PPC can be tough, especially if you're new to the world of PPC, But also, what PPC Marketeer doesn't love a good tip?

We are all always looking for ways to drive our results over the edge and delivery a higher ROI/ Its obvious that we want to smash our KPIs and break records again and again, but with so many updates, upgrades, new tools and platforms out there, it can be hard to keep up the latest PPC tips to keep churning out the numbers. 

A great tip is much more than a feel-good tip just to keep you busy. There are a few things we like to test, and only those tips that qualify, make the grade.

• It is fresh - Most marketers are not using it.

• It is useful for a range of ad channels - search, social and native.

• It is easy to implement - Why waste precious time on complicated steps?

• It is above board - No “Black Hats” allowed.

• It is fast and simple - And it has a significant impact.

The 5 PPC best practices below will not only maximize your ad's performance, but they also cover all these critical guidelines.

1) Retargeting by Long Tail Keywords

Most people who visit your landing page via a specific keyword don’t actually convert . But the fact that they landed on your page, and the fact that they used a specific keyword to get there, are two very valuable pieces of information at your fingertips.

They show that the visitor has a high level of intent, and you can - and should - leverage that intent. How? By making sure that the next ad or content piece that you show them on your PPC platforms is related to the search keyword they used, or the content of the landing page.

The easiest way to do this is to create a list of retargeted users, per Ad Group Subject, using the UTM parameter.

2) Don’t Be Afraid to Use Emojis

Emojis are much more than cutesy cartoons. The use of emojis as a communications tool in online marketing is growing fast. Recent research of the use emojis in a mobile survey campaign showed that emojis lowered the drop-off rate, improved the level of satisfaction in the survey, and - get this - the emoji responses provided comparable data, which means that emojis were accurate in conveying the true sentiments of respondents.

Emojis can be used in your PPC ads to stir emotion among potential customers, grab their attention, and communicate your message in an instant, fun way. Don’t be afraid to use emojis, but don’t overdo it either. Make sure you choose emojis that make sense and support your message.

3) Dynamically Change Your Landing Page for Each Audience Type

We all want to tie our ad messaging to our landing pages. But the question is: how to do it at scale? By customising a landing page across different search terms, you can serve a more targeted message automatically, according to the search words the viewer used to get to your page. And you can do this without having to duplicate the landing page.

For example, you could adjust your landing page title depending on the search query. Or you could serve different images to suit different audiences. Let’s say you are promoting a product designed for use at home or in the office. If the customer searched for the product with the keyword ‘home’, your landing page can display an image of a family at home. Or if they searched for the term ‘office’ or ‘at work’, you can display an image in an office setting.

By doing this dynamically, serving a more precise landing page in real time to the right audience, you can significantly boost conversion rates while saving on development costs for your landing page.

4) Take It To The Next Level With Lookalikes

After you have created different seeds, you can take your retargeting to the next level by using lookalikes.

"Lookalike" is a feature that allows you to expand your seed list by reaching untapped audiences who have similar attributes or interests to your existing audiences. "Lookalikes" is available on major networks such as Facebook, Google Similar Audiences, and others, and it is a powerful tool to help you build new audiences, scale your campaigns, and get better ROI.

5) Reverse Engineer Your Conversion Funnel

As performance marketers, we are totally focused on conversions. At the same time, we all know that most clicks don’t lead to conversions. A great way to figure out how to increase your CVR is to look closely at which top-of-the-funnel actions can predict your lower tunnel conversions.

By analysing the user’s journey in your PPC funnel, you can look for ways to increase engagement with your ad or landing page, BEFORE moving your customer to the next funnel stage; this is what will lead to more conversions.

If the world of PPC confuses you, or you need help implementing these tips, GET IN TOUCH with us today and we would be more than happy to help!