In paid search, little things can make a big difference

It’s no secret that paid search should be an important part of every marketer’s toolbox, whether the brand is B2B or B2C. But what’s surprising is how complicated a good pay-per-click strategy can be, and how much the nuances of that strategy can impact the success of your campaign.

A well thought out and continually optimized PPC strategy will drive meaningful results, no matter what category your brand is in. Our B2B client Husky Rack and Wire recently started promoting its machine- guarding system, Velox, with nothing more than a PPC campaign, a new user-first website and a primary success metric of inbound quote requests. Within one year of launch, Velox had increased its quotes by 110 percent, from 18 per week to 38 per week, and is now opening a new production facility to handle the increased product demand.

In a completely different category, motorsports safety equipment maker Simpson Performance Products looked to LGA to help optimize PPC strategy for its motorcycle helmets. With just a few changes to its ad groups and targeting strategies, ROI on paid search jumped 220%.

While the optimal PPC strategy is different for every brand, here are some things every marketer should consider:

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MANY TOOLS AVAILABLE.

Google Ads offers a wide variety of resources to optimize your campaign. Even optimizing for something as basic as days of the week or time of day can drive better results.

WATCH YOUR AD RELEVANCY SCORE.

In Google, a lower ad relevancy score (meaning your keywords do not match the content on your website) will increase the amount you have to pay for ad placement and your page position, which can have a major negative impact on your ROI.

WHERE POSSIBLE, NARROW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.

A more targeted audience means more relevant creative and ultimately more clicks. Simply leveraging the wide range of target options Google offers can sometimes be a marketer’s most effective strategy.

MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT WHERE THE TARGET IS IN THEIR BUYING JOURNEY.

Remember the keyword searched is representative of where your audience is in the consumer journey.  Brand searches are usually representative of someone farther down the buying process.  Tailor your copy and bid strategy to increase ROI.

KNOW YOUR COMPETITION.

Thorough research on key competitors also shapes a successful search campaign.  Understanding copy, bid strategy and spend are key components to making sure your client stands out within the space.

USE AS MUCH REAL ESTATE AS POSSIBLE.

Take advantage of ad extensions, links, copy maximums, and second headers as much as possible.  The more real estate you use the better, because it pushes other results farther down the page, below the fold, and out of view unless consumers scroll.

CUSTOMIZE, TRACK AND OPTIMIZE – CONSTANTLY.

Create separate ad groups with distinct keywords – and, ideally, different landing pages – then systematically test to see what works best. Distinct ad groups allow you to be more targeted and ideally increase your relevancy score, but it’s the ongoing optimization that will truly drive your results.