Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses- by implementing advanced strategies, Amazon sellers can drive high-quality traffic to their store page and ultimately increase conversions and profits.
The purpose of this outline is for us to explore the various aspects involved in unleashing the full potential of Amazon advertising campaigns through effective keyword research, bidding practices, campaign structure optimization, reports analysis, A/B testing methods, and more!
So what are you waiting for? We will provide critical insights into how marketers can leverage these strategy elements collectively to maximize performance from an online business’s existing ad investments on Amazon — positioning those pursuing success with digital marketing one step closer towards achieving better growth rates than ever before…
Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) allows advertisers to create targeted campaigns that are designed with the goal of driving more sales, views, or clicks from users who may be interested in a specific product/service listing.
To begin running ads through Amazon PPC, it’s essential you understand some basic concepts such as keywords, ad types including:
With this understanding comes success – higher visibility which leads to increased engagement meaning potential customers can find exactly what they’re looking for, efficiently enhancing overall customer experience all around.
Keyword research is an essential element of Amazon PPC advertising success. Knowing the right keywords to target can ensure that your Amazon PPC ads drive more relevant traffic, improving performance and ROI. By conducting thorough keyword research upfront, you will be able to discover valuable insights such as popular search terms used by customers, high-converting long-tail keywords, and competitor’s strategies, which in turn may help inform decisions around ad campaigns, ad copywriting, or budget allocation for different campaigns/keywords.
Taking time on this step prior to launching a campaign ensures that there are clear objectives from day one about which audience segments you should seek out first while also laying down strong foundations going forward so changes based on learnings along the way can make a significant impact long-term.
Keyword discovery begins with evaluating existing data sources for search terms, competitor analysis, customer reviews, etc., to gain a better understanding of current market trends and consumer buying behavior in order to optimize PPC ads performance.
Additionally, leveraging powerful online keyword suggestion tools – such as Google’s AdWord planner or Moz Keyword Explorer – can help discover high-converting keyword match types that would otherwise be missed due to manual processes alone. The use of predictive analytics platforms like Editfox allows advertisers the insights needed into user intent behind each query combined with organized display options necessary for improved campaign management best practices.
Keyword research is a crucial step in any successful Amazon PPC advertising campaign. One of the most important objectives when conducting keyword research is to identify high-converting negative keywords that are specifically relevant to your product and its target market. By researching related terms, synonyms, misspellings, manual campaigns, sponsored brand campaigns, and sponsored product ads, as well as competitor analysis, you can develop an extensive list of targeted keywords for your campaigns.
Additionally, making use of available tools such as analytics will help provide invaluable insights into appropriate bids based on performance metrics like click-through rate (CTR) or cost per engagement (CPE), which helps further refine targeting efforts resulting in effective Amazon PPC ads with greater ROI from paid search ads.
Creating high-performing campaigns with Amazon PPC requires building a comprehensive campaign structure. Best practices for establishing an effective framework include:
Following these strategies can help advertisers maximize reach within budget while delivering best ROI possible.
Creating relevant ad groups is an important step in structuring successful Amazon PPC campaigns. Ad groups should be focused on particular products, services, or promotional offers within a campaign and feature-related keywords for placement optimization.
To maximize relevancy from search engine users, it’s best to include one narrower theme per group—splitting granularly where necessary so that each unique keyword has its own dedicated setting with respect to bids and budget settings.
Furthermore, ad copy should mirror the product being advertised while capturing the attention of potential customers quickly– making sure your ads don’t get lost in competitive searches.
When it comes to crafting compelling ad copy for a PPC campaign on Amazon, the key is to focus on providing value and appealing directly to customers.
When possible, try using unique language that captures attention; include features like discounts or free shipping where applicable. Include your brand name as well as product names at least once in each ad too. Finally, be sure you’re staying within character limits (including any extensions) so that users can see all of the details without having them cut off before they finish reading.
Bid optimization is one of the most important aspects of optimizing Amazon Pay-Per-Click campaigns. Bids can have a significant impact on campaign performance, as they determine how much an advertiser will pay each time their ad is clicked and ultimately their return on investment.
Bid management strategies involve making strategic bids at both the keyword level and account level so that ads are shown to users with intent for specific products or services while also being cost-effective enough to maximize profits over time. Proper bid adjustment allows advertisers to get more visibility when it matters most by targeting different groupings such as location, demographics etc., thereby increasing click rates and conversions from potential customers who are interested in what you offer.
It’s important to understand the various bid strategies and how they affect your campaign performance in order to optimize bids effectively. Amazon PPC offers several options, such as:
Understanding these different strategies enables marketers to set appropriate bids while taking into account varying market conditions across keywords.
Setting appropriate bids based on keyword performance is absolutely essential to optimizing your budget and getting the best return from your Amazon PPC campaigns. Keyword research, competitor analysis, campaign structure practices, and other aspects of advanced strategies all come together to help you make informed decisions when setting existing or new bid prices.
By analyzing metrics relating to click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (CR) Advertising Cost of Sale(ACoS), and Return On Ad spend (ROAS). Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how great your ads are if they’re not paired alongside an effective bidding strategy that reflects overall goals.
Utilizing product targeting campaigns is indeed a powerful way to maximize the effectiveness of Amazon’s PPC strategies. With product targeting, ads can be tailored to reach specific customers who are more likely to purchase the products being advertised.
This increases visibility and allows for better control over where your ad dollars are going by targeting those most interested in what you’re selling. To set up this type of campaign, advertisers should create targeted keyword lists related specifically to their products or services as well as competitor offerings that users may also find interesting. These lists will influence which search results in an ad appears on when triggered by user searches within Amazon’s platform.
Exploring refined audience targeting allows Amazon PPC advertisers to target highly-specialized, specific audiences and generate higher conversions. Advertisers should take advantage of customer interest segments provided by Amazon Advertising such as age range, gender breakdowns, or interests − allowing campaigns to accurately reach a desired demographic while maximizing tighter budgets.
Custom parameters can also be set up using keywords for more detailed segmentation options like job title or marital status which could prove beneficial in high competition markets from other competitors who might not have employed tightly targeted ads yet.
Dayparting in Amazon PPC strategies involves setting different bids for specific times of the day to reach target customers during peak hours and they’re most likely to click on an ad. This method not only helps advertisers save costs but also allows them to customize campaigns according to their objectives.
Dayparting requires proper bid management, tracking performance metrics over a certain period of time, making adjustments based on results gathered from testing multiple variations, including budget allocation changes or shifting focus entirely towards selected segments. Setting competitive bids is essential when it comes dayparting as this empowers brands with accurate targeting capabilities that drive more efficient customer acquisition rates at lower cost per conversions than other options available online (e-commerce).
Staying up-to-date with Amazon advertising updates is a never-forget part of any successful PPC campaign. To ensure compliance and avoid costly setbacks, advertisers should closely monitor changes to Amazon’s policies for each supported region.
It’s important to thoroughly read the latest information provided by AWS Asia Pacific or your regional partner sites regarding new terms, features, products campaigns limits, and other areas that could impact how you promote on their platform. Additionally, understanding applicable legal restrictions can help protect yourself against potential violations while ensuring a positive consumer experience going forward.
Utilizing Amazon’s resources and support can help ensure full utilization of available features to achieve desired results. By consulting advertising blogs, webinars, guides, and customer service representatives regularly for the latest changes in bidding tactics or ad targeting options – sellers can be well-equipped when making decisions related to optimizing their campaign performance.
Amazon PPC is an incredibly powerful tool for eCommerce businesses to drive sales. Advanced strategies can help unlock the full potential of Amazon Advertising and optimize campaigns efficiently.
A thorough understanding of keyword research, campaign structure best practices, bid management techniques, advanced targeting options as well other key concepts are critical in leveraging maximum performance from your ads.
Furthermore it’s important to stay up-to-date with changes on the platform both in terms of policy updates and algorithm shifts that impact ad visibility or cost efficiency – all while properly monitoring existing campaigns and finding areas where improvements can be made for better return on investment.
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When you’re a plumber relying on a steady flow of leads to be profitable, it’s not enough to get your leads through word-of-mouth alone. That may work if you’re only a two-person team, but if you plan to grow your business, you’ll need to start marketing your services, specifically with PPC advertising.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are a beneficial form of advertising, but they can be a source of leads or a money pit for plumbers. When done right, PPC helps plumbing companies generate targeted leads looking for services, but poorly-crafted PPC campaigns can burn through a budget without results. The good news is with smart targeting, strategic bidding, and continual optimization, plumbers can generate qualified leads at a cost that provides a positive ROI. Here’s how pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is done for lead generation for plumbing businesses.
The biggest mistake plumbers make is targeting a broad area rather than a specific local area. Hitting your target audience by demographic and location will be critical to be most efficient in your PPC ad spend. Even when your company serves customers throughout several counties, you’ll want to create ad campaigns that target each individual city or county. If your ads are reaching people outside of your service area, you’re paying for clicks that won’t turn into paying customers.
An easy way to prevent this problem is to use location targeting inside of your PPC account to set your target location by zip codes, cities, or a custom radius around your main location. This will ensure your ads will only be seen by leads you can actually convert.
You’ll also want to explicitly exclude areas you don’t serve. For example, you might serve a whole county with the exception of a couple cities or neighborhoods because of traffic congestion or licensing issues. Make sure to add these locations as exclusions in your ad campaign settings to avoid wasting money.
The keywords that will bring you the best leads are keywords that signal high intent to purchase. This includes terms like “emergency plumber near me,” “24-hour plumber,” “toilet overflowing fix,” or “fix for busted pipe.” The people who search for these terms aren’t just casual browsers. They’re people who need a plumber immediately.
This type of expert keyword research isn't necessarily rocket science, but it's critical for your rankings in search engine results pages.
Prioritize these keywords and increase your bid to capture more of these leads.
Avoid using the kinds of keywords that will attract people who aren’t likely to hire you for plumbing services. For example, terms like “DIY toilet repair” or “how to fix (fixture)” will rarely lead to calls. People who search for these phrases are usually just looking for ways to fix their own problem, so filter them out.
When people need a plumber, they want to call and get someone out fast, especially if their basement is flooding or they’re dealing with a busted pipe in the house. Google offers call-only ads that let users tap to call you immediately from search results rather than click to visit your website, where they’d need to search for a way to contact you. This ad type alone will increase your conversions.
It’s crucial to use ad tracking tools like Google’s call forwarding or third-party platforms that track which ads generate your phone calls. Knowing what ads are driving your best leads will help you do more of what works and eliminate what doesn’t.
Since most leads will want to call you immediately, only schedule your ads to run when you’ll be available to answer the phone. If you don’t offer 24/7 emergency services and don’t answer your phone at 2 AM, don’t schedule your ads to run until the start of your business day.
Depending on your location and services, you might get more calls on weekdays or weekends. To find out your peak, check your reports to see when you’re getting the most calls and then adjust when you run your ads based on your actual performance data.
Don’t create complicated, wordy ads. Use simple, clear, and direct headlines that speak directly to the problems your leads may be dealing with. They’re going to be drawn to ads that promise to help them with real problems. For example, write headlines like “Broken water heater? Get 24/7 help,” “Clogged drains fixed fast,” and “Overflowing toilet? Get help now.”
In your ad copy, it helps to use location-specific phrases. For example, you might write “Serving Phoenix homes since 2001.” Doing this helps build trust and establishes relevancy.
For Google Ads that send visitors directly to your website, you’ll need to optimize your landing pages for conversion. The following elements are essential:
· Landing page copy that matches your ad. To create a seamless experience, don’t send leads to your home page. Send them to a landing page that matches your ad. For example, if your ad targets people with a clogged drain, ensure your landing page speaks to people with a clogged drain.
· An easy-to-find phone number. Your phone number should be readily visible on every page of your website, including all of your landing pages. The ideal place is in the top right corner of every page header.
· A click-to-call button. It’s easier for mobile leads to click to bring up your phone number in their dial pad rather than forcing them to write down a phone number they’ll need to then dial.
· A call-to-action (CTA). Leads need to be told what to do. Be direct and tell them to call you now for an estimate or to schedule a service call.
Your search ads will only bring you potential leads. Your landing pages are responsible for converting potential customers into paying customers.
To maximize your ROI without wasting money, you’ll want to set a realistic daily budget and scale it only when you know you’re ready. Most local service providers stick with a $10-$50/day budget, but it depends on the industry and your location.
Over time, you’ll find that some campaigns are working better than others. A varied performance can be caused by a variety of factors, and you’ll need to take a close look before making any changes. For example, underperforming keywords and plumbing ads that don’t get many clicks should be paused. However, if your ads are getting clicks, but limited conversions, you’ll want to tweak your landing page copy and/or your offer.
Sometimes irrelevant keyword searches will display your ads, so if you can come up with a list of keywords related to services you don’t provide, you can limit where your ads show up. For example, if you don’t offer sewer camera inspections, make “sewer camera” a negative keyword. If you don’t service septic systems, make “septic” a negative keyword. Doing this will prevent clicks from irrelevant leads.
Local Service Ads appear at the top of Google’s search results above the typical PPC text ads and organic listings. LSAs are pay-per-lead, not pay-per-click, which makes them even more profitable. With LSAs, you only pay when a lead contacts you directly through your ad, either by calling you or messaging you. This is a much safer way to manage your ad spend and generate qualified leads. It’s also an easier way to capture bottom-of-the-funnel leads who need emergency plumbing services.
To set up these ads, head over to Google’s LSA page and click “get started.” You’ll be prompted to go through the setup process, which includes confirming your business eligibility. To complete the process, you’ll need your business license, general liability insurance proof, and at least one Google Business Profile with positive reviews. The system will then ask you to choose the zip codes or cities you serve, list the types of services you provide, and set your weekly budget. Once you submit the form and pass Google’s screening process, you’ll start showing up in results for searches related to your business.
Try to get as many positive reviews on your Google Business Profile as possible since businesses with better reviews tend to rank higher with Local Service Ads. Also, keep in mind that Google tracks your response times, and the faster you reply, the better placement you’ll get. Unlike PPC ads, you can request refunds from leads that aren’t relevant, like leads requesting the wrong services or who are outside your service area.
It’s important to take advantage of these ads because it’s an easy way to get your business listed at the top of search results pages when people search for terms like “plumber near me.” It’s easier than waiting months for SEO to kick in, and it will bring you immediate leads. People will see your reviews and your Google Guaranteed badge, which will boost your credibility.
Getting your business verified by Google will give you a green checkmark next to your business name in your Local Service Ads. It tells customers that Google has personally verified your business, you’ve passed a background check, your insurance has been verified, and Google Ads will back your services with up to $2,000 in reimbursement if a customer isn’t satisfied with your services.
Getting this badge can boost your visibility and credibility, which can get you more clicks, leads, and paying customers. It will also help you rank higher in the list of LSAs.
To get this green checkmark, you need to get approved for Google LSAs. Once you’re approved for LSAs, you’ll get the “Google Guaranteed” checkmark badge automatically. Just make sure you renew your insurance policy on time, maintain a high review rating, and keep responding to leads quickly. If you don’t maintain these things, Google Ads might remove your badge.
You can’t improve what you don’t track. Track your critical metrics, including call tracking, form tracking, and chat tracking. Run regular reports and check in with your ad campaign performance on a regular basis. It will take a little bit of time to gather enough data to make informed decisions, but the sooner you catch underperforming ads, the sooner you can make necessary changes.
It’s important to split test ads to see what elements drive the most conversions. Split testing, also called A/B testing, is where you run two nearly identical ads, but with one small difference between them. The difference could be a headline, colors, an image, the main copy, or the CTA. Once you run the ads long enough, take the winning ad and change one more element to test. Repeat this process by changing just one element at a time to see which version performs better. Use Google keyword planner to help navigate this. When done correctly, your clicks should increase over time.
Getting satisfied customers to review you is crucial, and as previously discussed, it can impact how your Local Service Ads show up. Reviews can also impact how you show up in the Local Pack. The more high-quality, genuine, recent reviews you have, the more likely you are to show up in search results. You’re also more likely to get clicks.
Positive reviews act as social proof that helps customers choose which business to call. You could have the best ad copy in the world, but if your competitor has 150 five-star reviews and you only have 6 reviews from 2019, customers will choose them over you.
It’s easy to get clicks, but getting real leads from search engines– the kind that book your plumbing services – takes work. For plumbers, a strong PPC strategy can make the difference between getting steady jobs or wasting cash. By targeting high intention search terms, targeting narrow service areas, and optimizing your ads, you can create high-performing ads that deliver real results without burning through your marketing budget.
Lead generation is critical for your plumbing business, but when done without a positive return on investment, it's foolish.
Whether you’re new to PPC ads, or you’re tired of wasting money on ads that don’t generate calls, we’d love to help you get real results. Our PPC experts specialize in helping local service businesses in the plumbing industry just like yours attract high intent plumbing leads, reduce wasted ad spend, and grow predictable revenue.
Contact us now for a free evaluation for your lead generation strategies, PPC campaigns and search engine optimization services – we’d love to help.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is the lifeblood of modern digital marketing, a finely tuned machine designed to separate serious advertisers from those who enjoy setting their money on fire. At its core, PPC is about buying attention—whether it’s from Google Ads, Facebook (or should we say Meta?) Ads, LinkedIn’s overpriced clicks, or whatever ad network is currently promising “unprecedented results.” The trick, of course, is making sure that the attention you’re paying for actually turns into conversions, and not just a collection of clicks that lead nowhere.
This guide is for marketers who already know the basics and are ready to squeeze every last drop of ROI from their PPC campaigns. If you’re looking for a “Beginner’s Guide to Google Ads,” this isn’t it. But if you’re tired of watching your ad spend disappear into the void and want to start running PPC like a ruthless efficiency machine, read on.
There’s nothing quite as tragic as a PPC campaign with no clear objective. Running ads without goals is like throwing darts blindfolded—sure, you might hit the board occasionally, but mostly you’re just making a mess. Before you even think about setting up a campaign, define what success looks like. Are you driving leads? Pushing e-commerce sales? Increasing brand awareness (ugh, we’ll get to why that’s usually a waste of money later)? If your goal is just “more clicks,” congratulations—you’ve just fallen for the ultimate PPC scam: paying for traffic that doesn’t convert.
Every campaign should have a quantifiable, measurable outcome tied to business KPIs. That means actual revenue, leads that don’t ghost you, or at the very least, cost per acquisition (CPA) that doesn’t make your CFO break out in hives.
Google Ads is the undisputed king of PPC, but let’s not pretend it’s the only game in town. Depending on your audience and objectives, Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) can still be a goldmine—if you’re willing to put up with Meta’s ever-changing rules and the occasional algorithmic meltdown. LinkedIn Ads? Great if you enjoy paying $12 per click for someone who will never fill out your lead form.
And then there’s the rising trend of alternative ad platforms. TikTok Ads are fantastic if you’re targeting Gen Z and have the budget to experiment. Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads) may be the underdog, but they offer cheaper CPCs and a surprising number of high-intent users. If you’re in e-commerce, don’t ignore Amazon Ads—they print money for sellers who get their targeting right.
Google would love for you to just use broad match keywords and let their algorithm “figure things out.” Spoiler alert: this is a terrible idea. Broad match means your ad could show up for searches so unrelated to your business that it’s practically performance art.
Instead, focus on high-intent keywords—the ones that indicate users are actually ready to buy. Long-tail keywords often convert better because they signal more specific intent. The goal is not just to drive traffic, but to attract users who already have their wallets half-open.
Want to know what works? Look at your competitors. Tools like SEMrush, SpyFu, and Google’s Auction Insights let you see what keywords they’re bidding on, which ones they’re ranking for, and—most importantly—where they’re burning money so you don’t have to.
If a competitor is bidding on specific high-intent keywords, that’s your signal to investigate. Either they’re seeing a positive ROI, or they’re making an expensive mistake that you can learn from. Either way, it’s free intelligence.
Great PPC ads aren’t just about catchy headlines—they’re about aligning with search intent, making a compelling offer, and convincing users that clicking your ad is the smartest decision they’ll make today. A well-optimized ad uses clear, persuasive language with a direct CTA, because vague CTAs like “Learn More” are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
A/B testing is non-negotiable. Your gut instinct is probably wrong, so test different headlines, CTAs, and descriptions to see what actually drives conversions. If you’re not actively testing, you’re just guessing.
You have about three seconds to convince visitors that they made the right choice clicking your ad. If your landing page loads slowly, looks like it was designed in 2008, or makes users hunt for the CTA, they’re gone.
Your landing page should have a singular focus: conversion. That means no distractions, no unnecessary links, and definitely no autoplay videos that scare people away. A strong landing page aligns perfectly with the ad copy, ensuring a seamless experience from click to conversion.
Nothing kills conversion rates faster than misleading ad-to-landing page alignment. If your ad promises “50% off running shoes” and your landing page is a generic homepage with no mention of that discount, expect a bounce rate that makes your campaign ROI cry. Every landing page should reinforce the ad message, use clear headlines, and make it painfully easy for users to complete the desired action. If a user has to think, they’re already gone.
If you’re still using manual CPC bidding across all campaigns, congratulations—you’re officially working harder, not smarter. Google’s automated bidding strategies have their place, but blindly trusting the algorithm is like handing your credit card to a stranger and hoping for the best.
Smart bidding, when done correctly, can optimize conversions and lower CPA, but it requires constant monitoring. Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and Maximize Conversions can be effective, but only if you have historical data to feed the algorithm. If you’re running a new campaign, manual bidding still gives you more control.
Running PPC without proper tracking is like driving blindfolded and hoping you’ll reach your destination. You need to track not just clicks, but actual conversions, customer lifetime value (CLV), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Google Ads’ built-in tracking is decent, but combining it with Google Analytics, heatmaps, and call tracking will give you a full picture of what’s working.
Scaling PPC isn’t as simple as increasing your budget and watching conversions skyrocket. If you scale too fast, you’ll tank your ROI. The right approach is incremental scaling—gradually increasing spend while monitoring CPA and conversion rates. If your CPA starts climbing faster than your revenue, it’s time to reassess. And if your PPC manager insists that “everything is going great” while your ROAS tells a different story? It might be time for a new PPC manager.
