is too lengthy or does not entail valuable information. While long-form content is important these days, you still have to get to the point. In fact, avoid writing long, wordy introductions before you address the topics in the titles of your posts. Give your readers precise information right away – this will keep them on your pages longer and may increase conversion rates and clicks.

Always perform keyword research to see which words your competitors are not using. With keyword optimization, you can stay ahead of the pack and get featured snippets. It’s also important to break down your content with bullet lists for better accuracy and flow. Google loves including lists within featured snippets; makes it easier for users to scan and digest content. You can even use FAQs to provide answers to stock or common questions. Featured snippets tend to pick up FAQs if they are in an easy form and able to capture within the boxes.

These are some of the ways to enhance your SEO content for the remainder of 2019. Again, let a professional agency take care of these content enhancements if you simply do not have the time.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterest
Bing AdsGoogle AdsPay Per Click

Wordstream vs. Marin: Which PPC Tool is Best for You?

by Ostin Born
written by Ostin Born

For businesses that want to reach consumers directly, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a fast way to get your website in front of customers.

Unlike Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can be done for free, PPC requires advertisers to pay a fee each time users click an ad. Placing an ad at the top of search engine results requires a bidding process that can be expensive and tiresome.

While businesses and advertisers could try PPC out for themselves by bidding on platforms like Google Ads, multiple companies offer software that streamlines PPC efforts.

Two companies at the top of that market are Wordstream, which was founded in 2007, and Marin Software, which started in 2006.

For the uninitiated, these two companies appear to offer similar services, but there are notable differences in each company’s suite of products. For discerning businesses and advertisers, those differences could make or break an ad campaign.

Let’s take a look at each company and find the pros and cons of what they have to offer.

Wordstream

Wordstream’s PPC platform is an all-in-one software that lets businesses build their ad campaigns on any budget.

This platform is well regarded as a tool for brand new advertising teams with easy-to-use features that will walk them through your first PPC experience. Also, the ability to scale campaigns allows larger groups to use Wordstream as the business grows.

Wordstream helps advertisers optimize their campaigns by offering new keywords to help them stay competitive. Users can expect helpful monthly reports that track the performance of ads and make suggestions moving forward.

However, this platform does have compatibility issues with GoogleAds, which is the largest market for PPC ads on the Google search engine.

Also, setting bid amounts on the platform could be easier. Especially for new advertisers, mastering bids helps save money and optimize PPC spending.

Marin Software

Marin’s PPC platform offers maximum flexibility for PPC advertisers, making it an excellent choice for more experienced teams looking to optimize their campaigns.

Marin allows advertisers to tinker with all aspects of their campaign, including bid amounts, keywords and more. For businesses looking for maximum control over advertising, this platform may be a good option.

Another great feature Marin offers is an AI-assisted bidding function that optimizes ad bids dependent on the keyword. That feature helps newbies and experienced advertisers find the perfect amount to bid.

However, some customers complain about Marin’s support infrastructure, which can be challenging to interact with.

Which Software is the Right Choice?

For businesses looking for a one-stop PPC advertising platform that works for newcomers and experienced advertisers alike, Wordstream is an excellent choice.

Not only is the UX easy to use, but first-timers can feel comfortable optimizing their bids and tracking their best-performing content.

If an advertising team is looking for maximum control over their campaign, Marin Software’s platform gives them as much control as they want for their campaign.

Also, Marin’s bidding technology will help optimize bids with ease.

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterest
Google AdsMobilePay Per ClickWeb Design

4 Ways Web Design Can Impact PPC Performance

by Tom Bowen
written by Tom Bowen

If you’re new to the concept of PPC, then you may not think too much of your website’s design. You may even be wondering “what does my PPC campaign have to do with my website’s design?”

From an objective standpoint, your website’s design can significantly impact your PPC performance in a variety of ways. Therefore, if you’re running a PPC campaign, you need to be sure that your website isn’t going to impede your success.

Check out these four ways your site’s design can impact your PPC performance and begin receiving a higher return on investment from your campaigns.

1.) Mobile Responsiveness

On this blog, we’ve mentioned time and time again that having a mobile-responsive website is crucial. Unlike how the internet used to be about five to ten years ago, consumers now expect businesses to have fully responsive websites on both desktop and mobile platforms.

This primarily due to the fact that more people are using their phones to find businesses, and more importantly, click on ads. Therefore, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, your prospects could leave your website before you have the chance to convert.

Before your PPC campaign goes live, make sure that your website is mobile-friendly by performing an audit or consulting with your SEO professional.

2.) Page Speed

According to Search Engine Journal, nearly 70% of consumers stated that page speed has influenced their purchasing decisions.

An Unbounce article cited in the report also stated that people will typically leave your website if they’re forced to wait more than three seconds!

Therefore, even if you have a website that looks incredible, you’ll have a problem on your hands if it doesn’t load quickly. To check how fast your website is on mobile devices, you can use Google’s free speed tool. Alternatively, you can use this tool to test your site’s speed on both mobile and desktop devices.

3.) Technical Errors

One of the most common issues with websites is technical errors, and these issues can drastically destroy your chances of converting any leads from your PPC campaign.

Your website may work just fine for you and your team, but you’re probably using the same browser and the same actions to access your website each and every time.

For a prospect, they’re likely using a different browser and they’re accessing your website for the first time, which can lead them into a bunch of technical errors you never noticed.

Hence, if one of your site visitors complain about a technical error on your site, don’t just say “it only works if you click this link and not this one”. That’s a sure-fire way to lose out on your advertising leads.

Instead, try different browsers and different methods to access your site to trigger technical errors so you can properly fix them.

4.) Aesthetics

Many businesses realize they need a website, but their means of obtaining one aren’t always ideal (or even legitimate). Consumers can usually tell if your website looks homemade or dated. This can call your business’ trustworthiness and credibility into question because your website is your business’ first impression.

Before your PPC campaign begins, take a hard look at your website and determine for yourself if it’s what you want your prospects to see. If you’re having doubts about your website’s aesthetic quality, contact your developer to receive a newer and more modern website design.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterest