How to Pay Per Click for Search Engine Ads

Many companies with which we consult ask us how to pay per click for online advertising.  This is usually an indicator that they’ve done some research, but still don’t know what they should do or why.  The problem with pay per click, whether it is on Google, Yahoo, Bing or even Facebook is that it looks and sounds so easy to do that most people try it without doing any research.  If you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t have a plan, you’re going to spend too much money and experience diminishing returns.  This area of online marketing is perhaps the most important to focus on in terms of ROI because there is no other benefit to utilizing it otherwise.

Marketing via social media and SEO can have long-term benefits even after the initial attempt to direct traffic is exhausted because those links remain intact.  If a link to your web site is found by a prime potential client on a social network years after that link is posted and you win the business, whatever you originally paid for that social media marketing has paid for itself.  Pay per click advertising is not sustainable unless it actively pays you more than you spend on it.

If you want to know how to pay per click for search engine ads, you must start at the beginning and create a solid plan.  First you should ask yourself a few important questions–and answer honestly:

1.  What product(s) or service(s) do I want to promote?

2.  How much of my advertising budget do I want to invest per month?

3.  What type of ROI would be acceptable to me as a result of these efforts?

4.  Do I want to handle this internally or should I outsource the management of my pay per click advertising?

5.  Who will manage this advertising program–and do they know what they’re doing?

6.  What search engine(s) do I use most?  Use what you believe in.

7.  How long do I want to initially run these ads?

8.  If it works well, by how much will I increase my investment – and when?

9.  If it doesn’t work well, by how much will I reduce my investment – and when?  Will I stop after a certain point if no results are achieved – when?

10.  What keywords will I use as a focus to begin building a full keyword list?

Once you have answered these questions, you will begin to experience clarity on the process and automatically have a plan that is more solid than 99% of all businesses that attempt pay per click advertising.  Your answers will indicate the search engine(s) you will create an advertising account on and how much you should spend.  If you choose not to outsource the management of your account, it is advisable at the very least to outsource the initial keyword research if you are not familiar with how to do this.  Choosing the right keywords is often the biggest difference between a successful PPC campaign and one that does not produce a strong ROI.

If you would like to learn more about how to pay per click in Manhattan–or anywhere else, connect with us and someone from our Manhattan office will contact you for a complimentary online marketing consultation.

WordPress Website Design

Every social media agency is trying to land their next big client.  The big fish, or the name brand that will put them on the map–or keep them there.  We get it, and we wouldn’t turn this business away; however, we think there is a greater need that can we can meet in the small business market right here in New Jersey and across the country.

We are approached by small businesses every week–people who need help generating new business for their companies.  Many of these companies do not have websites that the average person would consider professional in appearance.  At a minimum this is where we typically find an opportunity to work with these companies.

When reaching an online audience, it is important to cover a few simple basics:

• Create a well-designed, easy to navigate website
• Articulate a simple, yet effective online marketing strategy
• Test and measure everything
• Rinse and repeat!

Let’s break this down further starting with design and we’ll cover search and social in our next posts:

Think about your overall impressions when you visit a website for the first time.  Like it or not, you’re subconsciously–and very consciously judging from the first second of your visit.  You’re looking for information and looking for familiarity.  Our brains automatically try to associate new information with what we already know.  So if the site in question does not provide a good user experience with simple navigation and quality information, then chances are, it will not keep visitors engaged long enough to result in a desired conversion.

On the other hand, if the website is designed well, with special attention to information architecture (the categorization of information into a coherent structure, preferably one that the most people can understand quickly, if not inherently. Definition source: Wikipedia) and overall user experience, then the visitor may likely spend more time on the site–often resulting in better conversion rates.

We have understood this from the beginning and put special priority on building simple websites with careful attention to detail and the ultimate goals of our clients.  We build social-media and search engine-friendly websites using the WordPress content management system.  Like our website?  WordPress.  We believe this is a superior platform that provides the scalability and flexibility necessary to handle the needs of most of our clients.  If you’re looking for WordPress website design in New Jersey–or anywhere, please connect with us and someone from our Manhattan office will contact you for a complimentary website evaluation.

MySpace, where are you going?

Last week, another MySpace CEO stepped down to be replaced by two co-Presidents.

In the wake of several recent changes in leadership, one would expect that at least one of them would have left behind a progressive change in what is happening in terms of retention and acquisition of new users.  Sadly, it seems the juggernaut that once was keeps filling roles with job titles, but not leaders.  Maybe this time it will be different.

Interestingly, MySpace was doing quite well prior to its acquisition by News Corp., in my opinion. The question is, with the data and knowledge they hold concerning MySpace users and their interests and habits, why can’t a company of their size and resources figure out what to do with that information?

Who stopped using MySpace?  Everyone currently on Facebook.  The MySpace we all know could never bring us back as the site stands currently.

The question is, what should they do?

Some action is required if the site is to be considered a player a few years from now.  Why not take the music and entertainment path by storm and become the best at that, instead of just another site for music?  What are they thinking?  I feel like they’re squeezing the sands of opportunity right through their fingers and it seems like they don’t even know it.

I have friends who bought the Droid from Verizon because of the hype leading up to it.  As cool as it is, the hype wears off.  Something like this won’t work here–they need a brand new approach with a story and incredible stickiness.  The raw materials exist.  I wonder who will make something of them.  MySpace should really consider leaving the social media museum and get on the playing field in a big way–before it’s too late.

What would you change first, if you were one of the new co-Presidents?