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PPC For Dummies - Part One Of Two
by Scott Van Achte
http://www.stepforth.com
For the beginner, understanding PPC (Pay Per Click)
services can be utterly confusing. With so many search
engines to choose from, and so many options within each
one: different billing schemes, different terminology, and
different techniques for ranking in the top spot, the
learning curve is quite substantial. So why would anyone
go to the trouble?
For quite some time now Google has been the primary source
for web search. Nearly everyone who has ever use a
computer has either used or at least heard of Google. But
as the Florida update has shown us, free placements in the
search engines are not as stable as we would like them to
be. Sure after an algorithm change we can go back to the
drawing board figure out the newest line of attack, re-
optimize a site, and bring back that first page placement,
but how much traffic and sales are lost as a result of the
down time?
When it comes to most PPC campaigns you can be sure of one
thing: Your rankings are stable. When you go to bed, you
know that when you wake up the next morning you placements
will still be there. Now, of course in many cases you may
be out bid in overture and find your self slipping a
couple of notches, but after a quick adjustment to your
maximum bid, you're back in contention. This is a far cry
from the potentially months lost after slipping, in some
cases off the charts, into the dark abyss of positioning
into the thousands.
Google is not going away any time soon, so it is still
very important to optimize and try to get those top
placements regardless of whether or not you wish to pursue
a PPC campaign. If you are ranking well on Google, in many
cases it is still well worth it to pursue PPC placements
as well to get that extra exposure. With a PPC campaign
its important to remember that it isn't always as simple
as paying top dollar to dominate the number one spot.
Regular tweaking and maintenance will be required.
So what is involved in achieving top spot in a PPC
campaign?
Google AdWords
Your Google AdWords Ad is given a ranking value by
multiplying your maximum Cost Per Click (CPC) with your
current Click Through Rate (CTR) and ads are sorted
according.
For AdWords you must constantly monitor the performance of
your keywords and ads. If the CTR of your keywords begin
to slip then your position will most likely drop, and its
time to either re-write your ads to draw attention, adjust
your max CPC, or a combination of both. What will work
best, depends on a variety of variables; your CTR, current
CPC, how competitive your keyword phrase it, and the
wording in your competitors ads. Remember you want to
stand out as the obvious best choice.
Looksmart
Looksmart has a PPC Service that is somewhat different
than AdWords and Overture. With Looksmart you write your
own title and ad text for your listing and pay a set rate
of 15 cents per click. The ranking order for listings
is "based solely on their relevance to a user's search as
determined by LookSmart's proprietary search algorithm.
Payment does not influence the appearance or rank of the
listings in the Reviewed Web Sites section." - Looksmart
If you choose to use Looksmart, it is essential for your
website to be properly optimized. The one main downside to
Looksmart is that your payment of 15 cents per click is
just to get you listed, and does not guarantee any
positioning.
Overture
The ranking of your Overture listings is determined by one
thing and one thing only. How much you are willing to pay.
If your ad position drops, increase your bid and within
seconds you are back to where you left off. Now remember,
being number one is not everything. If people see no
interest in your listing they will simply click on number
two. Of course this doesn't cost you anything directly,
but indirectly you may be losing the all so important
sales. This is why it's important to have carefully
written copy for your listing.
In the case of Overture, Looksmart and Google ads, the
copy you choose does not affect your position, so you
don't need to worry about the ad being 'search engine
friendly,' but you do need to ensure it is searcher
friendly. Carefully select the wording to use in your ad
copy and be sure to include the keyword phrase in either
the title or the beginning of the text. Say something that
will jump out at the reader. You want them to see your ad
as being highly relevant to their search, as well as being
interesting and inviting. Remember; just because you
dominate the top spot, does not mean you will necessarily
draw all the traffic (although it does help!)
Before you get started with any PPC Campaign be sure to
understand the billing practices of the search engine
before you starting using it. Google AdWords charges a one
time, $5.00 setup fee, and after that you pay only for
delivered traffic. Overture does not have a setup fee, but
they do require a minimum charge of $25/month regardless
of weather or not your click throughs have accumulated to
that total. Looksmart bills 15 cents per click flat rate,
and a minimum usage of Each Search engine has different
billing plans, and its important to understand them so
that you don't get burned.
Once you have selected what search engine, or engines, you
wish to use start off by reading through their FAQ page,
guidelines, tips pages, and absorb as much information as
you can to get a good grasp on how their PPC system
operates. If you are new all this, at first glance AdWords
and Overture will seem extremely overwhelming, but you
will find the more you explore, the better understanding
you will develop. It doesn't take long to get a firm grasp
of the various systems.
Coming Soon: Scott Van Achte writes on how to choose your
max bids and wording for your PPC campaign.
Scott Van Achte is a Search Engine Optimization
Professional and PPC Manager at StepForth Search Engine
Placement Inc. Based in Victoria, BC, Canada, StepForth is
the result of the consolidation of BraveArt Website
Management, Promotion Experts, and Phoenix Creative Works,
and has provided professional search engine placement and
management services since 1997. http://www.stepforth.com/
Tel - 250-385-1190 Toll Free - 877-385-5526 Fax - 250-385-
1198
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