| Many discouraged online advertisers will tell you to | | | | so far, only Google is making any money. Disgusted |
| stay away from AdWords or any other Pay-Per-Click | | | | with the lack of sales, Joe cancels his AdWords |
| programs. | | | | account because "PPC ads don't work". |
| They'll tell you that the ads don't generate sales and | | | | Joe made several crucial errors. First of all, you don't |
| you'll waste a lot of money even trying to make | | | | want to use a single ad for hundreds of keywords. |
| things work. They know from their own experience | | | | Some of Joe's keywords were related to radio |
| that the whole idea of PPC advertising is a complete | | | | equipment, while others were related to construction |
| waste of time and money. | | | | kits and engines. All those keywords would trigger |
| Usually, newcomers to PPC make a common mistake | | | | the exact same ad to be shown. If someone |
| - they create an ad, then display that ad for | | | | searches for a specific item, they're not likely to click |
| hundreds, or maybe even thousands of different | | | | on a generic, one-size-fits-all ad that's just about |
| keywords. Then, to further insure failure, all | | | | model airplanes in general. |
| keywords lead to the exact same landing page. | | | | His next mistake was to raise his bid price to get |
| Here's a hypothetical example - Joe has a website | | | | more displays of his ads. Sure, more displays did |
| that's all about the hobby of radio controlled model | | | | mean that he started getting clicks, but those clicks |
| airplanes. On his website, he offers airplane kits, | | | | didn't do anything except cost him money. Those |
| building supplies, radio transmitters and receivers, | | | | visitors may have originally searched for model |
| servo actuators, engines of all sizes, tires and wheels | | | | airplane engines, but Joe's ad took them to the home |
| - just about everything that's related to model | | | | page of his site - not to a page related to engines. |
| airplanes. | | | | Most people won't waste time navigating around |
| Joe decides to use PPC advertising to boost his sales, | | | | your website, trying to find the item that matches |
| so he compiles a gigantic list of keywords. His list has | | | | up to what they're actually searching for. They've |
| several hundred keywords, all generally relating to | | | | already searched on Google, then they clicked on |
| radio controlled model airplanes. He works for hours | | | | your ad, now you're telling them that they have to |
| creating what he thinks is the best ad he's ever seen. | | | | search even further to find what they're looking for. |
| He's really proud of his new ad and surely, with his | | | | That's it, they're gone in a flash. |
| hundreds of keywords, he expects to see a big | | | | To do things right, you should have your ad directly |
| jump in sales. | | | | related to the keywords you're using. If your |
| Joe goes to his AdWords account and enables his | | | | keywords are about model airplane engines, your ad |
| new ad. Confident that he's done his best, he goes | | | | should also be specifically about model airplane |
| to lunch. While at lunch, he's contemplating all those | | | | engines. And when someone clicks on your ad, you |
| new sales being made. He can hardly wait to get | | | | should send them directly to the page on your |
| back to his PC and check the action. | | | | website that's about model airplane engines. Going |
| Back at the office, Joe logs in to his AdWords | | | | this route will get you more clicks and more of those |
| account and his jaw hits the floor when he sees he | | | | clicks will become sales. |
| has had no clicks! His ad has been displayed hundreds | | | | Ideally, each keyword should have its own specific |
| of times, but still no clicks. Then he notices that | | | | version of your ad and that ad should lead directly to |
| Google has disabled some of his keywords, telling him | | | | the page on your website that's about that specific |
| he has to increase his bid price to use those | | | | topic. Of course, this may not be practical, especially |
| keywords. Joe raises his bid and his keywords are | | | | if you have hundreds or even thousands of |
| back in business. | | | | keywords. But at the very least, you should group |
| A couple of hours later, he checks his account again | | | | similar keywords together and connect them to an |
| and this time he does see that he's had some clicks. | | | | ad that's related to the group. |
| He's had 87 clicks so now he's confident everything is | | | | For example, if you have 164 keywords related to |
| working. Joe checks his payment processor account | | | | engines, you could write an ad specifically about |
| to see how much money he's made - there are no | | | | engines and then connect that ad to the engines part |
| new sales. Joe lets things run for a couple of days, | | | | of your website. Make it easy for the prospect to |
| but the results are the same. He's getting lots of | | | | find exactly what they're looking for and you'll be |
| clicks, but no sales. | | | | rewarded with more sales. |
| By this time, Joe has spent over $800 on clicks and | | | | |