PPC Management for Small Businesses: All the Fundamentals
Imagine unlocking a steady stream of customers without the hefty price tag of traditional advertising. For small businesses, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising offers a golden opportunity to compete with bigger players on a level playing field. But where do you start? In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of PPC management, tailored specifically for small businesses, so you can maximize your budget and see real, tangible results.
At Succeeding Small, we specialize in getting tangible results for small business owners using Google Search campaigns, and we have experience running campaigns in several different industries. Learn more from insights into some of the considerations involved with launching campaigns for service-based businesses and know the essentials.
What is PPC?
PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is an online advertising model in which advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. Essentially, it’s a way of buying visits to your site rather than “earning” those visits from search engines organically.
Advertisers bid on keywords that they think their target audience will search for, and when someone searches using one of those keywords, the ad may appear in the search engine results. Each time someone clicks on the ad, the advertiser is charged a small fee, which can vary depending on the competitiveness of the keyword and other variables.
PPC's Importance for Small Business
- Keywords
- Location
- Interests
- Demographics
This means your ads are shown to people actively searching for services similar to what you offer, making them more likely to acquire customers. The ability to fine-tune who sees the ads helps small businesses maximize their advertising budgets by focusing on the most relevant audience.
Another significant advantage of PPC is its immediacy. SEO can take months to produce results, while PPC campaigns can start driving traffic to a business’s website almost instantly. This is particularly important for small businesses that need quick visibility. The real-time nature of PPC also means that businesses can easily monitor their campaigns and adjust strategies based on performance.
PPC also provides small businesses with a flexible and scalable advertising option. With the ability to set daily or monthly budgets, small businesses can start with a manageable investment, experiment to see what works, and then scale up their efforts as they begin to see positive results. This flexibility makes PPC an accessible option for businesses with limited marketing resources. Even when users don’t click on the ads, simply seeing the business’s name at the top of search results can help build brand awareness, which is invaluable in the long run.
PPC vs. SEO
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO focuses on improving your website’s organic search rankings by optimizing on-page and off-page factors. It involves investing time and effort to achieve gradual and sustainable increases in visibility and traffic. Although results take longer to materialize and are less directly controllable, SEO provides long-term benefits with lower ongoing costs compared to PPC.
The Essential Steps to Developing a Powerful PPC Campaign
Define Your Goals and Objectives
Understand Your Target Audience
Develop a Compelling Offer
Set a Budget
Create and Launch Content
Monitor and Analyze Performance
Track key metrics such as impressions, click-through rates, and conversions. Setting up conversions appropriately can be very challenging without some technical proficiency. We recommend setting up conversion tracking through Google Tag Manager.
While running the campaign, you’ll want to check form completions, keep a journal on the quality of incoming calls, and check search terms to make sure they are relevant to your business.
Use analytics tools to assess the effectiveness of your campaign and make data-driven adjustments.
Optimize and Adjust
Review and Report
The Benefits of Starting Small and Being Specific
Starting with a smaller budget and a focused campaign allows you to minimize risk while gathering valuable data. Testing different ad creatives, keywords, and audience segments on a smaller scale allows you to identify what works best without committing a large portion of your budget.
This approach also enables you to make data-driven decisions and refine your strategy before scaling up. It’s a cost-effective way to learn and optimize, ensuring that when you do increase your budget, you’re investing in tactics proven to deliver results.
Example of Starting with a Simple Campaign
A simple campaign might involve creating a single ad group focused on a core service, such as “Emergency Plumbing Services.” You could use a few highly relevant keywords in this campaign, such as “24/7 plumbing repair” and “emergency plumber near me.” When running search campaigns, you should also ensure that your ad copy clearly addresses the specific needs of your target audience, offering compelling reasons to click, such as fast response times or special promotions.
The ad copy could highlight your quick response time and expertise with a clear call to action like “Call Now for Immediate Assistance.”
Targeting Specific Keywords and Audiences
Targeting specific keywords and audiences is essential for driving high-quality traffic likely to convert. By focusing on precise, intent-driven keywords such as “HVAC installation” or “home cleaning services,” you ensure your ads are shown to users actively seeking those services.
Coupled with audience targeting—like homeowners in specific income brackets or business owners—you can tailor your ad messaging to resonate deeply with those most likely to need your services. This precision helps increase your return on ad spend by attracting clicks that are more likely to convert.
The Importance of Geographic Words and Local Keywords
Using geographic words and local keywords is crucial for service-based businesses that rely on local clientele. Including terms like “Denver roofing contractor” or “Brooklyn car repair” in your keywords and ad copy ensures your ads reach users in specific locations searching for nearby services. Typically, we will create two ad groups for each kind of keyword, one for general service and another for local service.
Local keywords help you connect with your target audience in a particular region, increasing the relevance of your ads. Geographic targeting boosts your visibility in local search results and enhances the likelihood of conversions by attracting customers within your service area who are ready to engage with your business.
Using Strong Language and Calls to Action
Strong language and clear calls to action (CTAs) in your ad copy are vital for capturing attention and prompting user engagement. Powerful words evoke emotions and can persuade potential customers to take desired actions, while well-crafted CTAs guide them seamlessly toward conversion. Together, they create a compelling narrative that informs and motivates, increasing the effectiveness of your advertising efforts.
You can include your best Calls to Action in the Description Section of your Google Search ad. Descriptions can be a maximum of 90 characters, while headlines only allow 30 characters.
Tips for Creating Compelling Ad Copy (Use Powerful Language)
To craft compelling ad copy, focus on using powerful and emotive language that resonates with your target audience. Highlight the unique benefits of your service with words that convey urgency or exclusivity, such as “limited-time offer” or “exclusive deal.” Incorporate action-oriented verbs like “discover,” “transform,” or “boost” to inspire action. Addressing pain points directly and offering solutions can make your ads more relatable and persuasive.
Importance of Clear Calls to Action (Include Clear Calls to Action)
Clear calls to action are essential for guiding users toward the next step in the customer journey. A well-defined CTA eliminates confusion, telling potential customers exactly what you want them to do, whether it’s “Sign Up Now,” “Get a Free Quote,” or “Shop Today.” By being direct and specific, CTAs increase the likelihood of user engagement and conversions, serving as the crucial link between interest and action in your ads.
Understanding the Benefits of Keyword Strategies
Effective keyword strategies are the backbone of successful ad campaigns, enabling you to reach the right audience with the right message. By selecting keywords that closely align with your services and target audience’s search intent, you can ensure that your ads appear when potential customers actively seek your services.
A well-thought-out keyword strategy involves a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match types to balance reach and precision, driving relevant traffic that is more likely to convert. Google has made some changes to match types, so they work differently than they used to.
These days, match types’ functionality has drastically changed from their original purpose. Google frequently recommends the use of Broad keywords, as they use more machine-learning signals, including landing pages, previous searches, and predicted performance, to optimize your ads for potential customers.
How to Find and Select the Right Keywords
Finding and selecting the right keywords begins with understanding your audience and the terms they use when searching for services like yours. Start with brainstorming sessions, then use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to explore keyword ideas, search volumes, and competition levels.
Look for keywords relevant to your offerings, with substantial search volume and reasonable competition. Prioritize keywords that reflect user intent—what customers want to achieve with their search—ensuring your ads connect with those ready to take action.
Understand that these tools are only rough approximations. You cannot know which keywords will work best for your campaigns just by using them. The only way to know is to test!
Importance of Adding Negative Keywords to Improve Ad Performance (Add Negative Keywords)
Adding negative keywords to your campaigns is crucial for refining ad performance and maximizing your budget. Negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches, reducing wasted clicks from users who are unlikely to convert.
For instance, if you’re running an ad for luxury home remodeling, adding “cheap” as a negative keyword can prevent your ad from being displayed to users searching for budget options. This targeted approach ensures your ads reach a more qualified audience, improving click-through rates and overall ROI.
Seeing More Customer Conversions from Landing Pages
Creating and optimizing landing pages involves designing a focused, user-friendly page that maximizes conversions. Start by aligning the landing page content with your ad messaging to ensure a cohesive user experience.
Incorporate key elements like a strong headline, compelling visuals, and a clear call to action (CTA) to guide visitors toward taking the desired action. Optimize the page for speed and mobile devices, ensuring fast load times and a responsive design.
We recommend regularly testing and analyzing performance using A/B testing to refine elements like headlines, CTA placements, and content. This will ultimately enhance effectiveness and increase conversions. However, these are advanced tasks and might be too much for a beginner.
Key Elements of an Effective Landing Page
An effective landing page is designed to capture and convert visitors with clear, focused content. Key elements include a compelling headline that grabs attention, a concise and persuasive copy that highlights the benefits of your offer, and a prominent call to action (CTA) that directs users toward the next step.
Additionally, the page should feature a clean design, user-friendly navigation, and trust signals like testimonials or security badges to build credibility.
Role of Landing Pages in PPC Success
Landing pages play a critical role in PPC success by ensuring that traffic from your ads converts effectively. A well-optimized landing page provides a seamless transition from the ad, offering a relevant and targeted experience that aligns with the user’s expectations.
This alignment enhances user satisfaction, reduces bounce rates, and improves conversion rates, ultimately maximizing the return on your PPC investment. An effective landing page helps turn clicks into meaningful actions, making it essential to any successful PPC campaign.
When and Why to Hire a PPC Ad Professional
Hiring a PPC ad professional is crucial when your business needs to scale its advertising efforts or optimize performance but needs more in-house expertise. Professionals bring specialized skills and experience to the table, ensuring your campaigns are strategically planned and effectively managed.
If you’re facing challenges with campaign performance or if managing ads is taking time away from core business activities, consider professional help. They can help refine your strategies and take over the day-to-day ad minutiae, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
Benefits of Professional Management and Consulting
Professional management and consulting offer numerous benefits, including expert insights and advanced strategies to significantly enhance your PPC campaigns. A seasoned PPC professional brings industry knowledge, data-driven strategy, and optimization techniques that are often beyond the scope of DIY efforts. With their help, you can improve targeting, increase ad efficiency, and achieve better results.
For tailored advice and effective campaign management, consider hiring a PPC ad professional to elevate your small business’s advertising success. Visit Succeeding Small for expert PPC tips and to get started on your path to greater ad performance.
See the Results for Yourself and Your Small Business
In today’s digital marketing landscape, optimizing ad performance starts with effective keyword strategies, including the selection of specific, high-intent keywords and the use of negative keywords to refine targeting. Crafting compelling ad copy is essential, using strong language and clear calls to action to drive user engagement. Landing pages play a pivotal role in PPC success, requiring focused design and optimization to ensure seamless transitions from ads and higher conversion rates.
For those looking to maximize their advertising efforts, hiring a PPC ad professional can provide expert insights and advanced strategies. For small business owners seeking to elevate their ad campaigns, consider connecting with Succeeding Small for expert management and consulting to achieve outstanding results.
