The Case for Paid Search (And the Secret to Success)
I often hear “Google ads are expensive, is it really necessary for growing my business?”
Yes. And here’s why.
Leads are the lifeblood of a business. Without new business coming through the door, your business will fail (eventually). If you treat existing customers like they’re made of gold (as you should), you will probably survive for a while. But you won’t thrive.
To thrive and grow, you need new business. And paid search ads are hands down the most effective way of getting your business in front of potential customers when they are actively seeking out the good or service that you provide.
Think about that for a second.
If you’re a florist, your ad will only show up when someone is actively searching for “flower delivery” or “flower shop near me”.
Additionally, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad, which then brings them directly onto your website, giving you a golden opportunity to convert that visitor into a real paying customer.
It’s a powerful tool in the right hands.
Aren’t Paid Search Ads Expensive?
The short answer is they can be.
Head terms (think 1 or 2 word phrases) are very popular – tons of search volume – and are therefore more expensive.
Long-tail terms (think 4+ word phrases) are less popular – not nearly as much search volume – and are therefore less expensive.
But here’s the thing – the riches are in the long-tail.
The longer the keyword, the more qualified the user.
If I just search for “PPC” in Google – what am I looking for?
- The definition? Maybe
- Tips & tricks? Maybe
- An agency? Maybe
- A job? Maybe (feel free to reach out if you think I might be a good fit)
Because you don’t know my intention, what ad copy should you serve me? What kind of landing page should you use? It’s tough to know.
And that means these head terms are likely to drive higher spend (more search volume at higher CPCs) and lower conversion rates (less qualified traffic to generic landing experiences).
Now, let’s contrast that with “PPC agency that also does facebook”.
That is a high intent keyword with a lot of context. And, the purchase intent is sky-high compared to the very generic head term. Plus, you could cater the landing page to speak directly to your facebook capabilities.
Long-tail terms drive lower spend (less searches at lower CPCs), but can drive higher conversion rates (more qualified traffic & specific landing pages).
That’s not to say that you should exclude head terms from your portfolio. There’s a time and place for every strategy. But when you’re planning your keyword strategy, be mindful of where in the conversion funnel a given keyword is likely to fall. And then allocate your budget (and bids) accordingly.
Final Word
Obviously, 1 long-tail keyword won’t drive enough volume to sustain a business. But if you bundle enough long-tail keywords together, you can meaningfully increase your business. And, my bet is that you’ll improve the profitability of your paid search campaigns too.
As an example, I have spent the last 6 years building a $5 million dollar paid search program with CPAs under $0.50, using the tactics described above. That certainly won’t be the case in every industry, but it is possible.