In 2023, the world has become the most digitally accessible as its ever been. At the start of Q3 of 2023, 5.19 billion people around the world were using the internet. Meaning, ~64.5% of the world’s total population, ~8.5 billion searches are being conducted on Google. That means of all those searches, each one has served an online ad.
Knowing that it would only make sense that business owners wouldn’t want to miss out on a potential sale and take advantage of pay-per-click (PPC) management.
In this guide we will go through the intricacies of PPC management, highlighting the pivotal role it plays in driving online visibility, conversions, and business growth. We will also go over PPC best practices as it pertains to digital marketing, specifically with Google Ads. Finally, gain great insight as well with the PPC management software that our team uses to help create the best PPC ads for our clients.
Before moving on, if you’re currently running PPC ads and are not seeing the results you have hoped for, our team of experts will perform a free PPC audit with no strings attached. Get expert insight into your current pay-per-click campaign and stop wasting your budget today.
Introduction to PPC Management
Some might be asking what is PPC management? PPC or pay-per-click management is a critical part of any successful digital marketing campaign. It involves the process of overseeing and managing a company’s PPC campaigns. This often will include strategizing, designing, implementing, analyzing, and optimizing PPC campaigns across various platforms, primarily Google Ads.
PPC management services are typically executed by PPC managers, whether within a company or at some of the best digital marketing agencies.
The Importance of PPC Management in Digital Marketing
Pay-per-click management is to digital marketing, what jelly is to peanut butter. Meaning, they go hand in hand. PPC campaigns offer businesses the opportunity to not only get their brand recognized by all of the billions of people surfing the web but the ability to hone in on their target audience specifically at the exact time they’d be considering their business.
Moreover, it provides quick entry, measurable results, and complements other search marketing and advertising channels.
Expert Opinion on PPC Management in 2023
According to Statista, “Ad spending in the Search Advertising market is projected to reach US$118.20bn in 2023.” This confirms what was mentioned earlier if you’re a business not utilizing PPC campaigns in 2023, you’re truly missing out. The importance of effective PPC management is crucial within the digital marketing landscape.
Google Ads and PPC Management
Facebook would be one of the other popular platforms for PPC, however, the most popular is Google Ads. Google Ads is Google’s pay-per-click advertising solution. It allows businesses to bid on keywords for a chance to show ads in Google search results. PPC management services are performed on Google Ads, such as implementing PPC strategies aimed at maximizing visibility and conversions.
Best PPC Tools
Effective PPC Management also involves the use of the best PPC tools. These include:
- Google Keyword Planner: This is a free Google Ads tool for new or experienced advertisers that’s like a workshop for building new Google Search Network campaigns or expanding existing ones. You can search for keyword and ad group ideas, see how a list of keywords might perform, and even create a new keyword list by multiplying several lists of keywords together.
- SEMRush: This is a comprehensive toolkit for digital marketers, but one of its main uses is for PPC research. You can use it to research your competitors’ ads, and it can also provide keyword suggestions and enable you to track your competitors’ keyword rankings.
- Google Analytics 4: A web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. It can be integrated with Google Ads, allowing you to review online campaigns by tracking landing page quality and conversions (goals).
- Unbounce: This is a self-serve hosted service that provides marketers doing PPC, social media, and email marketing, among others, the means to create, publish & test promotion-specific landing pages without IT or developers.
What is a PPC Manager?
A PPC manager is in charge of overseeing the PPC strategy for a company or client. They would plan, execute, and manage PPC campaigns from initial design to launch. This includes tasks such as extensive keyword research, creating/optimizing ad copy, analyzing and adjusting campaigns based on the performance data, and managing the ad spend to maximize ROI.
Understanding a PPC Strategy
Before you’re ready to launch your PPC ads, you need to have a clear understanding of the goal of your PPC campaign and your target audience. A goal for your campaign could be to generate shopping cart purchases on e-commerce sites, a click-to-call action, generate website traffic, etc.
Once you’ve identified the goals of your PPC campaign, you can then start building out your overall PPC strategy which mainly consists of the following:
- Determining the structure of your PPC campaign.
- Understand, build, and optimize your landing pages.
- Create and optimize PPC ads.
Just remember, poor PPC campaign management can be very costly, leading to poor results and a waste of money. If you’re unsure of how to create and execute a successful PPC strategy, contact our PPC experts today.
Key PPC Management Metrics
Mastering PPC management is no small feat. As we highlighted previously, marketers and business owners are ramping up their marketing spending in 2023, specifically in PPC marketing. But PPC marketing and management is not just about creating ads and launching campaigns; it’s about understanding the important dynamics of advertising formats, ad networks, and various key terms and acronyms such as: Quality Score, Ad Rank, CTR, ROAS, and CPC.
The complexity of PPC marketing can be daunting, and without the right knowledge, it’s easy to exhaust your budget quickly. This underlines the importance of understanding and effectively utilizing key PPC management metrics. These metrics are the compass that guides your PPC campaigns, providing valuable insights that help optimize for better results.
Understanding Click-Through Rates in PPC Campaigns
One of the most popular, and fundamental metrics in any PPC campaign is the click-through rate, better known as CTR. This metric represents the percentage of those who click on your ad after seeing it.
A high CTR is a good indicator of effective ad copy, and targeting in a PPC campaign.
However, it is important to mention that a high CTR does not always translate to high conversion rates.
The balance between attracting users to click your ad, while driving conversions truly defines a successful PPC campaign.
Google Ads Quality Score: The Silent Influencer
Quality Score is a metric unique to Google Ads. It measures the quality and relevance of both your keywords and PPC ads.
It is a crucial factor in determining your cost per click (CPC) and is directly proportional to your ad rank within the bidding process.
Having a high Quality Score signifies more relevant ads and keywords, leading to lower costs and better ad positions.
Note: In 2021 Facebook rolled out its “Ad Relevance Score” which is the equivalent of Google’s Quality Score.
Conversion Rate: The Ultimate Measure of PPC Success
The Conversion Rate is arguably the most critical PPC metric. It measures the percentage of users who not only clicked on your ad but also completed a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. A high conversion rate indicates that your PPC campaign is not just attracting the right audience, but it’s also compelling them to act.
Conclusion
PPC management is crucial for any business and/or marketer looking to maximize their digital marketing strategy in 2023. Putting the time and effort into conducting in-depth research, planning, monitoring, and optimizations will ensure your PPC campaigns are yielding the desired results. Hopefully, you’re able to take what you’ve learned here and apply it to your own PPC campaigns. At HAVOK Consulting, we specialize in PPC management, helping businesses of all sizes maximize their advertising ROI.
We have a proven track record of utilizing our internal team of PPC experts to produce record-breaking results. Don’t just take our word for it, schedule your free consultation today and let us help your business disrupt the competition.
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