| You have decided that you want to do some PPC | | | | clicks way down, resulting in nothing but an empty |
| and send traffic to your site, and you're nervously | | | | AdWords balance. Remember, this is all automated, |
| clicking around like a possessed person looking for a | | | | making profit or loss happens extremely quickly. If |
| merchant that pays out a monstrous lead. After | | | | you don't touch any of the settings AdWords will |
| looking at the lead amount, you glance over at some | | | | automatically set what is called a broad match. This is |
| bars that indicate a high EPC for that particular | | | | best explained with an example. If you have the |
| merchant, and it is at this point that your mind is | | | | keywords black jets, a broad match will allow your |
| made up, and you are going to promote some web | | | | ad to appear when those keywords appear in any |
| hosting that pays out $100/sale. You convince | | | | order. So you could be selling black jets and when |
| yourself that you can push through the other weak | | | | someone types in black jets that is exactly what |
| affiliates in this space, and convert some people who | | | | they get. But, with broad match, if someone types in |
| need hosting to start their first site. Well, the EPC | | | | jet black, your black jet ad will also appear and leave |
| data is an amalgamation of all affiliate earnings, and | | | | an impression on the page, but the person won't |
| you can't tell what type of traffic they are sending | | | | click(or they may if they're curious, and you just end |
| to the merchants, so you may be in for quite a | | | | up loosing money). |
| surprise when you start pushing a campaign and it | | | | The searcher of jet black and black jet are obviously |
| just doesn't convert to the numbers you saw in the | | | | looking for two different things. And again, no click |
| merchant account area. | | | | translates into a lower ctr which could mean a higher |
| Before you start your campaigns, you should do | | | | cpc. And if the searcher of jet black(a color) just |
| some quick math with your cpc (cost per click) and | | | | happens to click on your ad for a black jet(a very |
| the lead or commission. This is incredibly simple, but | | | | expensive plane, and possibly an expensive ad), then |
| some people refuse to stop and do it. So, on the | | | | your money just went down the drain. Broad match |
| most basic level(on a per hundred click basis) let's say | | | | also allows other key words in the searcher's query |
| that the conversion rate for the product is 1%, and | | | | to trigger your specific ad. So, say a searcher typed |
| your lead pays $25. What is your break even cpc | | | | in fractional ownership black jets. Your ad for only |
| here? Well, quite simply, 100 clicks at 25 cents is 25 | | | | black jets could appear in this instance with a |
| dollars, so if that is your cpc, and you get the | | | | keyword broad match setting. And, if your jets aren't |
| average conversion rate, you break even: $25 in click | | | | fractional ownership then they will most likely not buy |
| cost and $25 in profit(1 conversion out of 100 is a | | | | when they click on your ad, which results in increasing |
| 1% conversion rate). So, if you are average, and you | | | | costs and no sales. |
| can get those bids right around that level you will | | | | When key words and their order are specific, you |
| break even. Now obviously you need to lower those | | | | want to stay away from broad match. However, |
| bids to get some profit on a $25 lead. But, those bids | | | | broad match can be effectively used for broader |
| may be much higher than . 25, which can be pretty | | | | keywords, where ordering doesn't need to be laser |
| disheartening. | | | | targeted. As an example, let's take the words blue |
| How do you lower your bids? With more relevant | | | | school uniforms. Now, this search term, depending on |
| ads, that's how. You see, every group of ads that | | | | the time of year, of course, may not get too many |
| appear for a certain keyword have click through | | | | searches in exactly this order. But, if we allow broad |
| rates(how many times they are clicked on in relation | | | | match to go to work, it will allow the ad to appear |
| to how many times they are impressed on the | | | | when someone searches school uniforms blue, as well |
| page). If you have a higher click through rate(CTR) | | | | as blue school uniforms. In this example, unlike the |
| than your competitor, your bid price will go down for | | | | black jet example, the ordering isn't as important, and |
| the same ad space. A high ctr is an indication that | | | | broad match could actually lead to more sales. |
| your ads are more appealing and will hopefully lead to | | | | Moving down the list of ways keyword matching can |
| better conversions. Google lowers your bids as a | | | | kill a campaign, we come to phrase match. Phrase |
| reward for high ctrs. So, if your competition has a | | | | match will not show ads when the order of your |
| low ctr, they will pay more than you for the same | | | | words is switched, like broad match; phrase match |
| general space. So, you see how your profit margin is | | | | keeps the words in the order you entered them. |
| now greater with all other things being equal when | | | | However, what it will do is add words to your |
| your cpc does down. | | | | keywords. For example, if someone searched |
| So how exactly do you get a good click through rate | | | | fractional ownership black jet your ad for a black jet |
| and consequently a lower cpc. Well, there are some | | | | could appear. Not good, obviously, if the black jet |
| basic concepts that can be applied to your ads to | | | | you're selling is not fractional ownership. |
| achieve this end. You obviously want your ad to | | | | So how do we prevent are ads from appearing for |
| emphasize anything that will get the seller's attention. | | | | keywords that they have nothing to do with? Well, |
| Examples of this are gifts, discounted shipping, or 2 | | | | we need to use something called Negative matched |
| for 1 deals. This sounds simple, but enough people | | | | keywords. By adding a - in front of keywords that |
| neglect it to warrant a mention. If you are using the | | | | we don't want to trigger our ads, we can make the |
| most popular PPC network, AdWords, you can | | | | ad more targeted. This is best illustrated with our jet |
| customize several different unique ads to appear for | | | | example. We are selling a real, expensive, full sized, |
| a set of keywords. This allows you (with some | | | | black jet. So we would lose money if our ad |
| simple analysis) to notice which ads perform the best. | | | | appeared when someone typed in black jet poster or |
| When creating the ads it is also of the utmost | | | | black jet model. The person may see our ad and click |
| importance to include the keywords that the | | | | away because they like jets and they want to see |
| searcher is entering in the body and title of your | | | | what the ad is all about. But, we pay for these clicks, |
| advertisements. Why exactly. Well, because when | | | | and people looking for posters and models are most |
| you have the exact terms that were entered into | | | | likely not going to be in the market for a real black |
| the search engine in your actual ad, Google rewards | | | | jet. So by simply adding a - in front of model and |
| you by bolding these key words. And what do you | | | | poster, -model, -poster, we prevent our ad from |
| think happens when a user is presented with the | | | | appearing when these keywords appear in the |
| opportunity to click on a bold text ad and a plain text | | | | search query. |
| ad. Right, they click on the bold ad, and this means | | | | While incorporating negative keywords into a |
| your ctr goes up and your cpc will go down for the | | | | campaign can be very effective, it is often easier for |
| same ad space, which will make your margins higher | | | | a first time AdWords user to just use exact match. |
| and make you more competitive. The | | | | The exact match setting will only allow your ad to |
| aforementioned tips are necessary to maintain | | | | appear when your exact keywords are typed in the |
| profitability in todays PPC landscape. If you don't | | | | exact order you request, with no other keywords |
| heed this advice you will be working with thinning | | | | accompanying them in any manner. So with an exact |
| margins. These seem minor, but they can have a | | | | match setting for black jet, the only keywords that |
| grand impact when a campaign is scaled into | | | | will cause your ad to appear are black jet in that |
| thousands of clicks. | | | | order. This is an introduction to the basic principles of |
| A major input of any PPC campaign is the keyword | | | | AdWords. There are several nuances that must be |
| matching settings. If you don't set the matching | | | | mastered to manage a profitable campaign. |
| properly, your impressions could go sky high and your | | | | |