Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC advertising, is one of the most lucrative ways to turn a profit and increase your web traffic at the same time. But what if you've never used it before? How can you get started without losing any money during your learning curve? Here are just five things to research in depth if you really want to learn about PPC.
1: Tracking
It's important to establish a baseline before you start installing PPC ads all over the Internet. Many first-timers skip this step in their eagerness only to realize later that they have no idea how PCC is actually affecting their business. Know your numbers; familiarize yourself with your regular traffic; understand just how much revenue you already have coming in on a weekly and monthly basis.
2: Costs
The flipside of pay-per-click advertising is cost-per-click ads. How much is your average? How much are you actually making once you've subtracted creation and hosting costs from your overall income? How can you improve your ad copy or marketing campaign to reduce your CPC fees?
3: SEO Integration
In today's market, no business can survive without search engine optimization (SEO). But many web owners aren't integrating it with their PPC efforts as much as they should. While there's substantial overlap in the two, they are separate disciplines at the end of the day, and they should be designed and analyzed as such. Don't make the mistake of favoring one over the other.
4: Web Design
PPC marketing isn't all about ads. In fact, one of the easiest ways to optimize it is through your own web design. If you can improve things like your landing page and your internal linking scheme, you can give your PPC a significant boost without touching any of your ads at all. Talk to a web designer or PPC specialist to learn more.
5: ROI
ROI, or return on investment, deals with how much of a profit you've made after sinking money into the initial project. When it comes to PPC, your ROI isn't always immediately apparent, but the numbers should be carefully monitored anyway. Even changes that only amount to pennies can represent a shift in your fortunes.
If you're ready to transform your online business from amateur hour to a real moneymaker, these are just five things you should know about PPC advertising. It can be a big boon to your income, but only if you know how to use it right.