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There's no denying that PPC works. We use it to drive consistent, qualified traffic to client sites and continually provide an impressive ROI. But getting to this stage isn't as simple as setting up an ad and hoping it makes an impact. You must measure performance effectively to get the most out of your ad. Here's how to track your PPC advert performance and make the most of your time in AdWords.
The same, but different
One of the most important factors in reducing PPC costs and increasing conversions is to look at the advert performance. The best way to track this is to ensure that all of your ad-groups have multiple variations of the same advert, all slightly different from each other.
How long should I run the Ad for?
You should allow the adverts to run and then check which advert is performing the best (has the best CTR and CPC) and pause the least effective adverts. Most sources suggest leaving an ad to run for 3 months (a quarter), but we often use the AdWords feature that exposes keyword searches to multiple ads in equal amounts.
Depending on your goals and factors such as seasonality - 4 weeks should be long enough to gather data to see what's working and what isn't.
Time sensitive
You should also check the performance of your advert on different days of the week as well as different times of the day. It may be there is a time you can identify which isn’t working for you which could be due your target audience being at work (if your website is B2C focused) or if people are in research mode rather than buying mode.
If you want to get a head start with your targeting, start by deciding on your buyer personas. By understanding your audience and getting this properly recorded, you can really boost the efficiency of any investment you make. Find out exactly what a Buyer Persona is here:
What to do if you spot a flaw
If you do spot an issue, such as a dead few hours or even a full day of inactivity - it would be worth pausing your ads during this time and then monitoring the effect this has on your spend and conversion rate.
Pro tip:
Keep replacing poor performing ads with new, this way you can test what really works best for you!
It really does pay to spend the time focusing on your PPC advert performance during initial set up. Staying competitive and protecting your CPC & CTR will take continued surveillance, but investing in the early stages of set up can build a solid base for future PPC success.
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