Ppc advertising at the most basic level is defined by Wikipedia as

” an Internet advertising model used on websites, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.”

If it sounds simple, why do so many internet marketers get ppc advertising basics wrong?

If  ppc advertising was defined as, ” targeting niche keywords and writing engaging copy designed to get clicks.” Would it sound more relate-able?

All internet marketers should have a solid grasp on the ppc advertising basics.

Why? Pay per click is the fastest way to increase blog , allowing you to use your social networking time a lot smarter.

Ppc advertising gets your content in front of readers who are most likely going to share your content with friends. Using Ppc Analytics you’re able to find the common threads between readers, empowering you to develop compelling content to supercharge your social media strategy.

Ppc advertising in it’s purest form is broken down to three major components. Targeting, Copy writing and Analytics.

Targeting

The whole point of Ppc advertising is to attract more people like your current s. Do this right and you’ll attract people who want to share your work.

How?

Create a profile of your current customers- What are the problems they already have? What keywords do they use to find you? How do they describe you? Who has the problem that your product or service proposes to fix?  Where do they go to find information? Who are their heroes? How do they entertain themselves?

If you’re the type of business that welcomes feedback; use this information to as part of the profile you build.

The more you get into the mind of the people you serve, the better you will be able to build a brand character that can resonate on many different levels.

There is nothing worse for customer satisfaction than a brand that can’t think outside of  it’s offers.

Know exactly who you’re making offers to and exactly how you’ll solve their problem. This is how you become an invaluable resource that people want to refer.

Brainstorm keywords

First, come up with about 15-20 specific words and phrases that could be used to describe your product or service.

One common trap to avoid using adjectives independent of nouns such as “Helpful” “Neat” “Cool” or “Efficient.” Out of context, these are entirely useless.

But in context can be the key to your success.

• Helpful Money Saving tips.
• Neat ways to fold notes.
• cool math games
• efficient house cleaning

(These examples are all high , lots of results, and little to no ppc advertisements. Great terms to target if you’re in any one of these industries)

Everything and anything you come up with, for the love of God Write it down! It’s better to have a long list to filter down than to work the other way around. Once you come up with a list of some sample keywords, use keyword brainstorming tools to come up with a much larger list.

Next take that keyword list and plug them into a keyword analyzer tool (there are plenty out there, none are 100% accurate, I like using google’s because of it’s ease of use) and find out which keywords have the highest amount of competition.

Check the results on the platform too. Just because a keyword has “high competition” doesn’t mean that the competition is with other people bidding on the same keywords. It simply means that there are a lot of websites that are ranking organically for that keyword or keyphrase.

Ideal keywords have high , high “competition” and a small amount of people using those phrases in their Ppc campaigns.

Mix up targeting high competition keywords with low competition keywords. Targeting low competition keywords gives your ad prime placement in front of people who are searching for very specific things.

Remember to always revisit the keyword lists and to revise as necessary. There is nothing worse than having a keyword that drives a lot of and has no conversion.

Copy writing

Only 1 out of 10 internet users click on Ppc advertisements. With the odds already stacked against you,  The goal of the Ppc ad is simple.

Get the click!

Any sales or explanations can be done through the landing page copy.

There are two basic components  that make up every ppc ad;

Headlines and Body Copy

The most popular Ppc advertising platforms give you 25 characters to write a compelling headline.

Your ppc headline should inspire action. Pique curiosity. Inspire fear.  Be bold. Make a promise.

Brian Clark over at Copyblogger says:

Your headlines must:

1. Be USEFUL to the reader,
2. Provide him with a sense of URGENCY,
3. Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE; and
4. Do all of the above in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way.

In 25 characters destroy the desire to go anywhere else.

protip: Craft certain headlines incorporating targeting parameters.

Ad Copy

The amount of copy you’ll be allowed to have for your ad will vary by Ppc advertising platform. In just a few compelling words, build on the tone that your headline and targeting parameters have set.

Remember, these words are all you have to Get the Click. Use copy to show how you can solve the problem of the searcher.

One tip to your ppc advertising is to focus benefits rather than the features.

Example of features of owning a motorcycle

1. Motorcycles go fast. From 0-60 in 4 seconds
2. Includes hand stitched seats and graphics customized to your liking
3. All parts are under a life time warranty

Example benefits of owning a motorcycle.

1. Motorcycles are a sign of rebellion and having a “devil may care” attitude.
2. You’ll be perceived as someone who enjoys freedom and excitement.
3. Riding a motorcycle makes you look like a badass.

By playing off the benefits, the “How” and “Why”  become crystal clear, saving you time having to explain the features.

Feature related Ppc advertisment

Eat healthy. Live Better

Health food at a low cost

in a location convenient to you.

www.myhealthfoodrestaurant.com

Vs. benefit related  ad:

Eat healthy. Live Better

Come in now- Eat great, lose weight

without searching for any recipes!

www.myhealthfoodrestaurant.com

Which one looks more interesting to you?

This example is only one of many tips to writing awesome Ppc ad copy. The point of writing ppc ad cop is to stand out and be interesting.

Once you have a few sample ads written be sure to always split test ppc advertisements.

Here is a video from mindvalley youtube to explain the importance of split testing your ads.

Analytics

Oftentimes the most overlooked piece of the equation, but if used properly, the most deadly.

Analytics tools let you drill into the searchers mind. there are a wealth of tools available that will let you collect demographic information, track conversions and track your best and worst performing keywords.

The most useful feature of analytics for the beginner is the ability to find out not only where people are clicking your ppc advertisements from but what they are typing in to get to you.

Using this data, you can target better keywords so that your ad will have the maximum impact.

This video explains how you can find out how to do this with Google Adwords.

Video by: GoogleBusiness

If you have the time, I highly recommend watching the entirety of this video and get very familiar with the Google Adwords platform.

By taking the keywords that perform the best and and filtering out those that are irrelevant, you’ll make your money and your ppc advertising efforts go much further.

For more on web analytics for beginners check out this great resource put out by UXbooth.

Wrap Up

There you have it. These are the bare bones ppc advertising basics that all Internet Marketers should know. If you have a question, or would like to argue with me, leave it in the comments below!