Thu_Feb__7_20:00:08_PST_2019

292 Search engines try to sell the concept of pay-per-click marketing saying that it is so targeted that everyone makes money, but in the real world, that is not how things work. Some markets are competitive and will require learning, practice, sound strategy, and tracking to generate profits. Why Pay-Per-Click is Important I was working to raise the rankings of one client for a few competitive phrases. It was taking a decent investment in time and money. I then started a pay-per-click campaign to test numerous terms. As it turns out, the conversion rate for the words we thought we needed were not great. There were a couple other terms with lower search frequency and less competition that converted exceptionally well. Had we not done pay-per-click marketing, we may have never properly focused our SEO efforts. In less than a month, on about $300, we increased the productivity of the site tenfold. The only way to be certain of anything in marketing is to test it. Pay-per-click marketing allows you to test in real time with the fastest feedback loop of any marketing medium in the world. What is Pay-Per-Click? In 1998, Overture pioneered the idea of selling search ads. You could buy search results for as low as a penny or two per click. This system has quickly evolved into one of the world's most competitive marketplaces. Why Use Pay-Per-Click? Sometime you cannot afford to—or simply do not want to—wait. Pay-per-click search engines allow you to be listed at the top of search results quickly. This will allow you to do the following: • Prototype ideas to track demand before you invest into a new business model or are stuck footing the bill for a new site. • Quickly gather feedback on market conditions. • Split test a live audience and gather ad test results in real time. You can use Google AdWords to offer a free white paper about a topic from a one-page website. If nobody is interested in downloading your white paper, or you cannot seem to get enough click-throughs, then that could indicate one or several things: • The market is not yet ready for your product. • You are marketing it from the wrong angle. • You are marketing it to the wrong people.