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Google Ads, formerly known as Google Adwords, has an immense reputation among entrepreneurs, high-ranking executives, and business owners. You simply open an account, create an ad, and run it live.
The only caveat is that you’ll pay for every click your campaign generates, whether the person behind the click visits your website or place of business and converts or not. This is certainly a risk proposition, but if you execute your campaign properly, you can generate more attention and revenue for your business, much more than your ad budget.
To make matters better, Google allows advertisers to easily locate popular keywords people use to find local businesses and shop for online products. This tool is called Google Keyword Planner.
It’s been used for decades by advertisers, and while there are certainly other keyword research tools available, Google Keyword Planner is still useful. Below, you’ll learn what Google Keyword Planner is, why it’s important, and how to use the tool to achieve success with your campaign.
Google Keyword Planner is a keyword research tool that’s native to Google Ads. The tool allows advertisers to perform research on search terms consumers use to find businesses.
Google Keyword Planner lists an exhaustive number of keywords that are relevant to your industry in the following categories:
As you can see, Google Keyword Planner provides a lot of insightful data that can help you choose suitable keywords to bolster your campaign. It’s an invaluable tool for advertisers to turn popular keywords into conversions.
A lot of advertisers resort to using their own imagination when selecting keywords for their campaign. Some barely glance at Google Keyword Planner and others rely on external keyword research solutions.
If you’re here, then you’re likely to ask “why should I even give Google Keyword Planner a chance?” Here are all of the benefits of choosing to use Google Keyword Planner for your campaign:
Using Google Keyword Planner can make or break your Google Ads campaign. The good news is that Google Keyword Planner is a very simple tool to use. Below, we’ll show you the steps for finding keywords and creating lists using the tool.
The first step of using Google Keyword Planner is knowing what type of data you want to receive. When opening the tool, you’ll be presented with four options:
If you’re new to creating a campaign, you’ll need to select the first option. Then, you’ll be able to insert a sample keyword to find other relevant ones. For example, if you’re selling men’s athletic gear, you can try using the keyword “men’s running shoes” to see which search terms people are using to find this product.
Google Keyword Planner will showcase thousands of different keyword combinations you can choose to add to your campaign. Once you add a keyword to your campaign, you’ll automatically place a bid on it.
Thus, it’s important to review the third and fourth option first to see how much search volume a keyword is bringing in and how much you expect to spend in the long run. If your campaign is already running, you can experiment with the second option to consolidate multiple keyword lists to achieve maximum exposure.
At first, Google Keyword Planner looks like an intimidating tool. After all, it shows a lot of important data for your campaign. If you’re willing to devote the time and resources to mastering the tool, using Google Keyword Planner is a great idea.
However, if you want to instead focus on running your business and simply don’t have the bandwidth to invest in Google Ads or Google Keyword Planner. The obvious reason is that you’ll be charged an amount for every time a person clicks on your ad.
If you just run your campaign and forget about it, you’re bound to lose hundreds and even thousands of dollars in the process. To avoid making this costly mistake, partner with a reputable PPC agency today to explore your options.
Elevating your Google Ads campaign will ultimately depend on the PPC agency you hire for the job. Are your Google Ads not showing? Perhaps, you’ve had your Google Ads account suspended?
At PPC.co, we specialize in helping companies fix their broken ad spend and turn wasted opportunities into lucrative conversions.
Contact us today to speak to a member of our expert keyword planning team about receiving a free proposal for your campaign.
To run ads on search engines like Google, you place bids for your ad to display in particular search queries. In other words, you compete with other advertisers for a keyword. But did you know that you can also compete against yourself without knowing it? It’s called keyword cannibalization.
Before your ad competes with others in an automated keyword auction, an internal auction between your own keywords/relevant keywords takes place within your Google ads account. Google search needs to know how your ads rank among each other before it can rank them among ads by other businesses targeting the same keyword.
Because we live in an age of infobesity, where everyone overloads the amount of information on the web in an attempt to rank on top, it’s easy to fall victim to keyword cannibalization without realizing it. To help you avoid it, this article will go over what exactly keyword cannibalization is in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, why it’s bad, its 3 different types, and steps you can take to avoid it.
In PPC advertising, keyword cannibalization refers to when you have two or more campaigns targeting the same search query in search results/pages ranking. In other words, you have multiple ads competing for the same keyword or two or more pages. It’s considered “cannibalization” because it’s as if you are taking a “bite” out of your own ad margins and results.
Search engines like Google search/ search engine results page automatically show the ad they deem most relevant based on its ad rank. Typically, ad rank is calculated by multiplying the maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bid with the ad quality score (ad rank = max CPC bid x quality score). When you have two or more separate ads competing for the same keyword, it splits your results. Your click-through rates (CTRs), links, and content are split across multiple ads.
Of course, it’s only keyword cannibalization if the intent behind the multiple pages/multiple ads is the same—to direct leads to a particular landing page etc. If you run different ads that share a keyword but have different goals, this is not keyword cannibalization (though you might consider consolidating your ad campaign goals).
Keyword cannibalization is nearly always unintentional. Essentially, you’re asking the ad platform’s algorithms to rank your competing ads. Often, one ad has higher ranking signals than another and will win the ad space. However, if there is no clear winner, none of the ads will rank as well as they might have, ruining each other’s ability to perform.
Keyword cannibalization cripples your PPC campaign. As your ads compete for the same keyword, the flow of traffic generated by them is broken. An ad might match for a keyword one week and not another, and you may see dramatic fluctuations in traffic. More importantly, keyword cannibalization leads to rising CPC costs, decreasing conversions, and diminishing page authority. Basically, it causes you to serve worse ads at a higher cost.
There are 3 types of keyword cannibalization in PPC: keyword overlap, geographic overlap, and PPC-SEO overlap. We’ll explain all three in detail so you can understand what you’re up against.
So far, we’ve explained keyword cannibalization in terms of keyword overlap. Keyword overlap refers to when two or more of your ads target the same keyword. In many cases, you may have an ad group targeting multiple keywords/multiple pages, one of which unintentionally overlaps with a keyword in another ad group. Usually, one ad outranks the other and it may not even be the one you most want to show. So make sure you organize your ad groups carefully.
In PPC campaigns, you not only bid on keywords but on geographic areas. And unfortunately, overlapping geographic areas can also cause keyword cannibalization. For example, if one of your ads targets a city and another targets that city’s entire country without excluding the city, you end up with two ads that target keyword for the same city & multiple urls. Or perhaps you run PPC ads for two stores in the same area with overlapping radiuses. In both cases, you unnecessarily pump up the ad auction with your own ads. Plus again, the winning ad may not even be the one you most want to run.
Finally, your PPC traffic can overlap with organic traffic. Organic traffic refers to any visits to your website that you don’t pay for. So if a regular search on Google leads someone to your web page, it’s considered organic traffic. You can increase your organic traffic through search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. If you already rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs), spending on PPC ads will have diminishing returns and may even be a waste of money. You’re already ranking in the SERPs, so paying to appear in the promoted results section has diminishing returns. Plus, some users prefer clicking on organic results over sponsored results anyway.
Now that you know the different ways keyword cannibalization can harm your PPC campaign, let’s go over what you can do to avoid it happening to you.
First, you want to extract as much data from your PPC campaign as you can. Run a keyword report to uncover any of the overlaps already discussed. In Google Ads, you can do this by viewing the search terms report. Here, you can review your keywords closely and find out which keywords are driving your ad traffic.
Try targeting your ads only to exact-match keywords/same keywords. Cross-include any exact matches as negative keywords in unrelated ad groups first. And if exact-match keywords generate the traffic you want, leave out broad-match keywords altogether. In other words, make sure traffic generated by broad-match keywords is not already being served by exact-match keywords. Otherwise, you’re paying for two ads to do the job of one. The same goes for Dynamic Search Ads (DSA). Add targeted keywords as negatives in DSA campaigns and block any keywords that overlap.
As for PPC-SEO overlap, decide whether you want to rely on organic traffic or not. Experiment with switching off individual keywords. Wait and see how much organic traffic you get for the keyword and compare it to when you had paid traffic. Also check if competitors are targeting your keywords to gain insight on the level of competition in organic traffic, CTR, keywords, search volume, and so forth. This way, you’ll know what you’re up against if you decide to eliminate PPC-SEO overlap by dropping ad spend.
Examine how conversions change week to week and identify trends so you can adjust accordingly. PPC advertising is a matter of trial and error. The faster you learn what works best, the better.
After you’ve diagnosed keyword overlaps, do all that you can to avoid them in the future. Don’t target plurals for keywords and always check keyword spellings. Google will match close variants of keywords, so a plural or a misspelled keyword could easily lead to keyword overlaps. If you have a lot of keywords, try using a tool to identify close variants faster.
Avoid overlaps in geographic targeting by excluding cities from country targets if running ads in both. Check target radiuses as well to ensure there is no overlap. The last thing you want to do is pay twice for the same target area.
Avoid splitting PPC traffic across multiple web pages/multiple pages by maintaining a one-stop authoritative web page that links to other web pages that fall under the same keyword. Try using 301 redirects to link pages of lesser importance to a single definitive version & avoid wrong page also keyword stuffing.
Finally, avoid keyword overlap by concentrating your ad spend on one keyword instead of many. That way, you not only don’t spread your ads too thin but you ensure that they don’t work against each other.
With brands trying to dominate the SERPs, the risk of keyword cannibalization occurs has only increased. So it’s more important than ever to keep a close eye on your PPC campaigns. If you don’t, you could be wasting valuable ad spend and not even realize it. Fixing keyword cannibalization early on will not only lower CPC costs but increase your conversions and ROI.
If you need help auditing or managing your PPC strategy or fix keyword cannibalization, ppc.co can help. Our skilled experts will quickly identify where to optimize and make improvements, so you can start getting the most out of your PPC campaigns. Contact us today to get started managing your PPC campaigns.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has a 200% ROI, and yet many businesses do not get the full advantage of this Digital marketing strategy because they fail to use effective call to action . In fact, 70% of small business B2B sites lack CTAs.
If you want a high click-through rate (CTR) on your PPC ads, you’ll need to craft irresistible call to action. In this article, we’ll go over what PPC call to action are and give you 12 tips on how to make them stand out.
In marketing, a CTA is any language that invites readers to do something. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, viewing a website, or making a purchase. Without CTAs, a landing page leaves a potential buyer hanging, without direction on where to go next. That’s why CTAs are so crucial. They turn casual browsers into potential leads and customers. Any marketing effort involves writing the perfect CTA Button.
In pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, CTAs are what drive the click-through rate (CTR). They are what get users to click on the ad. CTAs go hand in hand with PPC. So they need to be compelling.
There are 3 broad categories of CTAs in PPC: those that invite user engagement, those that generate leads, and those that encourage a direct response. Which you use will depend on your ad campaign goals:
No matter which type of Call to action/(CTA Button) you’re after, following some basic guidelines can make them more effective. So without further ado, here are 12 tips on writing the most effective PPC calls to action:
Call to action need to be simple and clear. Tell people exactly what clicking the ad will do. In other words, what you want them to do, e.g. “buy now.” Remember PPC ads have a strict character limit, so you need to make every word count. You can’t afford to be vague or unclear.
Always write digits for numbers as this reduces character count and the time it takes to read the ad, e.g. “24” instead of “twenty-four.”
We recommend sticking to just one 1 Call to action – (CTA Button) line per PPC campaign. That way, your CTA buttons are not competing against each other and your campaign has a clear goal & desired action for the users.
Every Call to Action should get the user to do something. So use strong verbs that convey action. call to action examples, “skyrocket your ROI on SEO marketing Materials” sounds a lot better than “read SEO insights.”
Use words that tap into users’ emotions. After all, people buy with their emotions first, then rationalize their purchase later. This is true even for B2B customers. Try to make them enthusiastic about trying your product by using exclamation points, e.g. “Buy now for 50% off!” If your Call(CTA) is enthusiastic, users are more likely to be.
Creating a sense of urgency motivates users to act. If they feel like the offer is limited, they’ll think it’s now or never. So consider advertising a limited-time sale, offer, or promotion to get their attention. This way, you take advantage of their fear of missing out (FOMO), a powerful motivator.
You might even contrast with something negative, like “stop eating junk and transform your life with an easy diet proven to work by thousands.” Appealing to users’ negative sentiments, like their bad eating habits, is risky and may not always work. But it can be a powerful way to incite action.
Show that there is value behind every Call to action, e.g. benefits, bonuses, or return on investment (ROI). Otherwise, users don’t know whether clicking on the ad is worth their time.
Draw on a unique selling point (USP). Maybe you can offer a free consultation or a free trial. Such offers communicate value to the user by showing what’s in it for them. If it can’t show value, your Call to Action won’t generate clicks. Simple as that.
Say what your business does and the results you get, while keeping it at a high level. This will intrigue customers and make them want to learn more. You don’t want to give away too much, but just enough to spark interest.
Leave cliffhangers. TV shows have mastered the art of cliffhangers to get viewers to keep watching. As humans, we need closure. The same goes for Call to action-(CTA Buttons). Make a promising claim without giving all the details and users will want to learn more.
Humans have an urge to belong. We want to do what we see others doing. Call it the bandwagon effect, following the crowd, or peer pressure. Whatever you call it, it’s here to stay, and your Call to action can leverage it by citing influencers or celebrities, e.g. “Try Lebron James’s work out routine for $10/month.” You can also cite recommendations, endorsements, reviews, and ratings. Together, these are considered “social proof.”
Social proof is the future of marketing. As the modern world becomes more connected, people place more and more value on the opinions of others. Try including social proof for your product or service in your CTA to make it that much more irresistible.
What keeps many from investing in a new product or service is risk. People don’t want something to turn into a waste of time or money. So your CTA should show that they have nothing to lose. Do this by offering a free trial, a money-back guarantee, or no-obligation quote. Users feel more at ease when they know what they’re getting into.
Offering a low-priced or free product in hopes of gaining a new customer is called the loss leader strategy. By marketing a product below its value, you stimulate interest. Then once the user is hooked, you can increase the price. The user will feel more comfortable paying more once they’ve experienced the product’s real value. It’s a win-win.
The internet makes us impatient. We want instant information and gratification. Your Call to Action can tap into this by showcasing instant delivery, e.g. “Get a free demo now.” By including the word “now,” the Call to Action implies that the user won’t have to wait for a benefit. The reward for clicking on the ad will be immediate. This way, you’ll increase your click-through rate (CTR) and generate more leads.
Make your CTA highly relevant to your target audience. It could be masterfully crafted, but it won’t do you any good if it’s targeted at the wrong people. For instance, asking regular consumers to buy B2B software is unlikely to generate much response. You need to match the Call to action to the intended customer.
You can also personalize the Call to Action by drawing on shared interests or using a casual tone. Users want to connect with you before engaging. One way to do this is by writing in the second person. The pronoun “you” implicates the reader, making them feel involved. For call to action examples, “buy the hot tub you deserve” is more appealing than “buy a hot tub.”
Consider the words users type into search engines when looking for your product and tailor your Cal to action(CTA) accordingly. If their searches include action phrase like “free,” “best,” or “near me,” you’ll want your Call to action to reflect that. Try writing “free SEO tool” or “best SEO tool,” for instance.
PPC ads display differently depending on the device. Mobile devices have smaller screens, for call to action examples, so ads have to be smaller. Keep this in mind when crafting CTAs for a mobile audience. Plus, mobile users are usually searching for a quicker answer. So make mobile CTAs short and to the point and try offering an instant solution. You might also enable call extensions for mobile CTAs. That way, clicking the ad automatically triggers a call to your business phone number. When you do this, make sure to set the PPC campaign preferences to only show ads to mobile users. Otherwise, users on other devices will be left at a dead end when clicking your ad.
As for PCs and tablets, search engines, including Google, consider them the same when it comes to PPC ads. Since tablets have only slightly smaller screens than PCs, you don’t need to worry about altering your CTA much between tablet and PC users. Both devices, and PCs especially, allow users to research more easily, so you might leave CTAs that require more time to this audience.
Success with PPC advertising is a matter of trial and error. Perform A/B tests to see what CTAs work best. Call to action examples: you can test different CTA button placements and colors. Generally, the CTA button color should contrast with the blog post & web pages/landing page background color. Test different CTA wordings, word orders, and lengths. The amount of variation is endless.
Though A/B testing different CTAs can be time-consuming, it’s worth nailing down the best one because it could make a huge difference in clicks, conversions, and revenue.
Of course, there are some pitfalls to avoid when crafting the perfect CTA. If you can avoid them, you’re guaranteed to improve your click-through rate (CTR). Here they are:
Having a sensational call to action can make the difference between a failed PPC campaign and a successful one. If you implement the tips above, you can dramatically increase your click-through rate, conversions, and sales.
Need help managing your next PPC campaign? Our experts at ppc.co have over a decade’s worth of experience in everything from Google and Facebook Ads to landing page optimization. We specialize in optimizing your return on ad spend. You name it, we can help. Get in touch to start scaling your business today.
Is your company intrigued by capturing additional Web traffic? Then you may want to think about deploying dynamic search ads (DSAs). DSAs can snag traffic from unique searches that can net your company more sales opportunities.
No matter how successful your marketing is, using DSAs can turbocharge your advertising and fill in where your other efforts are flagging.
Below is a brief tutorial about Optimize dynamic search ads for beginners to help you get started in this productive marketing space.
DSAs are advertisements that show based on the content your site has. Here’s how it works: Google crawls your website and provides matches to search terms related to your content.
Next, the landing page and headline are automatically created to match that term. This means the search term, ad, and landing pages are more related to one another. The intended result: a higher likelihood the prospect will be motivated to visit your site and purchase.
Creating Dynamic Search Ads – Step By Step
You create DSAs in Google Ads with these steps:
After setting up your DSA dynamic ad targets campaign, you can decide if and how you want to remarket it. You have two choices:
Here’s how you do it:
There are two critical performance categories you should review before you start your DSA campaigns:
The first is landing page performance; you should often check whether you let Google select your site landing pages to display or if you made up a customized page feed.
In the same area as your regular campaigns, you find this information on the left side under Landing Page.
You can add bid modifiers to every landing page according to its performance. And you can exclude landing page that don’t perform well, too. If you want to add pages to adjust bids, you should click the Blue+ sign and select Specific Webpages.
From that point, you can provide the URLs that need bid adjustments. Or, you can devise a real if what your evaluating are in related categories, and you can bid on them as a group.
The second performance category to monitor is Search Queries. DSAs/dynamic ad targets can be potent for finding new Search terms, you usually need to watch the type of traffic you generate.
It’s often best to review Search Queries every week when you first start DSA campaigns/existing keyword based campaigns. You can switch to less frequent checks after you have added enough negative keywords.
For companies that want to expand their Google reach but don’t want to spend on their Display Network, looking at DSAs is a good choice. But before you do that, there are some critical questions to answer about your site:
If the answers are ‘yes,’ then you should look into dynamic search ads. A website that fits these statements is probably a good bet to benefit from DSAs.
But if the site’s/website content is incomplete or out of date, you might want to look into DSAs with Page title/Feeds that link to your best site pages.
Whether you run a big Google Ads account/Google dynamic Search Ads account or simply want to push more traffic to your site and want a simple way to do it, it’s worth trying dynamic search ads. Hopefully, this primer will encourage you to learn more about how DSAs can increase and improve your online business.
If you’re looking for assistance with your PPC ads management, we can help. Contact us today!
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