Is Your Pay Per Click Campaign Ready?

August 1, 2009

1.    Know your product’s USP
It’s not enough to know your product’s attributes. If you’re selling gum, your brand’s attributes will be the same as the next Joe who sells gum. You have to know what makes your gum different from Joe’s products—this is called your unique selling proposition (USP) and this is what you focus on.

Highlight what makes you different from your competition. It’s not just a matter of “I have more” or “I have better.” It’s a matter of “My product will solve your problem” or “My product can help you address this particular issue that you’ve had for a long time.”

In our example, your product is gum. It’s not enough to keep coming out with new shapes or flavors. You could attract more attention if you tie your “cool new flavored” gum with a health benefit like being an aid for oral hygiene, or helping kids adjust the distance between their teeth.

2.    Conduct qualitative market research
Always let your niche guide your marketing efforts. As a marketer, it is your job to bridge the gap between your brand’s identity and the image that the market has attached to your brand.

Qualitative market researches help you save money—knowledge protects you from paying for unwanted clicks. Information like geographical concentration, lifestyle, and which websites they spend their time on will help you make your PPC ad placements relevant.

Qualitative surveys are also good sources of your niche keyword list. Remember that AdWords are keyword-based. It is important that your ads and your website content are optimized for the same audience using the same language that your niche can relate to.

3.    Organize your website

Beefing up your website doesn’t stop at graphic design and a site map. Your content is the life and blood of your website.

People who use the search function usually know, or at least have an idea, what they’re looking for. When your web pages come up as part of their results, they expect your site to give them information relevant to their searches. If you’ve optimized for the keywords that the visitor used, then your content should be related to the query.

The best website content is consumer-focused. Write for your niche. Make them feel that your brand understands and cares about them. Give them a reason to explore further and check out your online catalogue.

4.    Match PPC ads and landing pages
PPC ads like Google AdWords are clickable ads. You have the freedom to determine which web page each ad will lead to. It is important to match your ads with the right landing pages. You wouldn’t want to turn off a prospect with web page content that has nothing to do with the ad that he has read.

5.    Post regular updates

Setting regular updates go beyond your ads. You should be conscious about what’s happening to your market and update your content accordingly. In the same light, conducting periodic qualitative market research gives you fresh information for you to update your niche keyword list so that you remain relevant all the time.