5 steps to utilizing paid web promoting to extend conversions
Paid advertising is a great way to drive more traffic to your website and grow your business. However, it can get expensive quickly – especially if you're not careful. How do you make sure you're getting the most out of your paid ads?
A few weeks ago I spoke to a business owner in my ward. You recently launched an aggressive Google AdWords campaign that kind of worked. They're getting tons of new leads, but the leads were for services they didn't offer! The problem was that their campaign was way too broad and they were paying tons of cash for useless leads.
Don't let this happen to you. Here are five simple things you can do to ensure that you are getting the most out of your paid advertising dollars.
1. Understand (and use) long tail keywords
Longtail keywords are keywords that are several words long. Instead of targeting “plumber”, you could also target “emergency plumber near me” or “plumber to clear a drain”. These are critical as they are more in line with the words searchers are using and they also indicate that the searcher is ready to hire or buy them.
Ubersuggest is a great resource for spotting keywords in your industry.
When using Ubersuggest, keep in mind that you don't necessarily search for the keywords with the highest traffic. You're looking for the words your customers use to look for you.
Be on the lookout for long-tail keywords, which are longer, more specific keywords that make up the majority of search-driven traffic.
Here is a simple system you can use:
Step 1: Enter your head word and click "Search".
Step 2: Click on "Keyword Ideas" in the left sidebar
Step 3: Analyze the results
In the example above, the term "social media marketing" is considered a "head" keyword, which means that it is searched for very often. The much less popular term "social media marketing strategy" receives fewer searches, but it does indicate that the searcher is looking for something more specific.
You could go even further and try something like "the best social media marketing strategy".
To find even more keywords, click the Related tab next to Suggestions.
For that particular keyword, you'll get almost 16,000 more keywords, most of which are long-tail keywords. For example, here's what you see when you scroll the results down:
Once you've found a long-tail keyword that piques your interest, click on it to get a better idea of your competitors, both for paid ads and organic search.
The big mistake many first time marketers make with SEO or pay-per-click advertising is choosing the wrong keywords.
When you buy keywords like "social media marketing" you are spending significantly more money and drastically reducing your ROI.
The key to remember is that targeting a large number of terms with less traffic than targeting a small number of terms with higher traffic will get you a lot more bang for your buck.
After all, the best source for keywords can come from your own website. Use a survey tool like Qualaroo to find out what your customers are looking for or why they decided to do business with you (e.g. after checking out). The language they use can be a very effective ad copy for internet advertising.
2. Understand the different types of paid ads
There are many places to buy ads, and each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Before you get started, you should understand the main types of paid advertising, plus their advantages and disadvantages.
Display ads or banner advertising
Banner advertising comes to mind when we think of online advertising because it attracts attention. They are very common and come in different sizes. These ads can be effective, but are usually aimed at customers who are not actively looking for something new.
For example, a person may be reading a newspaper article and not interested in a new social media course. Display ads can be successful but must be used properly. Display ads can be purchased using a pay-per-click model, or they can simply run for a period of time.
Text ads are the type you usually see on the primary Google search page. These ads are generally cheaper than display ads and target customers who are actually looking for something in particular. They can be very effective, but they depend heavily on good keyword research and A / B testing (a topic we'll discuss later in this post).
Here are some of the places you should try to list your ads, although there are certainly many others:
Google Ads
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) are an obvious choice for many businesses. They offer display and text ads in conjunction with targeted keywords. AdWords is a clear choice for any campaign.
Bonus Tip: Your Google AdWords ads get a better ROI the longer you use AdWords. Google rewards long-term customers with better "quality values".
Bing or Yahoo
Bing and Yahoo offer alternative ad platforms that work similarly to Google's. They combine display and text ads with targeted search terms. Some brands find that while these options get less traffic, the overall ROI is slightly better.
Social media ads
Social media advertising has grown enormously in popularity in recent years. These ads combine text and display elements and are based on user preferences, demographic characteristics and location. Depending on your business type, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok are valid options.
BuySellAds or direct purchase
BuySellAds.com is a great place to find additional display ad options. These typically allow you to “rent” space on a website or blog at a fixed cost. Additional opportunities like this can exist if you contact some of your favorite bloggers directly.
Can't decide between Facebook or Google (two popular options)? Then check out this video for instructions:
Try several of these options first and then use hard data to make final decisions about where to put your money. Rely on hard data, not guesswork, to understand which platforms offer the best return on investment.
3. Track your paid ad results
If you can't see how each of your ads are doing, then you shouldn't be buying any paid ads at all. The nice thing about online advertising is that it gives you the ability to keep track of everything. Google Analytics is an absolute must when it comes to buying ads online. This analysis package is free and easy to install.
Once you've got it set up, it's time to get familiar with custom Google Analytics campaigns. These options allow you to create a custom URL for each ad that will allow you to see the overall performance of all your ad. Using Google Analytics in this way gives you a single dashboard to compare all of your advertising campaigns.
4. Create a landing page
It's important to send incoming visitors to a unique page (called a landing page) on your website, not your home page. This may seem counter-intuitive, but there are three very good reasons for using this strategy:
- Landing pages allow you to customize your message for incoming visitors. This means you can continue with the message you started with your ads, creating a more cohesive experience.
- With custom landing pages, you can get visitors to take certain actions, such as: B. to download a free e-book. (Viewing traditional navigation can distract your visitors.)
- Landing pages make tracking your visits very easy. This is especially important.
When you combine this strategy with simple funnel tracking tools, you can quickly get a lot of information on how to reach and sell to your new visitors.
In some cases, you can create a single landing page for an entire advertising campaign. In other cases, you may want to create a specific landing page for each keyword you purchase.
This landing page helps us keep track of who is coming to the page and how effective our ads are.
Remember to block your custom landing pages from search engines. This can be done by simply editing your robots.txt file. This is an important step in making your ad tracking more reliable. If you allow Google and Bing to send unpaid visitors to your page, you may get the wrong feeling about your page's performance.
Here are two more tips for creating high-conversion landing pages.
Create a call to action
How do you convert a visitor to a lead or customer on your landing page? Every page you send it to should have a clear call to action. Think carefully because it is the difference between selling and wasting money.
I want to decide what the desired result is for each page before designing a landing page. Just ask yourself, "What do you want them to do the most?" Then create the page accordingly.
A good call to action tells your visitors exactly what to expect from them.
Everything on your page should lead your visitors to the action they are supposed to take. Without taking this into account, you are throwing away money.
Use A / B testing
You may have started your page, but not finished yet. Small changes and adjustments can make a big difference in your overall conversion rate. If you've followed the tips above, you should have the right landing page and conversion tracking to make this task super easy.
A / B testing is scientific to test which methods work best. When doing A / B testing, it's important that you only make one testable change each time. For example, you can test the effectiveness of placing a headline or button on your page, but not both at the same time.
When you test a single change, you can see conclusive results about what works best. A / B testing is also an ongoing process. So don't stop. Keep testing and changing your page. You will be surprised how this affects your overall conversion rate.
5. Check your paid ad results regularly
Whatever you do, don't look at your results every day. This approach can lead to premature changes due to incomplete data. It is best to wait so that your analysis has time to gather accurate trends and information. Then set a set period of time when you can review your statistics and make changes. It can be monthly, it can be weekly. The monthly review is a good plan to include broad shifts.
Consider setting up spreadsheets to keep track of your stats. It's easier to spot trends and understand what you're seeing when you dive into your analysis to get the numbers out for your spreadsheet.
Use simple spreadsheets to keep track of inbound ad traffic.
Be ready to kill low performing keywords. Remember, your most important stats are conversion rates, not clicks. Clicks only waste money if they don't lead to leads or sales.
In paid advertising, the longer you run your ads, the better your prices and Quality Score will get. This is especially true if you rely heavily on good A / B testing and are constantly refining your ad purchase.
5 steps to get started with paid ads
Needed time: 6 minutes.
Not sure how to get started with paid ads? Here are five steps to make sure you aren't wasting your investment.
- Understand (and use) long tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are less competitive and mimick the way people search.
- Understand the different types of paid ads
Each type of ad has different costs, audiences and reach. Understand the difference so you don't waste advertising money!
- Track your paid ad results
If you can't see how each of your ads are doing, then you shouldn't be buying any paid ads at all. T.
- Create a landing page
Landing pages help drive conversions and make it easy to follow up. Don't forget to add a CTA and do A / B testing.
- Check your paid ad results regularly
Check your results weekly or monthly to make sure that your ads are not only driving clicks but also results.
Conclusion
Paid ads are not a quick program for getting rich. Don't expect to be ready in a week or two. Give your ads time and refine your plan for the best results. Cumulative trends and information give you a clearer picture of which ads are actually converting.
First, set a small budget and increase it as you gain confidence. If you need help getting started, please contact my team. We can help you create a promotional plan that is right for your business.
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