When it comes to optimizing your PPC ad campaigns, there are many things you can do. For instance, SEO in Ottawa can be a great way to improve your rankings on popular search engines, which will, in turn, boost your quality score. This is just a relatively minor example of the multitude of small changes that you can make.
Today, you can join GrowME Marketing in Ottawa as we explore many of the best ways to optimize your PPC ads, including A/B testing, modifying your landing pages, crafting clear calls to action and honing your copywriting skills. Let’s begin!
A/B Testing
A/B testing refers to running two ads simultaneously and comparing their performance against one another. These ads will be almost identical and should only feature one major difference. Sometimes this is the wording of the ad, and other times it may be backend optimizations, like different geographic targeting or a different list of negative keywords.
This may be the most effective, long-term method of optimizing your PPC ads (other than Ottawa SEO, of course). The reason that A/B testing is so powerful is that—when it is done right—it shows you exactly what works and what doesn’t. Does your target audience respond better to overt statements, or do they prefer to be wooed a bit first? A/B testing provides the answer.
Still, A/B testing comes with many pitfalls. The most common is comparing dissimilar ads. If you change several variables at once, it is much more difficult to understand which one was effective. Additionally, A/B testing is not always effective across campaigns. A call to action (CTA) that works great for people looking for plumbers may be ineffective when selling retirement homes, for example.
Create Effective Landing Pages
It doesn’t matter how compelling, enticing and well-crafted your ad copy is if, when users arrive on your site, it doesn’t continue the sales funnel. When you don’t optimize your landing page, you are essentially wasting the effort of crafting a campaign that works, and there are many issues you can run into.
Let’s say you’re advertising window cleaning services. You know that the client has a springtime discount, and your ad copy reflects the details. If the landing page doesn’t mention this deal, chances are people will just leave because it may be true, but why waste the time double-checking when you could just call the next person on the list?
This is a clear problem, so what are the solutions? Consider the following ideas for optimizing your landing pages:
- clear, concise design
- matching information between ads and the landing page
- clear contact information displayed near the top of the page
- Proper heading, image, paragraph HTML tags
- Responsive design for a variety of screen sizes
Use Clear Call to Actions
The formula for good advertising changes very little depending on the medium. You always need the audience to identify with your product or service. You always need to clearly state the benefits of your product rather than the features. And, you always need to have a clear, overt call to action (CTA).
These elements are consistent across digital and print media because they work. You can be as creative as you want, but if you don’t tell people to buy what you’re selling, the rest of the work is ultimately set dressing. Your CTAs can be as simple as “buy now” or as complex as “don’t miss your opportunity for this once in a lifetime offer.”
Once you’ve mastered the art of the CTA, the next step is to optimize which one you use. Consider your audience and ask yourself how they would be encouraged to make a purchase. The relatively low cost of consumer goods lends itself to quick and dirty CTAs, whereas more expensive and luxury purchases often involve a bit more pandering.
Write Superb Ad Copy
The character restrictions that Google, Facebook and other advertising platforms institute may seem like a problem, but really, they’re just a better structure. Learn what you can say in 90-characters and how to sell people in 30 or less. This one is just that simple.