Optimizing Your Paid Search: 5 Tips for a Holistic Approach

Optimizing Your Paid Search: 5 Tips for a Holistic Approach

Frequently referred to as PPC (pay-per-click) or SEM (search engine marketing), paid search marketing is extremely popular among digital advertisers. Paid search can produce blazing-fast results, help businesses to generate qualified leads, and stimulate growth.

With that being said, some paid search campaigns tend to provide short-lived results, which means that they must be supplemented by SEO practices and other digital marketing strategies. By doing so, your business can meet its short-term goals while also paving the way for ongoing profitability.

With this in mind, the experts at Insights ABM have provided five tips for taking a holistic approach to PPC. We also offer comprehensive PPC campaign management services that can elevate the way that your business uses paid search.

1.   Use Your Whole Toolbox

Data collection tools like Google Analytics can offer you access to a treasure trove of information about your PPC campaign. While we are a huge fan of Google Analytics, it is important that you leverage other tools in the quest for an effective campaign, as well.

The data retrieved from Google is most useful when it is cross-referenced with other kinds of software. This can help you locate any shortcomings in your PPC marketing plan. You can then make any necessary adjustments to improve its effectiveness.

2.   Complement SEM with SEO

Search engine marketing campaigns are notorious for producing great results fast that fade away as the months tick by. You wouldn’t plant a garden and then neglect to water it, would you? If you are not supplementing your PPC efforts with SEO content, then your lead generation prospects will be like the garden that isn’t getting any water.

We cannot overstate the importance of a great SEO strategy. On average, SEO drives ten times as much traffic as organic social media. It also generates more sales than most PPC campaigns. 

Jumpstart your website traffic with paid search and keep the leads coming with SEO. Make sure to engage with clients across multiple channels, too. You need to be leveraging websites and at least two social media platforms. This can include Facebook, Instagram, or anywhere else that your target audience tends to be most active. 

3.   Plan for Seasonal Trends

Most businesses experience a natural ebb and flow across various seasons throughout the year. When you’re planning your paid search marketing campaign, it is important to identify these trends within your industry, if they exist. 

Certain products and services are especially valuable during particular seasons. For instance, school supplies are going to sell the best during the spring and fall. Luxury items like TVs, game systems, and other products will usually gain traction just before major holidays. 

By identifying these trends, you can ramp up bids and double down on paid search efforts just before peak purchase season. Plan ahead and make sure that you have allocated enough resources to compete during these seasonal demand increases. Be willing to scale back paid search advertising during less productive times of the year, too. 

4.   Match Key Metrics with Your Audience

Certain metrics will be focused on a specific target audience. Other key performance indicators (KPIs) might be used to gauge performance with a broader group of consumers. 

When creating your custom marketing plan, you must define your target audience. You may have multiple target audiences, depending on how many products or services you offer. That is okay as long as you use the appropriate metrics to track the success of your paid search efforts.

5.   Understand the UX

As a business owner, it is important that you understand the user experience (UX) from start to finish. Create curated content that will resonate with your site visitors by looking through your site with fresh eyes.

When you’re planning your paid search campaign, create content for users in each phase of the marketing funnel. Devote ample resources to all phases so that you maximize the impact of your PPC marketing strategy.

If you would like to implement a holistic paid search campaign, but you’re not sure where to begin, we can help. Insights ABM is a collective of innovative web designers, strategists, and artists. We offer comprehensive PPC campaign management services that are perfect for growing your business. Contact us today to learn more about our innovative services!

Joe Cantu

Joe is a digital marketing strategist and media buying/planning leader with 13+ years of expertise in marketing strategy and program management, omnichannel campaign delivery, brand building, data analytics, and customer experience/UX optimization. He has helped drive growth for industry-leading clients, including F500/F100 firms.