Why Do I Need PPC?

Businesses and marketers alike were left in a tizz earlier in the year when the infamous Google Sidebar was removed; some companies seeing a dip in traffic and conversions, however, others saw an increase in their overall performance. However, it was revealed that this was all part

The Big G’s master plan; these were removed to make allowances for the newly rolled out Expanded Text Ads.

Text Ads Of The Past

Previously advertisers were limited to only one line for the headline, two lines of 35 characters for the description, and a small navigation section.

The New and Improved Text Ads

The new and improved text ads are far less limiting, as you are now permitted two header lines and the limit has been increased from two lines of 35 characters to 80 characters in total.

So far, Google has reported up to a 20% CTR increase since the beta introduction of the expanded text ads and they have been designed, in particular, with mobile in mind so that whichever device it is seen on, it will automatically wrap to the device’s size, allowing easier readability and a better user experience.

Responsive Display Ads

Google has also recently rolled out responsive ads for the display network which will respond to each device they are viewed on and adjust to size, appearance and format to fit available ad spaces on the Display network.

The new ads are also auto-generating and will do so from an input headline, description, image and URL provided by the advertiser.

Responsive display ads allow more control of a brand’s messaging, and there’s a lot more room for content. Responsive ads can display up to 205 characters of text and images.

Search Ads To Appear on Google Maps

A recent development you’d be crazy to miss out on is the opportunity to lead people to your location with the placement of your search ads on Google Maps.

Your Search ads will appear on the map (on a desktop) with a purple ‘Ad’ icon, and business name to the left-hand side. On mobile, this will appear under the map and the same purple icon will show.

Google maps will determine which ad is more relevant to each searcher by using signals such as:

• Search query
• Location
• Search history
• Behaviours
• Time of day
• Demographics

This has been designed primarily to increase footfall to the physical store whilst increasing online conversions –  your online marketing also supporting your ‘real world’ business. There’s often a disillusion that online marketing isn’t that important, because of its intangible nature. Google’s attempt to combine the two worlds will hopefully demonstrate the importance of both.

E.g.: if you were to search for ‘Web Design’ in Google Maps and your current location was in Darlington, this would pull up all relevant Web Design companies in Darlington. The higher the CPC, the higher ad position you will be in, therefore an increased probability that your company will receive the most clicks from this search. This can increase footfall to the office, as if the user knows you are near, they can just ‘pop in’ for a chat, which further increases the probability of a converted lead.

Better Store Visit Tracking

A Store Visits metric is another new feature that has been rolled out in AdWords. This is in an attempt to relate clicks on search ads back to the in-store traffic and to tie business performance to the ads which are running.

It works by: determining a store visit, based on user proximity to the advertisers’ location on Google Maps, from users that have location history activated on their Apple or Android phone. Obviously, these are estimates based on the data gathered, but as long as the correct determining factors are tracked effectively, the estimate should be relatively accurate.

“I don’t need PPC, I do SEO”

While organic listings do accumulate around 80% of clicks, it is imperative that you avoid missing out on that other 20%. Pay Per Click advertising can be effective for your business for a multitude of reasons which we could go on, on and on about, but we’ll try and keep our summary to a minimum:

Use PPC For Keyword Research

Keyword suggestion tools can be really useful in demonstrating keywords that receive high search volume, there’s no sure-fire way to determine which are the most effective for your business in particular. AdWords reporting can show which are directly effective for your business, and more quickly.

Ad Copy is more easily controlled via PPC

It’s possible to expand on the copy in your ads through the use of callout extensions, structured snippets, expanded text ads and you can also A/B test your ad copy to see which ad is more effective.

You can take advantage of PPC Search Query Data

Utilise Analytics to understand search terms which you can tailor your ads (or even organic listings) around.

Target Derivatives of the Brand’s name

Though you might be ranking the first position for the brand name when it comes to organic listings, it is harder to ensure that you rank highly for the derivatives of the brand name. You can remedy this and ensure a broader reach with your Pay Per Click ads.