In our last blog post, we laid the foundations of PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising, discussing its function and essential metrics such as clicks, impressions, and conversions. Today, we delve a little deeper, exploring more advanced topics of PPC that play a significant role in the success of your digital marketing campaigns.
One such advanced concept is Google’s ‘Quality Score.’ A fundamental aspect of Google Ads, Quality Score is a measurement of the performance of your keywords. It takes into account factors like your ad’s relevance to the keyword, your landing page’s relevance, and the historical click-through rate (CTR) of your ad and keyword.
The better your Quality Score, the less you may end up paying per click. Why is that? Well, that leads us to our next advanced PPC concept, Cost Per Click (CPC).
In a PPC auction, the CPC isn’t a fixed rate set by the advertiser. Instead, it’s determined based on the advertiser’s Quality Score and bid. The auction system is designed to reward higher-quality ads with lower costs and better ad positions.
Take the example of two companies in the hospitality sector, Premier Inn and Travelodge. Let’s say both brands are bidding on the keyword “budget hotels in London.” If Premier Inn’s ad and keyword have a higher Quality Score (due to, say, a more relevant landing page and a higher historical CTR), they may end up paying less per click than Travelodge, despite bidding the same amount.
So, how can brands like Premier Inn and Travelodge improve their Quality Score and potentially lower their CPC? One way is through A/B testing.
A/B testing in PPC campaigns involves testing two different versions of an ad to see which one performs better. You could test variations in headline, ad copy, or even landing pages. For instance, Premier Inn might test two ads: one highlighting their competitive pricing and another emphasising their comfort and amenities. By running these ads simultaneously, they can gather data on which ad resonates more with their audience.
But it’s not just about ad copy. Brands could also A/B test different landing pages. Suppose Travelodge decides to run an A/B test with one landing page featuring their London locations map, and another with customer testimonials. The page that drives more conversions would be the ‘winner’ of the test.
Performing A/B tests allows companies to understand what works and what doesn’t, enabling them to optimise their ads and landing pages based on real user data. It’s a valuable strategy for improving Quality Score, reducing CPC, and ultimately, driving more conversions.
However, PPC advertising is not a ‘set and forget’ kind of strategy. Regular monitoring and adjusting based on performance metrics are crucial to a campaign’s success. Both Premier Inn and Travelodge would need to continually analyse their campaign’s performance, tweaking their ads and keywords as needed based on the insights they gain.
In conclusion, mastering PPC advertising requires a deep understanding of both its basic and advanced concepts. By leveraging metrics like Quality Score and strategies like A/B testing, businesses can craft more effective PPC campaigns that drive traffic, engagement, and conversions.
In our next blog post, we’ll explore other advanced topics of PPC, such as remarketing and the strategic use of negative keywords. So stay tuned, because there’s still much to learn in the ever-evolving world of PPC advertising.