Digital Marketing - 18 Sep 2024

Maximizing PPC Performance: How to Get More for Your Money

Giving your business a leg up in an increasingly crowded and competitive digital marketplace can feel like it costs both an arm and a leg. And you’re not wrong. Compared to even 5 years ago, the average CPC (cost per click) in many industries has more than doubled, reaching an average of $4.66 in 2023. In more competitive industries like advocacy and education, the CPL (cost per lead) has surged as much as 140 percent.

However, despite inflation and competition driving up costs, businesses remain more than willing to invest in PPC campaigns. Why? Because they work.

Why PPC is Still Worth It

PPC advertising has repeatedly proven itself as a game-changer in driving web traffic and boosting conversions – when done right. The challenge in the current environment is getting the most out of your campaigns without blowing your budget. Whether you’re a small business trying to compete with big brands or just looking to stretch those ad dollars a little further, there are ways to improve your PPC performance without breaking the bank.

This blog will cover some of our favourite budget-friendly PPC strategies that can help you get more bang for your buck.

Optimize Your Keyword Strategy

Nailing the right keywords is crucial to the success of any PPC campaign. However, a lot of businesses unwittingly overspend targeting keywords that are simply too expensive. A more efficient way to maximize performance without draining resources is to focus on long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are more specific search terms that often have lower competition, which means you can bid less while still attracting relevant traffic. For example, instead of bidding on the highly competitive keyword “shoes,” opt for “affordable running shoes in New York.” This will not only reduce your cost per click (CPC) but also lead to higher conversion rates since you’re targeting users with more intent.

Filter Traffic with Negative Keywords

Don’t pay for ad traffic you don’t want. Negative keywords are one of the most underutilized tools in PPC but employing this strategy could save you a lot of money. Creating a list of negative keywords – search terms you specifically want to be excluded from your campaign – allows you to filter out irrelevant traffic.

Say you’re selling high-end furniture; you don’t want people searching for “cheap furniture” clicking on your ads. Adding “cheap” as a negative keyword helps you avoid wasted clicks (and wasted dollars). Tools like Google Ads’ Search Terms report can help you identify which keywords are driving the most valuable traffic so you can exclude the non-performers.

Beyond saving money, a negative keyword list can also help increase your CTR and Quality Score so it’s an easy win all around.

Leverage Ad Extensions for Free Real Estate

Ad extensions are an easy way to give your PPC ads more visibility without any extra cost. This might sound too good to be true, but leveraging these little tidbits of information is a legitimate strategy that benefits both you and the user. Including things like reviews, site links, socials, or even callouts, does not increase the amount of visual space your ad takes up on the SERP making it more likely to be noticed, but users can also quickly navigate to specific landing pages of interest. This can improve your click-through rate (CTR) significantly, and while you’re still paying for these clicks, the added exposure is essentially free.

Take advantage of site link extensions to direct users to specific pages on your website or add structured snippets to highlight services or products. The added benefit? These ad extensions can improve your Quality Score, which can lead to lower CPC in the long run.

Use Smart Bidding Strategies

Manual bidding can be tedious, and if you’re not careful, it’s easy to overspend. Instead, consider using Google’s automated bidding options to maximize your ad budget. Smart Bidding strategies use machine learning to optimize your bids in real time based on the likelihood of a conversion.

For example, Target CPA (cost-per-acquisition) allows Google to adjust your bids to help you get the most conversions at your target cost per acquisition. Another option, Target ROAS (return on ad spend), focuses on driving the highest value conversions for your budget. It’s important to note that while these automated strategies may not always offer the lowest CPC, they do help you stretch your budget by focusing on conversions rather than clicks.

Be Strategic with Ad Scheduling

Not all ad hours are created equal. One of the most cost-effective ways to optimize your PPC campaigns is by limiting when your ads are shown to capitalize on times when your target audience is most likely to be browsing. Google Ads offers an ad scheduling feature, which allows you to select the best times and days to show your ads based on historical performance.

For instance, if data shows that most of your conversions happen during business hours, it makes sense to reduce or pause ad spend during evenings or weekends. This way, you’re only paying for clicks during the times when your audience is most likely to convert, ultimately improving your return on investment (ROI).

Improve Your Ad Quality Score

Google’s Quality Score is more important than most people realize. This score determines where your ad appears and how much you pay per click, so improving it is key to getting more from your budget. Quality Score is based on three things: the relevance of your ad, your click-through rate (CTR), and your landing page experience.

To maximize your QS, first, ensure your ads are directly relevant to the keywords you’re bidding on. For example, if someone’s searching for “vegan protein powder,” don’t serve them an ad for “organic smoothies.” Next, improve your CTR by writing ads that capture attention (more on that in a minute). Lastly, make sure your landing pages are up to scratch. Fast loading speeds, mobile-friendly designs, and clear CTAs will help boost both your Quality Score and your conversions.

Write Ad Copy That Converts

Good ad copy can make or break your PPC campaign. But you don’t need a huge budget to write something that converts; you just need to be strategic. Start with a strong, clear headline that grabs attention and make sure your main keyword is in the headline so searchers know they’re in the right place.

Next, focus on the benefits of what you’re offering. Why should someone click your ad? Is there a special discount? A limited-time offer? Play on urgency or exclusivity, these tactics work wonders for click-through rates. Finally, your Call to Action (CTA) should be compelling and clear. Use phrases like “Shop Now,” “Claim Your Offer,” or “Get Started Today” to guide the user toward their next step.

A/B testing your ad copy is a cost-effective way to measure results. Try testing different headlines, CTAs, or even small changes like exclamation points or word order and see what translates into the most clicks with your target audience.

Improve Your Landing Pages

Even the most well-optimized PPC campaign can’t make up for underwhelming landing pages. A landing page should be clear, concise, and relevant to the ad that brought users there. If someone clicks on an ad for “affordable SEO services,” your landing page should immediately address that search term and offer a clear path to conversion.

Consider A/B testing different landing page designs and copy to see which ones perform best. Small changes like adjusting the call-to-action (CTA) button, reworking your headline, or adding more exciting visuals can make a big difference in conversion rates. Improved landing pages can also improve your Quality Scores, which in turn lowers your CPC, making your ad budget go even further.

Keep an Eye on Device Performance

It probably comes as little surprise that mobile traffic now leads in search engine traffic. However, people tend to browse and behave differently depending on the device they’re using. While mobile users generate more traffic, desktop still maintains an edge when it comes to conversions.

And it’s not just about screen size. It’s also about why someone might be using their phone versus their laptop. Understanding these differences in user behaviour is key to maximizing the effectiveness of your PPC and it doesn’t cost you anything but time. Regularly reviewing your campaign device performance data will give you a clearer picture of how your audience interacts with your ads based on where the traffic is coming from.

This insight will allow you to adjust your messaging and overall user experience to fit how people engage with your ads on different devices. Plus, when you line this data up with other marketing channels, your campaigns can be even more effective across the board.

Final Thoughts

Improving your PPC performance doesn’t have to cost a lot. With the right strategies in place, you can stretch your ad budget further and drive better results. From optimizing keywords to perfecting landing pages, small adjustments can lead to big payoffs. And remember, the key is to continuously test and tweak your campaigns to find what works best for your business.