Cost and Complexity Perceptions Explained

PPC marketing can make your “instant traffic” wishes come true. Despite this, many business owners are reluctant to try it because it sounds complicated and costly. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth. PPC is simple to understand. Ads about your company display online when users search particular keywords in Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Ads may also display on many of millions of web pages online that have to do with your product or service. When people see your ad, they become interested and click it. They are then directed to a specific page on your website called a “landing page,” where you can convert that instant traffic into leads or even paying customers.

And as the name suggests, you only pay for ads that are clicked. Users who click are most likely the prospects interested in your products and services. The price you pay each time someone clicks on your ad is set by a bid. The higher you bid for a keyword, the higher your ad position will be on search results. If managed by a PPC professional, your campaign may drive you the most affordable and targeted traffic needed by your website and your business.

Boost Your ‘Slowly But Surely’ SEO Efforts

Search engine optimization or SEO is needed by any website to ensure it ranks well on Google and other search engines. It is a prime necessity. There is no debate there. However, not many businesses can wait for SEO to take effect. Depending on the competition, strategy, implementation, and other factors, it may take months before your web pages appear on the first page of Google for your target keywords. Some businesses simply cannot afford to wait any longer for more traffic to come to their websites.

PPC can bring your business instant customers and generate a return on investment in a very short period of time. Ads about your business appear online instantly as soon as the campaign is launched. PPC is the perfect complement for SEO as it allows your business to join the competition immediately as your ads make their way to the top of organic search results.

Why Not Traditional Media Ads Instead?

Advertising on television, radio, newspapers and magazines, and billboards has been around for quite some time. Yes, they attract attention. But here’s another truth: they are also expensive. And for small businesses needing that urgent boost in traffic, leads, and sales, traditional media advertising may not be the best use of your limited marketing dollars. While they may have a wide reach, they may not send you the website or store visits you need due to lack of targeting.

On the other hand, the PPC internet advertising model gives you much more control. There are many targeting options to reach your customers. Some of these targeting options are: by device, specific geographic location, language, days of the week, and specific times in a day. Depending on your campaign settings, your ads may also appear on various sites that are part of the Google, Bing, and Yahoo networks based on age, gender, interests, and many more.

When it comes to spending, you can set a maximum bid and budget on a daily or monthly basis. Your ads will automatically stop showing and you will not be charged further when you reach your spend limit. And because impressions and clicks can be measured, you can easily prove your campaign’s ROI.

Remarketing: Get the One That Got Away

Traditional PPC lets you skyrocket to the first page of Google without waiting for months, targeting only the prospects you need, and at a budget you can afford. But there’s another form of PPC that is becoming more popular to small business owners: Remarketing.

Also known as Retargeting, Remarketing gives you another chance to display your ad to people who have visited your website and left without buying or leaving their contact information. Remember, you don’t have their phone number so you can’t call them. You don’t have their email so you can’t send them a message.

With Remarketing, you’ll be able to “follow” prospects within the Google Display Network – a vast collection of over 2 million websites, including YouTube, Gmail, USA Today, New York Times, and other popular sites. This is amazing for branding purposes, and costs nothing unless they click on your banner ad. Wouldn’t that annoy prospects? Not if you limit how long ads are displayed, how often they display, how much time goes by between displaying ads. You have control of these options.