Google wants you succeed. They want to help you make the most from your organic and Sponsored Ads campaigns. Why? Two reasons:
- They have plenty of money and don’t need more of yours
- They want to return the best possible search results to their users
Therefore, when Google releases tips on how to save money and get better quality clicks, you really should pay attention. Here are the most recent AdWords Tactics released by Google to help optimize PPC spending during these tough times.
1. Focus your ads on low prices and savings
According to Google, “by using your ad to tell searchers that you’ve got the highest quality and the best price, you’re more likely to earn their click. Update your ad text to focus on low prices, good values, and timely promotions.”
Interpretation: Work on improving your ad and include the costs when possible. Use your value proposition and active promotions whenever possible.
2. Use value-related keywords
"To reach deal-conscious consumers, add appropriate price- and discount-related keywords."
Interpretation: Use terms such as discounted, on sale, lowest price, reduced cost, and so forth in you Sponsored Ads.
3. Make sure your ad groups are targeted and relevant
"Make sure that both the text and the keywords in each ad group focus on a specific topic or product. For instance, an ad group about tennis sneakers will generally perform better than a broader ad group about sneakers."
Interpretation: To get the lowest bid cost and highest ranking in the Sponsored results, match your ads to your landing pages as much as possible and try to be as specific as possible. BONUS: Use all three match types when you create an ad group (Phrase, Broad, and Exact).
4. Don’t waste money on irrelevant clicks
"Use negative keywords to filter out traffic that’s not related to your offering. The Search Query Performance report can help you identify potential negative keywords by showing which queries have triggered your ads."
Interpretation: Use negative keywords that appear in this tool I’ve never heard of called the Search Query Performance report. I’ll do a post on this tool soon and let you know what I think.
5. Make it easy for customers to buy
"Make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for and buy from your site. Use the best Destination URL to send visitors directly to the page about the product or service promoted in your ad."
Interpretation: Get a better Quality Score (lower cost per click, more clicks) by reducing the bounce rate from the landing page you are sending them to. If your landing page is the exact page where the buyer can purchase from and the experience is enjoyable, you’ll pay less for your AdWords bids.
6. Focus your money on your high performers
"To get the most out of your campaigns, focus your time and resources on the keywords, ads, and ad groups that are driving the most value for your spend. To determine what’s performing best for you, consider Google’s free Conversion Tracking tool."
Interpretation: To get better pricing in AdWords and higher ranking, isolate the keywords that have the lowest cost-per-action and don’t waste another dime if you haven’t already installed the conversion tracking codes from AdWords.
Optimizing PPC spending isn’t difficult. Just think about the keywords you’re buying. Don’t buy the word "windows" for example when you know that the term could mean more than one thing (computer software and glass). Instead be specific in your keywords, ads and matching landing page, buying more targeted terms such as "glass windows" or "large windows". And whenever possible, toss in a few negative terms ("Microsoft" would be a great example of a negative keyword for the business owner selling glass windows.
Optimizing PPC with SEO best practices by matching landing pages with core focal points (such as title, meta description, and h1/headings) can save you a fortune in costs. It’s worth it, just make the time and optimize your campaign. You’ll thank me later.
