How Do You Make Sure Your PPC Ads Convert to Sales?

Pay-per-click ads can be an effective way to get the word out about your business on search engines like Google. Of course, running ads isn’t just about building awareness of your business. To make PPC ads worth the cost, you need them to generate sales. While some marketing companies would have you believe that you need to increase your Google Ad spend to see a higher conversion rate, there are several other tactics that can prove more effective. If you’re currently struggling with ad conversion, consider the following tips for ensuring that your paid ads convert to sales. 

Track Your Current Conversion Rate 

Before you focus on improving conversion rates, you will want to know where you currently stand. Be sure that you are tracking PPC ads monthly to assess not only your conversion rate, but also the number of clicks and impressions your ads are getting. If you find that lots of people in your target audience have seen your ad, but few actually click, you know that you need to focus most on your ad copy. Alternatively, if your ads are not making many impressions at all, you may be targeting the wrong keywords or audiences. 

Keep in mind that direct conversions from ads may not be high. Depending on your industry, your ads may convert only about 2-10% of viewers. Of course, there is almost always room for improvement. 

Optimize Your Ad Copy

Once you have looked at the metrics for your current ads, it’s time to consider the language that you’re using in your ad copy. PPC ads do not leave you much room to make your sale. These ads are not the place to try to tell the whole story of your business. Instead, you should focus on a singular call to action, such as “buy now” or “call us today.” Including a time-sensitive offer can help push your audience in the right direction. For example, you may provide a limited discount for first-time customers, or free add-ons with their next purchase. Finally, highlight a feature that makes your product or company unique—why should someone choose you over your competitors? 

It can be a challenge to land on the right messaging for your ad, so you may need to test a few versions to get it just right. 

Pair Your Ads With Dedicated Landing Pages

It’s not enough to get someone to click on your ad. This only brings users as far as your website, but they still need to be convinced to make a purchase—or at the very least, learn more about your company by clicking to other pages. One fatal mistake that businesses often make with PPC ads is linking to their homepage. Your homepage does not have a singular message or call to action, so it can cause a user to lose focus and forget why they clicked on your ad in the first place. Instead, you should build a dedicated landing page for every ad you run. 

Landing pages should reflect the direct, targeted language you used in your ad copy, but provide more details to close the sale. For example, testimonials can provide social proof of your company’s quality and trustworthiness. High-quality images are also essential. And, of course, your landing page should have a CTA with a click-to-call button, form submission, or purchase button. 

Assess Your Current Keywords and Audience Targeting 

For interested users to see your ads, they need to be shown to the right audience in the right search queries. That’s where keywords and audience targeting come in. Choosing keywords can be a complex process, and it requires ongoing research to get it right. However, it’s worth the trouble. With the right keywords, you can ensure that your ads are showing up in relevant search results. Keyword research can also provide you with alternative options if you find that certain keywords are too expensive or competitive to target. 

As you assess keywords and audience targeting, you should also take the following steps. 

• Segment Your Audience – Not every user will encounter your ads at the same phase of their buyer’s journey. Some may be ready to make a purchase, while others may still be doing their research. Audience segmenting will have you create different ads for multiple audiences, so you can create a more personalized message that strikes the right chord for each user. 
• Utilize Negative Keywords – Negative keywords are often overlooked in PPC ads. These are keywords you want to exclude because they are not relevant to your business or provide a false perception about your services. For example, it’s common to include “cheap” as a negative keyword. 

An important thing to remember about negative keywords is that they don’t just apply to search ads. They can also keep your ads from appearing in certain sites and pages within the Google Display Network. This ensures that you are getting higher quality engagement and more relevant placements for your ads. In turn, this can improve your ad’s quality score, making it more likely to appear more frequently. 

• Consider Your Timing – Another key factor with ad placement parameters is timing. You can designate certain days and times for your ad to run. If you are a B2B business, for example, you may not see much engagement from your target audience on weekends or late in the evening, as your target audience is likely off the clock. 

Round Out Your Marketing Strategy 

Paid ads can get you a long way in your marketing goals, but you should utilize a multi-pronged approach to continue reaching your target audience and drive your sales home. Tools like local SEO, web design, and reputation management can go hand in hand with your PPC ads to drive up your overall success in digital marketing. 

Group6 Interactive can help you with everything from building a website to running Google Ads to visual branding. Tap into the expertise of our team with a free, quick strategy call.