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SEO vs. PPC: 21 Best Practices for Organic & Paid Marketing

Samuel Edwards
|
May 31, 2022

Search dominates the modern zeitgeist.

If you want to look up information on a topic, you search for it.

If you want to buy a specific product, you search for it.

If you’re facing a tough problem and you don’t know where to start, you search for it.

So it’s no wonder why search marketing and advertising have come to be the dominant strategies utilized by businesses to improve visibility, authority, traffic, and conversions.

Now, depending on who you ask, you might get one of two different answers for the best way to approach search marketing.

Some will insist that search engine optimization (SEO) is the best strategy.

Others will say it’s pay per click (PPC) advertising.

But the truth is, both of these strategies have incredible potential. And if you use them together in the right ways, you can see even better organic search results.

What exactly are the differences between these two strategies? How can you optimize your approach to each? And how can you use them together to even greater effect?

SEO vs. PPC: The Basics

SEO vs. PPC: The Basics

Before we delve into specific strategies and tactics you can use to harness the full potential of both search engine optimization (SEO) and PPC ad’s, let’s talk about the basics of these Digital marketing and advertising campaigns or PPC Campaign.

SEO Is all about increasing your organic rankings in search engines results pages (SERPs). Google and other search engines use a variety of ranking factors to determine which web pages to rank for a certain query and how to order them. If you can learn how to manipulate these ranking factors, you can increase your rankings, thereby making your webpages more visible in organic searches and attracting more traffic in the process.

Some of the most common tactics for this include developing robust onsite content, improving technical factors like loading time and site security, and building offsite links. It’s a long-term strategy that takes many months, and sometimes years to fully develop.

With PPC, you’ll use Google Ads and similar platforms to bid on and ultimately place advertisements above the fold in SERPs. There are also PPC ads on other platforms, like social media sites, but for now, we’re going to focus exclusively on search engines PPC ad’s.

You can control almost every variable in this process, choosing which keywords you want to display for, the audiences you want to target, and how much you’re willing to spend on this PPC campaign. However, the cost of this strategy goes up based on competition, so if you’re competing with many big businesses, this can get expensive fast.

That said, PPC advertising management is one of the most reliable ways to generate traffic, since you’re only paying for the people who actually click on your ad.

How SEO and PPC Can Work Together

PPC-SEO Overlap

So how can SEO and PPC work together?

There are a few different ways to look at this.

For starters, we should understand that both SEO and PPC have strengths and weaknesses. Many of these strengths and weaknesses are complementary, meaning that if we use these strategies together closely enough, they can cancel out each other’s weaknesses and play to each other’s strengths.

We can also see these strategies as individually optimized for different types of SERP coverage. Only by utilizing both will you be able to maximize your visibility in search engines results.

However, we should also address a common misconception here: SEO and PPC don’t work directly together by feeding off each other. It’s tempting to think that paying for Google ads for a specific keyword could increase your likelihood of ranking for that organic keyword, but this is not the case. Paid search ads don’t have any effect on your domain authority or your ranking potential, and ranking highly in search engines organically isn’t going to benefit your PPC campaign directly.

Tips for Improving Your Organic SEO vs. Paid PPC Strategy

Now let’s take a look at the specific ways you can use organic search ranking and paid search ads together.

1. Keep a consistent brand voice.

Always start by keeping a consistent brand voice. If you don’t have a voice already created for your brand, now is the time to create one. Too often, companies sharply segment their search engine optimization (SEO) and PPC teams, resulting in a fractured voice that users find confusing and disorienting. But you have to remember, your prospects and customers are going to be encountering your brand in multiple different contexts. If you want to build their familiarity and trust, all your Google ads and search rankings need to embody the same values and personality.

2. Share information across departments and teams.

Don’t allow your Digital marketing teams to become siloed. Instead, share information across departmental barriers. Both your SEO and PPC teams will be collecting valuable information, such as traffic rates, behavioral patterns, demographic interests, and engagement rates. For example, you may learn that one specific keyword fetches a much higher conversion rate than another; you can then incorporate this keyword into organic content for your SEO campaign. But this type of maneuver is only possible if all your departments and all your team members are openly sharing information with each other.

3. Make SERP domination your end goal.

Instead of thinking about your SEO and PPC goals as separate, start thinking about them as two branched paths toward the same end destination: SERP domination. Advertisements give you the opportunity to achieve more visibility than organic rankings In some contexts, but you’ll also have organic ranking opportunities where keywords are too expensive to justify a bid. If you harness the full potential of both, you can get more SERP coverage and make your brand visible to even more people.

4. Use each strategy to its greatest strength.

Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect digital marketing strategy. SEO is extremely cost effective, but it’s also sluggish and time intensive. PPC, by contrast, is fast and reliable, but it’s also more expensive. To get the most value out of both strategies, you’ll need to play to their individual strengths, while minimizing weaknesses. One common manifestation of this is focusing on PPC ads while developing authority for specific organic keywords; you can start taking advantage of traffic streams immediately, while slowly building up your onsite optimization.

5. Understand your audience and searcher intent.

Search related strategies only work if you truly understand your audience. You need to understand who you’re targeting, what their values are, what their goals are, and even how they think, at least to an extent. If you blindly optimize or bid for keywords based on your own intuitions, you’re going to fail. You’re also going to fail if you attempt to cater to a generic, universal audience. More on that in our next point.

6. Target niche audiences.

Audience Size

At least in the beginning, focus on targeting niche audiences, rather than general audiences. Optimizing content and advertisements for young men in college is far superior to optimizing content and advertisements for everyone in the country. There are several reasons for this. First, you’ll face less competition, which is advantageous in SEO and PPC; you’ll pay less money for ads and you’ll be able to climb rankings faster. Second, you’ll achieve more relevance, meaning you’ll be more successful attracting people to your website and converting them.

7. Look for hidden keywords in the buyer journey.

What level of awareness is exhibited by your target audience?

How does that level of awareness change throughout the buyer journey?

For example, your customer may start out not even having awareness that they have a problem. At some point, they’ll be aware that a problem exists, but they won’t have awareness of the solutions available for it.

Gradually, they’ll work through the later stages, eventually becoming aware of products like yours, then your specific product, then your brand.

Throughout this by your journey, you’ll find “hidden” keywords and phrases that reveal the searcher’s intent, like “slow air leak” or “why nobody is applying for a job.” Capitalize on these to improve your relevance and avoid the competition.

8. Get local.

Local optimization is ideal for reducing competition and appealing to specific audiences. Even if your company operates on a national level, it can be helpful to target some local terms. This is true for both SEO and PPC; local ads are cheaper than national ads, and you can optimize your website faster for local terms than national ones. Use localized landing pages and other localized content to fully capture the local audiences you target.

9. Analyze search trends regularly.

Summer Fashion Google Search Trends

Keep your finger on the pulse. Don’t assume that your target audience is going to continue following the same trends and exhibiting the same behavioral patterns indefinitely. One of the best ways to do this, in addition to measuring and analyzing traffic on your site, is to analyze search trends. Which terms are rising in popularity? Which ones are falling? How is user intent evolving?

10. Avoid “keyword traps.”

When targeting specific keywords for SEO or PPC, most marketers rightfully target words that are high in volume and low in competition, maximizing the number of people who will see the advertisement or onsite content piece while minimizing the number of competitors aggressively appealing to it. This is usually a good strategy, allowing you to improve cost effectiveness and avoid wasting time period however, you should avoid “keyword traps” that looked good on paper, but won’t lend much value to your business. These keywords may be high in volume and low in competition, but they aren’t relevant to your central business or your target demographics.

11. Use PPC as a shortcut for immediate visibility.

One of the shortfalls of SEO it’s the amount of time it takes to generate momentum for a website. Even if you invest heavily, writing tons of valuable content and building new links every week, you may not see initial ranking progress for several weeks or months. It’s going to take even longer to achieve a steady stream of heavy traffic. One of the best ways to close the gap here is to invest in PPC ads as a shortcut for immediate visibility; as long as you’re willing to pay for them, you can start generating traffic right now.

12. Prioritize SEO for long-term, evergreen keywords.

The flip side of this is that PPC ads are ephemeral; as soon as you stop paying for them, they disappear. If you want to have a more lasting impact, you need to establish pages of your website as intrenched, powerful content centerpieces. SEO is far better for this purpose. Use SEO to optimize pages of your website for evergreen keywords you expect to be relevant and valuable for the foreseeable future.

13. Watch your competitors closely.

ad budget to branded keywords

Competitors can be brutal, paying to rank for your branded keywords or completely taking over a niche you thought was exclusively yours. These aggressive maneuvers are easy to spot, but only if you’re paying attention to recent changes in relevant SERPs. Accordingly, you should employ ongoing competitor monitoring, taking notice of any major activity and responding accordingly.

14. Develop unique landing pages.

Landing Page Optimization

Oftentimes, marketers and advertisers get lost in the idea of improving brand visibility and generating more traffic. But what do you do with that traffic once it hits your website? You’ll need to provide a powerful first impression and maximize user attention and interest to get more value out of each of these strategies. Fortunately, you can double dip with some of your assets, using them for both your SEO and PPC campaigns. One of the best examples of this is unique landing pages, which you can create for specific types of visitors and audience segments. Funnel all relevant traffic from organic searches and paid ads to landing pages that are relevant for the searcher.

15. Think beyond Google.

Google is the first name that comes to mind when most people think about SEO or PPC. But Google isn’t the only option for paid advertisements, nor is it the only search engines people use regularly. Bing, DuckDuckGo, Facebook, and YouTube are other search engines, platforms, and media outlets worth considering as part of your strategy. Google gets all the attention because it’s by far the most popular search engines, but that also means it attracts the most competitors. Don’t be afraid to branch out.

16. Add visual content when possible.

People generally respond much better to visual content than written content, so include visuals whenever you can. This is one area where PPC ads are favorable; you can add images to an ad to make it pop. It’s also possible to optimize pages of your website with images and videos, but it can be tricky to make sure they become visible in SERPs.

17. Optimize SEO for click through rates.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

You may be interested in SEO to improve the visibility of your brand and boost consumer awareness. There’s nothing wrong with this, but if you want to milk as much value out of the strategy as possible, you should optimize SEO for clickthrough rates. In other words, you should see your SEO strategy as only being truly valuable if people are clicking on your webpage and visiting it. Optimize for keywords that align with user search intent and improve your titles and descriptions to attract more traffic. This isn’t usually a problem with PPC ads, since you won’t be paying for people who don’t click your links.

18. Use PPC as a testing ground.

There’s significant room for experimentation in optimizing paid search. You have control over all the variables, you can conduct AB tests quite easily, and you can delve into reporting and analytics to figure out exactly how your ads performed. This makes the PPC ad world a perfect testing ground for headlines, keyword selection, descriptions, and audience positioning. Take full advantage of this and learn lessons about your competitive environment if you want to make the most of both PPC and SEO.

19. Use PPC to promote your best content.

SEO success is highly dependent on your ability to create excellent content and get people to pay attention to that content. But even if you’re an excellent writer, it can be hard to get your work noticed. PPC ads could be the perfect jump start, giving you a guaranteed stream of traffic and introducing hundreds, or even thousands of people to your latest work. From there, you’ll likely find it easier to attract links and inspire more user engagement.

20. Make use of ad extensions.

PPC ad extensions are useful, additional pieces of information associated with the ads you place. They could serve to educate, direct, or inspire your target audience, providing details like the location of your business, opportunities to place a call directly, and more. Take full advantage of these; it’s a prime opportunity to immediately engage with prospective customers, rather than merely sending them to your website.

21. Automate what you can.

Automate whatever you can. Both SEO and PPC ads require at least some manual effort and human attention, but there’s much you can systematically implement to run in the background. These are both demanding strategies that could potentially monopolize your time, so employ shortcuts and time savers like automation whenever you can.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities of a PPC advertising campaign?

Are you working with limited experience or a limited team?

Don’t worry. We’re here to help.

We have the team members, resources, knowledge, and expertise to take your PPC campaigns to the next level. Contact PPC.co for a free proposal today!

‍

Author
Recent Posts

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

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.

Latest posts by

Samuel Edwards

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Author

Samuel Edwards

Chief Marketing Officer

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.

Related posts

Samuel Edwards
|
July 22, 2025
Web Hosting Providers: How to Generate Quality Leads with PPC Ads

When it comes to selling web hosting, you’re competing in a fierce market with thin margins and corporations with big budgets. According to data sourced by Hostinger, the top 10 hosting providers account for 33.6% of the global market, which is expected to reach $355.81 billion by 2029. And the top three cloud providers combined hold more than 60% of the cloud infrastructure market.

That’s some fierce competition. But when you take a closer look, some of the bigger companies have a slew of dissatisfied customers looking for alternatives, and many first-time buyers will sign up for a good deal if a web host seems legit. That leaves plenty of room for smaller hosting companies to thrive. In fact, your hosting services and customer support might outshine some of the big players. But when you run paid ads, you’re all competing in the same space. That means you need to level up your advertising strategies to capture your share of the market.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a powerful tool for acquiring hosting clients, but it can also be a fast way to tank your marketing budget. Make just one mistake and you’ll end up paying for clicks that don’t convert. To win, you need more than just good ads – you need a laser-targeted strategy, messaging that hits your market’s triggers, and landing pages that convert. You need to deliver the right ads to the right market at the right time. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Use intent-driven targeting

Not everyone searching for web hosting is the same and treating them as such will yield poor results. For instance, someone searching for “cheap web hosting” is going to make a price-driven decision, and someone searching for “WordPress hosting” wants to skip technical tasks. Although they might all end up purchasing the same hosting plan, you need to reach each group based on what’s driving their purchase decision. Your messaging – from ad to landing page – needs to guide each user down a path that speaks directly to their goals, fears, and expectations. This is done through segmentation.

To execute this, determine what groups of user intent you want to reach. For example, common groups in this market are bargain hunters, small businesses looking for reliability, companies governed by data privacy laws, and non-techies looking for managed hosting. 

When you run an ad campaign, you’ll set up a different ad group for each user intent so you can target them with their specific message. Ads displayed to each group will drive traffic to a corresponding landing page written exclusively for that persona. For instance, ads for “cheap web hosting” will lead to a landing page that highlights your low prices and special deals for paying years in advance. Ads targeting small businesses will lead to pages promoting 99.9% uptime, email tools, and reliability. The better you know your segments, the easier it is to tailor each funnel.

2. Study your competition relentlessly

Before you even think about creating your first paid ad, you should already know what your competitors are doing. And yes, even major hosting companies are your competitors regardless of the market you’re trying to reach. However, not everyone is happy with the big hosting companies so there’s space for smaller fish, but you have to play your marketing hand right. That starts with knowing what you’re up against and where there’s room for improvement.

Study your competitors deeply. Look at their websites, paid ads and landing pages, email newsletters, and everything else in-between. Once you visit their website, you should start seeing their paid ads across various channels, including Facebook and Google. Study the layouts, the copy, the headings, the pricing models, and look up their customer reviews. 

Next, use sites like Reddit and Trustpilot to find out what customers don’t like about your competitors. You’ll want to use that information to create compelling ads. For example, if you find a bunch of complaints about poor customer support, advertise 24/7 human support as part of your value proposition (as long as you actually offer it). If another competitor is hitting customers with hidden fees and annoying upsells, advertise transparent pricing and no surprise fees. If people complain about a confusing, highly technical user interface, make it known that yours is user-friendly.

You don’t want to copy your competitors’ ads – you want to outthink them by leveraging their missteps to create better hooks. Tech giants have million-dollar marketing budgets, and you don’t need to outspend them if you can outmaneuver them.

3. Keep ad headlines punchy

You only have around 0.4 seconds to make a user stop scrolling to look at your ad. Once they click, you have another 2.5 seconds to capture their attention. Whatever is on the other side of that click needs to be good. But to even get that far, you need to capture attention fast.

It’s said that the average person scrolls through the equivalent of around 300 feet of content every day. If your headlines aren’t scroll-stoppers, they won’t get any attention. But headlines that capture attention aren’t necessarily clever – they’re clear, compelling, and speak directly to what your market wants. For example, a web hosting ad headline that reads “Premium Web Hosting” isn’t compelling. On the other hand, “Launch Your Site in Minutes – No Tech Skills Required” will reel in clicks. 

The idea is to craft headlines that help people imagine their problem has been solved, whether it’s a faster launch, no tech headaches, or peace of mind. But it has to be accomplished in a split-second or users will just keep scrolling.

4. Don’t advertise tech specs in your ads

There was a time when web hosts sold packages by advertising better server resources, like more RAM and unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and MySQL databases. That type of advertising worked because most hosting packages offered extremely limited resources for a high price. Today, disk space and bandwidth aren’t an issue and most consumers don’t even know what basic server specs mean. 

Avoid advertising your hosting services by highlighting server resources and other tech specs. It’s not going to entice people. Even tech jargon that seems self-explanatory won’t be to your customers. For example, “Scalable VPS architecture with isolated containers” sounds smart, but it’s just noise to the average buyer. Sure, you should include that on your product pages so people who understand the lingo know what they’re getting but keep it out of your PPC ads. 

You only get so much space for your ad copy, so make it count. Use it to generate clicks from people who want to buy your hosting services now. If you advertise tech specs and rattle off tech jargon, you’ll get clicks from tire kickers and people who are just curious. To get clicks that count, use conversational language, short sentences, and clear calls to action (CTAs). If your grandma wouldn’t understand it, neither will your customers.

Don’t just sell space on a server. When you sell confidence, freedom, and simplicity with urgency, the value of your offer automatically increases and that’s what will generate relevant clicks.

5. Create a sense of urgency

You might have a solid offer and amazing hosting services, but unless users feel compelled to click now, they probably won’t. That’s why you need to create a sense of urgency to click. It’s what creates momentum and cuts through hesitation, pushing potential customers into action. If your ads don’t communicate a reason to act today, you’re giving users an invitation to bounce, get distracted, or go to a competitor. 

Create an irresistible offer that gives users a reason to act now, like a limited-time offer. However, this type of offer needs to be believable. You can use a count-down timer that tells people “This offer ends at midnight” or “Only 15 spots left.” These tactics work, but only when they’re done with integrity. If users come back a week later and see the same “limited-time” deal, you’ll lose credibility and you might end up on the FCC’s radar. So use scarcity and time sensitivity sparingly and follow through. 

Instead of using gimmicky offers, try these proven approaches:

·      Time-sensitive pricing. Most hosting companies offer dramatically discounted rates for the first year and additional discounts for paying up front for multiple years. This works well for price-conscious shoppers. Just be transparent about the cost after the discounted time period ends.

·      Free domain registration. Nearly every host offers free domain registration for the first year. You could do the same or offer free yearly domain renewal for the life of the account for the first 100 signups. This adds a layer of exclusivity while giving users a reason to act fast.

·      Free site migration. Most people don’t know how to transfer an existing website to a new host. Even technically inclined people struggle with this. Offering free site migration within the first 72 hours of signup can drive sales from users frustrated with their current host, but hesitant to move.

·      Access to priority support. People want to know they’ll be taken care of, and offering basic support isn’t enough. Plenty of companies advertise 24/7 support that turns out to be sub-par in reality. Customers know this. But when you make people feel like a priority, it catches their attention.

Target fears and offer immediate relief

Your potential customers have urgent problems to solve, but they don’t wake up with the intention of researching hosting plans. Most likely, your ads will show up for them when they’re not even thinking about hosting, but they’ll click if you promise to solve their problem.

Here’s how to work this into your ads:

Use phrases like:

·      “You can’t afford downtime.” If they’re with an unreliable hosting provider, you’ll capture their attention by emphasizing that switching now means immediate uptime. 

·      “No more battling with complex interfaces.” Highlight how your setup is stress-free. Many users have an aversion to learning complex interfaces like Plesk and cPanel. 

·      “We’ll transfer your site by the weekend for free.” That’s an instant win for users who fear the pain of switching hosts.

The bottom line is that urgency that connects to real pain points will always outperform generic flash sales.

Frame your offer as a rare opportunity, not a deal

Deals are everywhere, and consumers tune them out because they know they’re just sales gimmicks. Get their attention by phrasing your offers as an opportunity rather than just another deal. Make people feel like they’re getting something special by using phrases like “this offer ends Friday” or “only available to the first 50 new customers.” Reinforce the idea that hesitating means missing out and remember to follow through by closing your offers when they’re advertised to end. You can always wait a week and run another offer.

6. Develop your keyword strategy

Choosing your keywords is one of the most important components in developing a winning PPC strategy. But the words you target matter. You need to know the different keyword match types and how to use them. Because it’s not just about getting clicks – it’s about getting relevant clicks that convert. 

You want to target keywords that indicate buying intent, not curiosity. If you go for vague, broad keywords like “web hosting” or “build a website,” your net will be too wide and you’ll invite clicks from curious people rather than committed buyers. These keywords are high-volume, high-competition, and don’t support conversions.

Web hosting PPC keywords that indicate buying intent, like the following:

·      “Best WordPress hosting for ecommerce”

·      “Affordable VPS with cPanel”

·      “Web hosting for real estate agents”

·      “Fast hosting for Shopify stores”

These are examples of searches that tell you exactly what the user needs. When someone searches for these phrases, they’re already close to pulling out their credit card. General terms will generate a lot of impressions, but the clicks will just drain your advertising budget. 

Be strategic about avoiding keywords

Be cautious about bidding on phrases like “cheap web hosting” unless your business model is built around affordability. The big hosting companies already offer extremely good deals, and if you can’t compete with that, don’t advertise cheap hosting. People will see that you’re more expensive and bounce. Or, they’ll sign up for an account and require constant support from your team.

Use negative keywords

Build a strong negative keyword list to prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches. Terms like “free,” “jobs,” “review,” “DIY,” “website builder,” “help,” “learn web hosting,” “courses,” “reviews,” “designer,” and “how to” might trigger your ads without generating conversions. If people use these terms in their search, they’re probably not looking for a web host.

Another tip is to include specific niche hosting you don’t offer that wouldn’t work on your existing plans. For example, exclude “forex hosting,” “HIPAA hosting,” “Git hosting,” and “Minecraft hosting” if you don’t offer these options.

If you’re stuck for ideas, don’t guess. Use Semrush to analyze your competitors’ ad campaigns; find out what keywords they’re bidding on and how much they’re spending on PPC. It may not be entirely accurate, but it will give you a good idea of where to start.

Review your search terms report weekly 

Don’t forget to check in with your reports to find out what searches are triggering your ads. If you find random phrases like “how to host a party,” trim down your keyword lists and add the irrelevant phrases, like “party,” to your negative keyword list.

Ready to dominate the web hosting market?

At PPC.co, we’ll help you build an advertising ecosystem that captures your ideal market. From market research to laser-focused landing pages and optimized funnels, we help web hosting providers turn clicks into loyal customers. Whether you’re tired of campaigns that cost a fortune or you’re just getting started with PPC, contact us now and let’s build a PPC strategy that actually pays off.

Samuel Edwards
|
June 11, 2025
How to Get Coaching Leads Through Cost-Effective PPC Campaigns

Whether you’re a life coach or a business coach, you need a steady flow of leads to stay profitable. It’s not enough to post on social media. No matter how popular you become, being well-liked and even loved doesn’t guarantee clients.

For coaching businesses, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be a powerful way to attract high-intent leads – people actively looking for transformation, accountability, and clarity. But you can’t just throw some ads up on Google and expect results. You need a strategy that uses the right targeting, messaging, and structure to avoid expensive lessons in trial and error.

In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of building cost-effective PPC campaigns designed specifically for coaches who want conversions, clients, and growth.

Everything begins with keyword research

The first step to creating any high-performing PPC campaign is identifying what your potential clients are searching for online. PPC ads show up in search results (Google, Bing) and social media feeds (Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok) based on the phrases users type into the search bar when looking for content.

To get your ads seen by your ideal clients, you’ll need to tap into their innermost thoughts – like a burned out executive searching TikTok at 2:00 a.m. for “how to find my purpose” or “how to get a promotion.” You’ll want to target searches that indicate the user is unhappy and is looking for a solution that coaching can help them achieve.

Not all keywords are equal. You’ll get more leads that convert by targeting keywords that indicate a user is ready to take action. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Ubersuggest to find keywords with strong intent. High-intent searches might include phrases like:

·  Business coach for entrepreneurs

·  Life coaching to reduce stress

·  Life coaching to find my purpose

·  How to grow my small business fast

·  Career transition coaching

These and similar phrases related to your coaching business will be the foundation for your paid ad campaign on any platform.

Understand the customer journey

The customer journey consists of three stages that lead someone into the buying stage:

·  Stage 1: Awareness. The prospect is aware they need help, but they don’t know exactly what they need or how to get it.

·  Stage 2: Consideration. The prospect has named their problem and are actively looking for a solution.

·  Stage 3: Decision. The prospect knows they want to work with a coach, and they’re in the process of deciding who to work with.

If you’re running a full marketing campaign with email marketing, you’ll want to run ads that address leads in all three stages. The people you capture in stages one and two will need to be nurtured over time through email. Leads you capture in stage 3 can be more easily turned into a paying client faster. If you aren’t capturing emails yet, only target leads in stages two and three for the best results.

Define multiple client avatars for ideal targeting

No matter what type of coach you are, your ideal clients will have a variety of goals and pain points. Not everyone will share the same concerns or desires. For example, some business owners want to grow their business and open new locations, while others want to build a stronger team or increase their revenue. Some life coaching clients want better relationships while others want to find their life purpose. When you run ads, your target market needs to think, “this ad is for me.” Generic copy won’t cut it.

Your ad copy should target one avatar at a time

You’ll need to run a different ad campaign aimed at each client avatar. To get the most conversions, you’ll need to reach one avatar at a time. Speaking to one avatar in your ads and landing page copy allows you to go deep into their needs, fears, hopes, worries, and concerns. The more specifically you can connect with people, the more likely they are to convert.

To figure out what your ideal clients want, think about their struggles and the potential keywords they might be searching on various platforms. For example, a lot of people are unhappy at work. In this case, potential keywords they might be searching for include:

·  How to find a job that doesn’t suck

·  How to handle conflict at work

·  How to win respect at work

Once you know the pain points you want to target, craft your messages so they speak to emotional triggers. People respond to a sense of urgency (“Burned out? Don’t wait”), personal growth promises (“Find your life purpose in 90 days”), and emotional relief (“Stop second-guessing yourself”). Speak to where your ideal client is right now and show them you can take them where they want to be.

Using this information, you’ll craft ads with headlines, copy, and corresponding landing page copy that speaks directly to your ideal clients. For example, your ads might look like this:

Ad #1 Example

Problem/Keyword search: How to find a job that doesn’t suck

Ad headline: Hate Mondays? Let’s Fix That.

Ad copy:

You spend 90,000 hours of your life at work. Shouldn’t more of them feel fulfilling? Learn how to reconnect with purpose and enjoy what you do. Book your free clarity call now.

Ad #2 Example

Problem/Keyword search: How to handle conflict at work

Ad headline: Tired of Office Drama? Here’s Your Way Out

Ad copy:

Learn strategies to set boundaries and manage work conflict like a pro. Click for a free strategy session.

Ad #3 Example

Problem/Keyword search: How to win respect at work

Ad headline: Feel Invisible at Work? Let’s Change That

Ad copy:

You’ve got the skills. You put in the hours. But the recognition never follows. Sound familiar? Respect isn’t about being louder – it’s about confidence, clarity, and strategy. Book your free consultation and finally be recognized for your full value.

Use dedicated landing pages optimized for conversions

Just like each of your ads target a specific avatar, your landing pages need to do the same. Don’t send traffic to your homepage. Your landing page should reflect exactly what your ad promised.

If your ad says, “Executive Coaching for Burnout Recovery,” then the landing page should address burnout, speak directly to executive professionals, and offer a call-to-action (CTA) for a discovery call.

Effective landing pages consist of the following elements:

·  A dedicated page made just for your ad

·  A seamless transition from ad to landing page

·  A clear headline that addresses the pain point directly

·  Testimonials or results from real clients if possible

·  A strong CTA, like “Book your free 30-minute breakthrough session”

·  A clickable phone number or link to book a call immediately

Remember, you’re not selling coaching services. You’re selling a better version of your prospect’s life. Make sure your copy reflects that.

Be generous with your budget

Coaches often underspend on ads, thinking they can game the system with just $5/day. That’s not an effective strategy. What you may not realize is that setting a low budget actually reduces the number of people who see your ad. Your ad visibility increases the more you spend.

Start with a modest, but meaningful budget of at least $1,500-$2,000 per month. The good news is your cost per click (CPC) will be significantly lower than other industries, like legal and insurance. However, if you’re not sure how to set a PPC budget or handle bidding strategies, hire a professional PPC agency to manage your ads. It’s the easiest way to avoid costly mistakes.

How to target the right people at the right time

Your ads should target the right people at the right time.

First, think about your ideal client who is looking for your services.

Who hires coaches? Usually, it’s:

·  Entrepreneurs who feel stuck or overwhelmed

·  People who want to start a business, but don’t know where to begin

·  Mid-level professionals seeking career growth

·  High achievers facing burnout

·  People at a personal crossroads (divorce, job loss, mid-life crisis, etc.)

Once you pinpoint who might be looking for your services, you’ll need to choose the right advertising platforms. Your main options are:

·  Google Ads

·  TikTok Ads

·  Instagram Ads

·  Pinterest Ads

·  Facebook Ads

·  LinkedIn Ads

·  YouTube Ads

Advertising on each of these platforms comes with pros and cons – some are specific to coaching services. For example, while Pinterest is likely cheaper than Google, Pinterest leads might not be committed. However, TikTok and YouTube users frequently search for solutions to specific problems.

Don’t skip TikTok Ads

You might be surprised to learn that TikTok is a gold mine for coaching businesses. It’s not just an app for teens. Over 71% of TikTok’s users are between 18-34 years old, and 32% are 25-34 years old.

Unlike other platforms, TikTok doesn’t function like a typical social media platform where the purpose is to build a community. It’s more like an outreach platform and people are constantly discovering new content creators. The algorithm’s goal is to get as many people watching content for as long as possible. To achieve this, users are given content based on their interests, not just from people they follow. You don’t need followers or viral content to get seen. Each video stands alone in the algorithm and has an equal chance at getting attention.

People use TikTok to find insights and advice on just about everything you can imagine, including personal and business-related situations. While you can run ads on TikTok without a following, it helps to have an established account with solid content. You’ll build more momentum this way, and you can boost your native content to earn more trust across the platform.

Additionally, TikTok ads can target users based on hashtag interactions. People use hashtags on TikTok to find content more than any other platform. If you’re not advertising on TikTok, you’re missing out on clients.

Coaching clients aren’t impulse buyers, and they need to see your face and personality to know if they want to work with you. Wherever you run ads, you can expect people to click on your account to check you out. You’ll get more conversions by publishing short, engaging videos that show your authenticity and provide inspiration and support.

Whichever platform(s) you choose to advertise on, make use of custom audiences to target your potential leads as specifically as possible.

Negative keywords will weed out freebie seekers

Everyone wants clarity, but not everyone wants to pay for it. That’s why you need to block certain searches using negative keywords. You don’t want your ads to show up for people who are just curious, looking for freebies, or looking for unrelated services. They’ll just click on your ads, waste your ad budget, and potentially waste your time if they sign up for a free call.

Suggested negative keywords for coaches include:

·  Free coaching session

·  Coach training program (these people want to be coaches, not hire one)

·  Sample coaching questions

·  Coaching worksheets pdf

Defining these and similar negative keywords will keep your clicks high-quality and your cost per lead low.

Track conversions (not vanity metrics)

It can be exciting to see how many people are viewing and clicking on your ads, and there is a time and place to assess impressions and clicks. However, unless you’re focused on optimizing your ads, forget click-through rates (CTR) and look at how many calls you’re getting booked, how many contact forms are being submitted, and how many email addresses you’re collecting through your lead magnet downloads.

It’s crucial to know which campaigns are bringing you results so you can cut the ones that aren’t working.

Run retargeting ads to catch the ones who got away

People don’t usually buy high-ticket coaching packages the first time around. They need time to research, investigate, and consider their options. You might get some clicks and email signups from your ads that don’t turn into paying clients right away. That’s where remarketing comes in.

Set up ads on Google and Facebook to follow users who have already clicked on your ads and visited your website. Since these ads will be displayed only to people who have already interacted with your brand, you can use different value points to engage them, like testimonials, free guides, and limited-time offers.

Facebook retargeting options are pretty specific compared to other platforms. Since Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta, you can target people who have interacted with your Instagram page, too. You can even upload a list of your existing email subscribers from your segment that hasn’t yet converted and target them with relevant ads.

Ready to fill your calendar? Partner with PPC.co

At PPC.co, we help life and business coaches run PPC campaigns that turn clicks into clients. Whether you’re scaling a coaching business or launching your first program, we’ll help you connect with the people actively searching for your services.
Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s start turning your ads into paying clients.

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