Many Small Business Owners underestimate the significant impact that Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can have on their business and, as a result, miss out on a huge opportunity to grow their online presence.
While PPC is often thought of as something only accessible to large organisations, in reality it’s an extremely powerful and achievable tool for any business owner looking to enhance their marketing efforts.
PPC, also referred to as Google AdWords, is a form of paid online advertising that allows for business owners to advertise their website in Search Engine results, most dominantly, Google. As the name suggests, you only pay for the ad when someone clicks on it.
There’s no doubt that PPC creates more real estate for your brand on Search Engines, significantly increases traffic to your website and helps generate new leads.
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should invest in PPC, here are 7 reasons why it could be exactly what you need to put your business on the path to success!
What is PPC?
What is PPC?
Before we dive too deeply into the major benefits of PPC, let’s do a quick crash course.
So, what exactly is PPC?
PPC is online advertising offered by major search engines like Yahoo, Bing and Google. It’s a Digital Marketing tool that allows for business owners to advertise their website in search engine results and on related websites within the Google Display Network.
It’s a highly specialised form of online advertising that allows ads to target certain keywords relevant to your business. For example, effective keywords for a company that sells clothes for dogs could be “Pet clothes”, “Buy pet clothes online”, or “Jackets for your dog”.
When someone searches one of those keywords, Google either places your ad in the top three results (usually in a yellow box) or in the results on the right-hand side.
This means that if you choose your keywords strategically, your PPC advert will show up only when someone searching for your services is actually looking. In practice, this translates to your ad being seen almost purely by potential customers who are looking for your specific product or service.
You bid against others that are using PPC for the same keywords to determine which advertiser’s ad will display higher on the search engine’s page. Understandably, those which appear higher typically have a higher Click-Through-Rate.
Now that you’ve got a handle on what PPC is, we can jump into its many benefits.
1. It’s Fast
1. It’s Fast
As a Small Business Owner, you want to see results and you want to see them quickly. PPC is perhaps one of the fastest and most effective Digital Marketing Tools in this regard, as it can yield results almost instantly.
While a strategy like SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, offers fantastic organic traffic in the long-term, PPC will give you a reliable flow of traffic almost instantaneously after establishing your campaign in Google AdWords.
If you have a new website and are looking to dramatically increase traffic as quickly as possible, then PPC is your solution. If you select strategic keywords and find yourself in the top ad results of Google, you’ll likely see a rapid increase in traffic to your site which can potentially lead to greater sales and better ROI.
2. It’s Cost Effective
2. It’s Cost Effective
One of the major benefits of PPC for Small Business Owners is its budget-friendly element. When it comes to PPC, the budget can be completely determined by the advertiser, meaning you can choose exactly how much to spend on your campaign.
While you may think it would be confusing to track your results, Google AdWords analyses and measures the entire process for you. This means you can keep an eye on your budget and easily assess if you’re spending enough or too much on your campaign.
When starting out with PPC, don’t make the mistake of throwing all your money on your first campaign and blowing your budget before you even get started. Instead, start with a small budget and then depending on your results, adjust your spending accordingly.
3. There are Measurable Results
3. There are Measurable Results
Another significant benefit of PPC is that everything you do is measurable and can be tracked via Google AdWords. You can measure anything related to your campaign, including Cost Per Click (or CPC), profits, views, Click-Through-Rates, visits and more.
This simple system will help any Small Business Owner feel in control of their own advertising campaign and confident in making decisions and adjustments based on this data.
4. It’s not dependent on SEO or Google Algorithmic Changes
4. It’s Not Dependent On SEO Or Google Algorithmic Changes
While SEO needs to be altered to comply with Google’s algorithm changes, PPC has the advantage of being fixed once the campaign is established.
Google frequently alters its ranking algorithms, meaning SEO campaigns need to constantly be altered and updated. PPC, on the other hand, is unaffected by these changes.
5. Reach the Right Audience
5. Reach the Right Audience
PPC offers incredible flexibility when it comes to targeting your key market. Not only are your keywords selected to appeal to your ideal customers, but you can choose where and when your ads will appear based on factors such as location, device, time and date.
This kind of flexibility allows you to craft a highly-detailed campaign that helps you segment your market and highlight your products and services to those who are most likely to buy them. This also means you’ll be less likely to waste money on people clicking your website who aren’t interested in your services.
6. Works well With Other Digital Marketing Channels
6. Works well With Other Digital Marketing Channels
While PPC is a powerful Digital Marketing Tool in its own right, it also works fantastically well in conjunction with other online marketing strategies, particularly SEO.
While many people are under the impression that PPC and SEO are rivals in the world of Digital Marketing, however this is not the case. In fact, PPC and SEO actually work extremely well when combined, resulting in increased visibility, exposure, maximisation of conversions and offers greater scope for more in-depth testing.
PPC is a great way to draw visitors to your website quickly, as its one of the most directional forms of digital marketing. In contrast, SEO is a long-term endeavour and requires some patience while it achieves and maintains favourable results. Together, they are a Digital Marketing force to be reckoned with.
7. Builds Your Brand
7. Builds Your Brand
Given that PPC allows you to target keywords related to your industry, people searching for these keywords will be constantly exposed to your business. As a result, this will strengthen your brand, increase brand awareness and build your credibility as a leader within your particular industry.
The more that searchers see your business appearing on Google, the more they will come to associate your brand as an authority and a trustworthy source from which to purchase. This greater visibility also results in greater brand awareness generally. After all, you can’t be a known brand if you can’t be found!
Summed up, PPC is a good fit for almost any business. As a Small Business Owner, it proves to be a fast, cost-effective way to target your ideal market, raise brand awareness and increase traffic to your site. Rather than being something that’s shied away from, PPC should be embraced as the powerful Digital Marketing Tool that it is.
