17 Pay-Per-Click Advertising Tips for Small Businesses to Boost Online Visibility in 2023

In the ever-evolving digital landscape of 2023, small businesses are increasingly relying on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to enhance their online visibility and drive more leads, sales, and conversions.

Pay Per Click Marketing

PPC ads can be a great way for small businesses to increase their online visibility. Getting your products seen by the customer in the increasing digital noise can be a headache for ecommerce businesses.

Search Engine Results Pages

The search engine results page is a competitive space, and the PPC ads are designed to stand out. With the right strategy in place, businesses can use PPC ads to get their products seen by their target audience when they search for relevant keywords.

What are PPC Ads?

PPC is an advertising model where advertisers pay a fee every time one of their ads is clicked. A Bing ads or Google ads account is usually used to set up and manage the PPC campaign.

How does PPC work?

PPC campaigns can be targeted using keywords, demographics, device targeting, and other criteria. The goal of running a PPC campaign is to drive clicks that result in conversions like sales or signups. The advertiser pays the search engine a fee for each click.

Advertisers bid for the keyword and what position they would like their ad to appear in. An advertiser will need to bid higher than the other competitors for a particular keyword if they want their ad to be placed at the top of the search engine results pages (SERP).

It’s considered to be a cost-effective way for businesses to generate leads and increase sales if managed well. Badly managed campaigns, however, can result in wasted ad spend and poor performance so it is important to understand the basics of PPC advertising. To help small businesses thrive in this competitive environment, this article presents 17 up-to-date tips designed to maximise PPC efforts and achieve outstanding results.

Set Clear Goals and Objectives:

Before diving into PPC advertising, it's crucial for small businesses to establish clear goals and objectives. By defining specific targets such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting sales, businesses can create campaigns accordingly and measure success effectively.

Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research:

Thorough keyword research is the cornerstone of a prosperous PPC campaign. Utilise powerful tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush to identify relevant keywords with reasonable search volumes and manageable competition. Long-tail keywords can be particularly effective in targeting specific customer needs and intents.

Target specific audiences based on geography:

Geo-targeting is an effective way to target potential customers based on their location. Small businesses should consider targeting specific cities, states, or regions when setting up their PPC campaigns.

Utilise Negative Keywords:

Small businesses can reduce irrelevant clicks and wasted ad spending by adding negative keywords to their list of targeted terms. This will help to filter out inappropriate searches and increase the effectiveness of their PPC campaigns.

Optimise Ads for Mobile:

Smartphones and tablets are dominating the digital landscape, and PPC ads should be optimised for mobile devices. Consider using mobile-specific ad extensions such as click-to-call buttons that allow customers to reach businesses easily on their phones.

Optimise Landing Pages:

Creating a dedicated landing page that aligns with your PPC ads is essential for maximising conversions. Optimise these pages with persuasive copy, clear calls-to-action (CTAs), and relevant visuals that guide visitors towards taking the desired action. By providing a seamless and engaging user experience, you can enhance your campaign's effectiveness.

Leverage Ad Extensions:

Ad extensions are a great way to provide additional information about your products and services. They can also be used for specific call-to-action phrases, contact details, product images or videos, customer reviews, and more. This will help enhance visibility and click-through rates (CTRs).

Create Targeted Ads:

To ensure maximum reach, small businesses should develop highly targeted personalised ads that resonate with their specific audience segments. By understanding their customers' demographics, interests, behaviours, and preferences, businesses can craft advertisements that speak directly to the needs and desires of their target market.

Ad extensions are valuable tools for enhancing the visibility and performance of your PPC ads. Utilise extensions like site links, call extensions, location extensions, and review extensions to provide additional information and improve the overall ad experience. These extensions can increase click-through rates (CTRs) and boost ad relevance.

Conduct A/B Testing for Ad Copy and Creative Elements:

To optimise your PPC campaigns, regularly test different ad copies and creative elements. Experiment with variations in headlines, descriptions, CTAs, and visual components to identify the combinations that resonate best with your target audience. Data-driven decision-making based on performance metrics will help you refine your campaigns for better results.

Implement Advanced Audience Targeting:

Precise audience targeting is critical to ensure your PPC ads reach the right people. Utilise advanced targeting options such as demographics, interests, behaviours, and remarketing to refine your audience segments. By tailoring your ads to specific preferences and needs, you can increase engagement and conversions.

Ad groups should be kept small and focused:

Organising PPC marketing into campaigns and ad groups that are small and focused can help to ensure ad relevancy, improve reach, increase CTRs and drive conversions. Ads should be grouped according to product/service categories or customer intents in order to make use of targeted keywords more effectively.

Continuously Monitor and Adjust Bids:

To maximise the performance of your PPC campaigns, closely monitor and adjust your bids accordingly. Utilise bid management tools and strategies to stay competitive and optimise your return on investment (ROI). Automated bidding options like target CPA or target ROAS can streamline the process and improve campaign efficiency.

Google Ads or Facebook Pixel Track Conversions:

Implement conversion tracking using tools like Google Ads or Facebook Pixel to measure the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns. This allows you to gain insights into which ads, keywords, and audiences are driving valuable actions on your website. Use this data to make informed decisions and optimise your campaigns for better results.

Regularly Analyse and Optimise:

Success in PPC advertising requires continuous analysis and optimisation. Monitor key performance metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, cost per conversion, and ROI. Identify underperforming keywords, ads, or audiences and make necessary adjustments to improve campaign efficiency and achieve better outcomes.

Search ads should mention product/service features:

When designing search ads, it is important to include specific product or service features that will help customers understand the benefits of a business’s offer. This helps to distinguish a company from its competitors and encourages potential customers to click on the ad.

Ever Evolving Search Engines:

Search Engines and Social Media platforms are constantly evolving, so it is essential for small businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest search engine marketing and PPC trends. With careful planning and strategic execution, small businesses can boost their bottom line and dominate online search results.

Consider Professional PPC Advertising Management:

If you lack the expertise or resources to manage PPC campaigns effectively, partnering with a reputable PPC advertising agency can be a wise investment. Professional agencies can handle tasks like keyword research, campaign setup, ongoing optimisation, and monitoring, allowing you to focus on core business operations while benefiting from expert guidance and strategies.

It’s important to remember that results will not show overnight – it takes hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn in order to master PPC advertising. With the right knowledge and expertise, small businesses can establish a successful online presence with their PPC campaigns. 

Conclusion:

The key takeaway here is that it takes time, effort, knowledge and a passion for success to master PPC advertising. However, with the right strategy, even smaller businesses can make this a cornerstone of their digital marketing efforts. As you continue along your journey of developing an effective PPC campaign for your business, remember to continually update your online presence and keep on top of best practices and strategies. If you’re ever stuck or feel overwhelmed by the specifics of setting up these campaigns properly, don't hesitate to reach out to professionals in the industry such as web designers or digital marketing agencies.

PPC campaigns are an excellent way for small businesses to get started with their online presence. It may feel intimidating, but with the right knowledge and expertise, it is possible to quickly establish a successful campaign. If you find you have too many other plates to spin let us take care of the hard work and help get your business seen, contact us today to get started!