Five Simple Ways to Improve Google AdWords Campaigns For Small Business

So you decided to test out a Pay Per Click Campaign online with Google AdWords... that is great! Pay Per Click (or PPC for short) is a quick, easy, and mostly inexpensive way to market your business online to an audience seeking information about the products/services you offer. There is a science to getting the best bang for your buck...but I will not bore you with all the details. Most small business owners will pick a price, let's say $100, that they are willing to spend each month; they will create one generic ad sliding in as many of their products as possible; pick a few keywords that they think are correct; point the ad to the main page of their website....and VOILA....get a few hits per month and they are satisfied.

Is this you?

This will work, but you are certainly NOT getting the bang for your buck. Here are FIVE easy ways to get the most out of your Google AdWords campaign, without too much effort on your part.

1. Create An Ad for Each Product Line: The beauty of Google AdWords is that you are only charged what searchers actually click. Google prefers (and rewards) you for being specific. Let's say you are a used car dealer and you sell only Cadillac Escalades and Ford Fiestas (strange, but go with it). Instead of one ad touting your inventory of "best used cars" in the area, you create two ads, one highlighting Cadillac Escalades (touting luxury, etc) and the other discussing only Ford Fiestas (highlighting cost). When a searcher types in "Escalades" and sees your ad with the exact word, they are more likely to click on it, as opposed to a general "Used Cars, all makes and models" advertisement. Google allows you to create many ads, so create one to start for each separate product or service you provide. After a few weeks, you can see the difference. You can also optimize and play with the messages, but that is for a different article...
2. Price: The great thing about Google AdWords is that you don't have to spend a fortune to be found. Pick a comfortable monthly price, like $100 per month for a small business. This advertising medium, however, is not a "set it and forget it" type of deal. I recommend you check the analytics of your campaign at least once or twice a week. If you see some of your ads floundering, you can change the message, optimize the keywords, or change the landing page. Also, if you see that your ad is being clicked, but not translating to sales (in the form of online sales, or emails /calls to your business), you may want to consider updating the content on your landing page with a defined "call to action".
3. Keywords: We could spend a lot of time discussing keywords, but I will give you the quick and dirty. Ask your current customers what they would they would type in to search for you. Don't rely on your own knowledge and lingo - this is where you will make an expensive mistake. Think about it this way: How do regular people find you...not how do YOU find YOU. Google also has a great tool for identifying keywords by typing in your website address which you should take advantage. While you're at it, type in a few of your competitors too! Small businesses tend to deal locally. Get more bang for your buck seeking LOCAL keywords. Here is an example: I sell widgets in my store in the outskirts of a major city. I would make sure my keywords included "Widgets Major City" and "Widgets Suburb Name". The goal is to pop up on the coveted FIRST PAGE of search. Many people searching locally, will type in the name of the city too! Take advantage of this and make sure your content on the landing page follows suit.
4. The Landing Page: If there is anything I hope you as a reader remember from this article, it is this...TAILOR your LANDING PAGE! You have gone to the trouble to create separate ads, and separate keywords pertaining to those ads - you have piqued the interest of the searcher and they clicked! Instead of pointing them straight to your homepage, send them directly to the page with the product/service you were advertising. It is a logical connection for the searcher (and you, the advertiser) since you now have an interested, qualified buyer going straight to what they were seeking. Please remember on each page of your site, especially landing pages for PPC campaigns, to include an OBVIOUS call to action. Whether it is to purchase online, pick up the phone, or send an email, MAKE IT EASY for the searcher to purchase from you!
5. Relevance: The last four points all leads to relevance in searching. Google rewards your good advertising behavior by moving you up the ranks (position) based on how much you spend and how relevant your ads, keywords, and landing pages are to searchers. If you follow steps 1-4 above, and your direct local competitor spends double what you do but didn't follow these easy steps --- odds are your competitor will be positioned lower than you in the paid search section....

Spending less and getting more than your competitors is the beauty of Pay Per Click campaigns with Google AdWords. And, that my friends, is what I call getting the bang for your small business buck!

About Irma Davila: Self-proclaimed "marketing diva," Irma began I.D. Marketing & Events in 2010 after too many years of simply not being "the boss." She spent ten years perfecting her craft from grassroots lobbying, public relations, event sponsorships, and online promotion to networking her tail off. Irma's marketing savvy extends from full-scale events to new media strategy and community relations in the Brandon area and beyond. She treats her clients like family, with personal and unique attention most other firms would never dare attempt. Fun Fact: Irma is notorious for wearing polka dots and loves singing karaoke.