In today’s fast-changing digital world, the attention span of viewers is quite limited. And if you are a marketer, you might be aware of the effect video and images have on grabbing a buyer’s attention. For example, Amazon sellers use Amazon advertising as a foundation for their business.
If you sell your business on Amazon, you need to understand how leveraging Amazon sponsored brands video advertising can give your content maximum exposure while increasing organic leads.
The ecommerce business has exploded in 2021 with a 19.5% increase in online businesses. This makes it evident that using all the advertising metrics available is essential for your growth.
Therefore, one of the best ways to gain more visibility for your business is using Amazon-sponsored brands video ads.
Before we jump to how you can leverage Amazon sponsored brands ads, let’s dive into a bit of detail about what Amazon sponsored brands video ads are.
When shoppers browse through search results, Amazon sponsored ads immediately grab their attention. This makes Amazon brand ads a great way to increase the rate of conversions and clickthroughs.
When customers begin their searches, these video adverts are fixed around the products related to their search keywords.
Thus, shoppers with greater purchase intent will interact with such videos to learn more about the brand and its products before clicking the product listings.
This increases the chances of a buyer purchasing your product than that of a competitor’s. If you know how Amazon brand ads work, you might also know that you can use images, texts, and videos to create ads.
However, you must not forget that only people registered with your brand can access this feature. In addition, Amazon-sponsored brands video ads are usually keyword targeted.
These ads use a cost-per-click approach. This means you pay only when an audience shows interest in purchasing your listed products.
There are three essential elements in Amazon sponsored brands video ads. These are auto-play video, product details, and a mute-toggle button.
Hence, your video advert will automatically start playing once half of it is showing on the screen. The video will be muted by default, and you can unmute it whenever you want. The audience can unmute the video by clicking on the mute toggle button.
The duration of the video ad can be anywhere between six seconds and one minute. It is strongly recommended by Amazon to use videos that are over 30 seconds or less.
In the sponsored brand videos, the ads will repeatedly play in a loop. This means once the advertisement finishes playing, it will automatically repeat.
Amazon sponsored brand’s video ads usually play the most when users actively look for associated products and services. This means Amazon can put your video footage out there during the highest point of influence.
Users are at the most exciting times that aspire to purchase decisions inside them. This is when the unique selling point of your product can make the most difference.
In relation to the video format, Amazon considers three key benefits. These are it increases engagement, makes your content more relevant and directly integrates your video.
Video adverts are known to make a big difference. However, it would help if you used keyword targeting to pinpoint a relevant audience with the highest intent level for purchasing your products.
You must deliver your ads at a crucial moment and in the most engaging manner.
Like every other Pay Per Click ad running campaign sponsored brands video ads to require bidding using specific keywords, once you place the right keywords, your products will be ranked among the top search results for Amazon.
This will give your products more impressions from potential buyers. Alongside that, here are a few tips you can use to leverage Amazon-sponsored brands video ads.
Since your ad involves bidding, you need to remember that your budget will compete with other companies’ budgets.
The higher you bid, the greater exposure your products will get and hence, more sales. Therefore, when deciding the budget you are willing to spend, your market’s niche will play a huge role.
Moreover, this will also depend on how you spend your money on Amazon. Generally, the cost of your advertising will be six percent of the sales you expect. So it’s better f you do not cross it.
Given that the attention span of your viewers is so limited, the type of content you include in your Amazon sponsored brands video ad will play a crucial role in determining the traffic towards your products.
So first, you must have a transparent, eye-catching, and descriptive title to grab your audience’s attention right away.
This is mainly because the title is the first thing your audience will look at. Secondly, you must comply with the image requirements of Amazon.
Furthermore, keep the needs of your audience in mind. Think about what your audience needs from the products you sell and how your products can cater to those needs.
Finally, make sure the quality of your video is on point. If you want to ensure high-quality videos, you can hire a videographer to do all the video-content-related work for you so you can display your ad precisely the way you want to.
Using keywords plays a crucial role in determining your search result rankings. In addition, the keywords you use will significantly affect the category of your product and the advertising costs.
Make sure the keywords you use have enough search volume. If you don’t want your budget to get out of hand, use not that competitive keywords.
Outbid your competitors to maintain a higher PPC ranking. Consider using distinct keywords for both PPC and SEO.
Once you are happy with the video ad/Amazon video ads you have created, go through the entire submission procedure. It may take 72 hours or longer for your video to get approved.
If your video is not up to the mark and does not meet all the requirements, there are chances it may get rejected.
However, if you don’t want your video to get rejected, you can follow the specifications for video and audio below.
Did you know, your potential customers who browse through your product listings see a similar format each time? Well, now you do.
This format is a part of Amazon’s procedure of creating a consistent shopping experience. This is why Amazon’s brand ad does not follow the same old design.
Once the structure breaks, it makes a focal point. This automatically draws the audience’s attention towards this unique visual element.
In addition, some videos automatically start playing without audio, which creates an extraordinary motion for the eye and draws an eye-catching experience.
Additionally, with the digital world developing fast, search engines are becoming more advanced. However, it must be remembered that videos and pictures will also be a part of that advancement.
Since Amazon has unfolded ways to monetize several tools, it is possible for your brand to be ahead of time and already create video content with exceptional viewership rates.
With this new ad type, your products will be able to stand out from your competitors. Your brand will be able to tell a compelling story and attract viewers at a much faster rate.
With the changing landscape of Amazon, it is imperative to retain the attention of your audience. Unfortunately, the search results for Amazon are repeatedly filled with sponsored and recommended products rather than those that are ranking organically.
Sponsored brands video ads are very appealing since they work both on mobile and desktops. This eventually means that regardless of the device someone uses, they can quickly be served with a sponsored brands video ad.
In addition, these ads are straightforward to set up using the sponsored ad creative builder. With the proper support, Amazon sponsored brand’s video ads can originate several conversations and sales.
When you advertise your products using Amazon sponsored brand video ads, it will add a unique punch to your entire online advertising strategy, which will make your brand stand out from your competitors.
Once you find ways to stay ahead of your competition using the correct advertising targets, it can boost your sales in no time.
If you want to ensure your ads are effective, Amazon’s product monitoring system can be a lifesaver! Let us help you manage your Amazon ads today!
Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.
Throughout his extensive 10+ year journey as a digital marketer, Sam has left an indelible mark on both small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises alike. His portfolio boasts collaborations with esteemed entities such as NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Price Benowitz LLP, a prominent law firm based in Washington, DC, and the esteemed human rights organization Amnesty International. In his role as a technical SEO and digital marketing strategist, Sam takes the helm of all paid and organic operations teams, steering client SEO services, link building initiatives, and white label digital marketing partnerships to unparalleled success. An esteemed thought leader in the industry, Sam is a recurring speaker at the esteemed Search Marketing Expo conference series and has graced the TEDx stage with his insights. Today, he channels his expertise into direct collaboration with high-end clients spanning diverse verticals, where he meticulously crafts strategies to optimize on and off-site SEO ROI through the seamless integration of content marketing and link building.
Launching an online course is easy once you’ve created your content. Filling your virtual classroom with motivated, paying learners is a little more challenging. Advertising strategies aren’t intuitive no matter how user-friendly a platform might be, and trying to guess at how to market your courses online can feel like you’re shouting into the void. But with a little knowledge and some expert PPC ad strategies, you can get your courses in front of people who are hungry to learn what you teach.
With precise targeting, a professional strategy, budget control, and regular tracking, a PPC ad campaign can transform your course into a thriving program. The key is knowing how to structure your ad campaigns for both clicks and hot leads that convert.
Unlike search engine optimization (SEO), which can take months to gain even a little traction, PPC provides you with immediate visibility right where your target users are hanging out. SEO is important but it’s a long-term game that should be executed alongside PPC ads for the best results. While you’re waiting, PPC generates immediate clicks and drives traffic to your website on the spot.
The best part is that when done right, PPC ads offer a high ROI compared to many other advertising methods. According to the data, businesses earn an average of $2 for every $1 they spend on Google Ads, making PPC a powerful resource for course providers. Here’s everything you need to know about mastering PPC to generate hot leads for your online courses.
1. Understand the learner’s journey
If you want your PPC ads to generate leads ready to buy and not just curious clicks, you need to align your ad strategy with how learners make decisions. Signing up for an online course is not an impulse purchase. It’s a journey that usually starts with curiosity and then moves to research and comparison. When successful, that journey ends with enrollment.
A one-size-fits-all ad won’t work because a student who is just browsing isn’t ready for the same pitch as someone about to hand over their credit card. Understanding the different parts of the funnel, and tailoring your ad campaigns to match each stage, is what will make your course successful. A typical buyer’s journey for learners involves the following stages:
At this stage, your potential students are still exploring broad ideas related to the courses you’re offering. They may not know exactly which course or platform is right for them, but they’re actively looking for options. You’ll need to use a certain type of keyword phrase to capture their attention.
Searches like “learn coding online,” “how to get TEFL certified,” and “language courses for beginners” will work well at this stage. PPC ads in this phase shouldn’t hard-sell enrollment, but rather, focus on positioning your course as credible and informative.
Think free guides, introductory webinars, and blog posts that answer frequently asked questions about your topic. By nurturing your leads’ interests and providing value right off the bat, you’ll have an easier time becoming a trusted brand that people keep in mind as they move deeper into the journey.
During the consideration state prospects know what they want but they’re comparing their options. They’ve narrowed down their choices and are considering factors like price, flexibility, depth, instructor quality, platform, and accreditation. Ideal search terms in this phase are related to specific things that your prospects value or want to achieve like “affordable Python bootcamp,” “online MBA with scholarships,” or “best UX design course with certification.”
Your PPC ads should also highlight unique selling points for your course like “self-paced learning,” “industry-recognized certificate,” or “job placement success.” It’s at this stage where comparison charts, testimonials, and detailed course previews are highly effective. The goal is to show your prospects why your program beats the competition.
At this point, hesitation is minimal. Prospects are ready to sign up but might need one last push. This is where urgency, social proof, and simplicity make all the difference. Ads should feature strong calls to action like “Enroll Today,” limited-time incentives like “Save 20% - Ends Sunday.” This is the perfect time to showcase real student success stories. Landing pages for ads in the decision stage should remove all friction. Avoid long forms and distracting links. Just provide a clear and simple path to enrollment.
Keep in mind that most of your ideal market will encounter your brand multiple times along their journey across different devices and platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Mapping your PPC ad campaigns to these three stages ensures you’re showing up with the right message at the right time. When done correctly, focusing on all three stages with separate messages will turn casual searchers into qualified leads ready to buy your course.
The backbone of every PPC campaign is your keyword selection. You can write the most convincing ad copy in the world, but if you’re bidding on the wrong phrases you’ll either waste your budget or attract people who have no intention of enrolling.
Your goal isn’t just to drive traffic to your site. You need to drive qualified traffic – people who are serious about learning what you teach and are ready to invest in themselves. This requires targeting a mix of high-intent keywords, longtail phrases, and negative keywords.
Broad keywords like “data science” and “coding” cast a net that’s too wide. You’ll get clicks but most will be from people who are just curious or looking for free resources. To reach people who are committed, you need to target high-intent keywords that show purchase intent. Phrases like “enroll in our data science course” and “online JavaScript certification with ongoing support” will attract users who are actively seeking instruction.
You’ll pay more for high-intent keywords but they deliver more value and higher conversion rates, and that will increase your ROI when you choose the right ones.
Longtail keywords are used to target a smaller pool of people and that’s a good thing. Since these keywords are more focused, the traffic they generate is more valuable. Instead of competing for saturated, general terms like “learn graphic design online,” you target specific phrases like “best graphic design program for working professionals with evening classes.” The people searching with this level of specificity already know what they want, which means they’re more likely to convert.
If you skip targeting longtail keywords you’re leaving money on the table. Data shows that 70% of all online searches involve longtail phrases – it’s just how people naturally search when they know what they want.
Your negative keyword list is how you’ll preserve your budget and prevent wasting money on irrelevant clicks. Without a list of words you don’t want your ads to show up for, you’ll end up paying for clicks that never convert.
Build a negative keyword list of words that indicate someone is looking for something free or irrelevant to your course. For example, words like “free,” “PDF,” “torrent,” and “Reddit” are usually used in searches when someone is looking for shortcuts and freebies. Adding these and similar words to your negative keyword list will filter out tire-kickers and boost ROI by preserving your ad budget for relevant prospects.
Once you have the right keywords that generate impressions, your ad copy has to do the work to get clicks. Your ads need to grab people right away to prevent them from scrolling and possibly clicking on another course provider’s ad. For e-learning, your ads need to inspire people. Instead of talking about your course you want to highlight what your course will do for the learner. This is accomplished with benefit-driven messaging, emotional triggers, and strong calls-to-action (CTAs).
· Benefit-driven messaging. Most course providers list features like “40 hours of video content” and “downloadable PDFs,” but these details aren’t going to capture attention at first glance. In fact, telling learners they’re going to need to sit through 40 hours of content right off the bat might be a deterrent.
Instead, your ads should highlight tangible outcomes like “land high-paying clients with our program,” or “start a new career as a web developer in just 12 weeks.” Benefits speak directly to a person’s goals and aspirations, which is far more compelling than a list of specs.
· Emotional triggers. Emotional triggers are the heart of every marketing strategy, including PPC ads. People make emotional buying decisions and buy courses because they’re chasing a dream, avoiding a fear, or seeking transformation.
Great ad copy taps into these emotions and creates a sense of urgency. For instance, “Don’t miss the enrollment deadline” plays into the fear of missing out, while “Join 10,000 successful graduates” leverages social proof. The right emotional triggers will give people a good reason to act now rather than bookmarking your page and forgetting about it.
· Clear CTAs. Irresistible ad copy includes a direct, compelling call-to-action that tells the prospect what to do next. Generic instructions don’t cut it. “Learn more,” “Click here,” and similar phrases don’t communicate urgency or value. Choose CTAs that direct prospects to sign up for your course. For example, “Start your free trial” and “Reserve your seat today” work well.
In a crowded marketplace where hundreds of course creators are competing for the same attention, clarity and emotion will generate better results. Lead with benefits and tap into people’s emotions and your ad copy will generate serious leads.
Generating clicks from your ads is only the first half of the equation. Once a prospect clicks your landing page needs to convert them to a paying customer or your ad spend goes to waste. Your landing page is like the final pitch where prospective students choose whether to enroll in your course or move on. If your landing pages create any confusion, friction, or distrust, your prospects will lean toward other course creators. On the other hand, an optimized landing page can become a conversion generating machine.
Your landing pages should be simple and clean without too much information. The page content should be specifically designed to direct people to sign up for your course. You want to eliminate navigation menus and sidebars to prevent people from clicking away from the page and getting distracted. Each landing page should have one end goal, either to get sign-ups/purchases or apply for acceptance if required. Too many options will create cognitive overload and reduce the chance of any action.
It’s crucial to include trust elements on your landing pages. When people are thinking about investing their time and money in an online course, they’re naturally going to be skeptical. This is where trust signals can help. Testimonials, instructor bios, refund guarantees, and case studies will help build your course credibility. The goal here is to reassure people that your program is legitimate and worth their investment.
Clicks are important but they’re somewhat of a vanity metric when measured on their own. The only time clicks matter is when you’re looking at your conversion rate. If you generate 100 clicks and get 40 people to enroll that’s much better than generating 1,000 clicks and only getting one person to enroll in your course.
The metrics that matter most are your conversion rate, your cost per lead (CPL), and lifetime customer value (LTV). For instance, you’ll want to track completed signups, demo requests, and enrollments rather than overall clicks.
Cost per lead is a simple measurement that can tell you how efficient your campaign is. For instance, if you’re paying $50 per lead but your average enrollment fee is $500, your margins are good. If your CPL is too close to your revenue then your course might be priced too low or you need to adjust your targeted keywords.
For e-learning, many students invest in more than one course or renew their subscription, which increases their lifetime value to your business. Tracking LTV will help you determine how much you can afford to spend acquiring each new student. For example, if your LTV average is $1,500, it makes sense to spend $200 to acquire each lead. This long-term view helps you maintain profitability and allows you to outbid your competitors who aren’t willing to spend much.
PPC ads require fine-tuning and you can’t just “set it and forget it.” What works today might underperform tomorrow or not perform at all on other platforms. Even small changes can make a huge difference in conversions and that’s why it’s important to test variations. For example, Dell is just one example of a company that saw a 300% increase in conversions from A/B testing.
By running experiments to test different elements you can identify what resonates most with your target audience and optimize your ads based on those results. The most important elements to test are your headlines, CTAs, and images.
· Testing headlines. Your ad headline is usually the first thing a prospect sees. Testing different headlines can help identify which promises resonate most. For example, “Land your dream job” might appeal to people looking for a new career, while “Get certified in 12 weeks” might hook people in a hurry. If you get more conversions from the former, your main audience is likely people looking for a new career, and you can tailor your ads to that group.
· Testing CTAs. A strong CTA can generate more clicks, but what works will depend on your audience. For example, “Get started today” might work for some courses while “Reserve your spot” works better for others. Avoid vague CTAs like “Learn more” that don’t instruct people to take action.
· Testing visuals. Images can put people off or draw them closer. Visuals are processed faster than text and are perceived in a split-second. A single image can make or break an ad. For instance, sometimes a photo of an instructor works well, but other times it’s better to use abstract graphics.
Split testing isn’t optional when you’re running PPC ads. It’s the only way to know which elements make your ads more effective.
At the end of the day, PPC is a great way to build a pipeline of motivated students who want to enroll in your courses. By aligning your campaign with the learner’s journey and optimizing your ads and landing pages for conversions, you can turn your PPC campaign into a reliable growth engine. As the e-learning market becomes more competitive, ads that hit hard are a must.
If you’re ready to stop wasting ad spend and start filling your online classrooms with qualified leads, it’s time to bring in PPC experts. At PPC.co, we specialize in turning clicks into enrollments through high-converting campaigns that deliver qualified leads for online course creators . Contact our team today and let’s build campaigns that fill your classroom.
Pay-per-click (PPC) remains one of the fastest paths to pipeline, but the economics vary widely by industry and are shifting as AI reshapes the SERP. CPCs are up versus prior years, conversion rates have improved in many categories, and lead quality is increasingly a function of how well advertisers feed first-party data into bidding models.
The table below summarizes 2025 search-PPC benchmarks by sector—CPC, conversion rate (CVR), and cost per lead (CPL)—so you can compare what “good” looks like in your niche and calibrate ROI assumptions.
Use these numbers as directional guardrails, then layer in your own close rates and LTV to get to the only metric that matters: profitable growth.
Sector | CPC (2025) | CVR (2025) | CPL (2025) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Attorneys & Legal | $8.58 | 5.09% | $131.63 | Intake speed drives ROI. |
Home Services | $7.85 | 7.33% | $90.92 | Strong local intent. |
Healthcare (Physicians & Surgeons) | $5.00 | 11.62% | $56.83 | Appointment UX boosts CVR. |
Real Estate | $2.53 | 3.28% | ~$100.48 | Lean on LSAs/retargeting. |
B2B / Business Services | $5.58 | 5.14% | $103.54 | Optimize to qualified pipeline. |
Restaurants & Food | $2.05 | 7.09% | $30.27 | Fast payback with ordering. |
Automotive – Repair/Service | $3.90 | 14.67% | $28.50 | Top-tier CVR locally. |
In short, AI is changing the way PPC campaign management is occurring, and it's happening FAST.
ROI ≈ (Close-Rate × Avg Customer LTV ÷ CPL) − 1
Example (legal): if close-rate 12% and LTV $6,000 on CPL $132 → ROI ≈ (0.12×6000 / 132) −1 ≈ 4.45x (345% net). Improve any one input (faster intake bumps close-rate; better routing lowers CPL) and ROI jumps. Benchmarks for CPL/CVR above provide solid starting points. LocaliQ
PPC will keep paying when two things are true:
(1) you can convert and qualify leads quickly, and
(2) your bidding models are trained on the outcomes that actually make you money.
As AI compresses differences in targeting, the edge shifts to first-party data, creative velocity, and value-based bidding.
Treat the benchmarks above as starting points, then rebuild your ROI math from the ground up: ROI ≈ (Close Rate × LTV ÷ CPL).
Contact us today for your customized PPC audit to see how we can improve your search engine marketing ad spend.
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