As many as 90% of consumers search online to find a local business, with more than a third of them searching every day, according to figures published by a BrightLocal survey in 2019. While so many people are using the internet to find products and services, how do businesses ensure they are found?
Broadly speaking, there are two ways – search engine optimization (SEO) and paid advertising. Businesses must do everything they can to drive traffic from SEO, as this increases conversion rates. However, driving organic traffic to a website takes time. The company needs to build its foundation and then strengthen its muscles in the online arena before it is ready to fend off competition and get noticed. So, businesses turn to paid search in a bid to attract traffic while flexing their SEO muscle. Paid ads get companies right to the top of the first page of search results, significantly improving their chances of being viewed.
PPC Versus Other Forms of Advertising
PPC (pay per click) advertising is among the marketing tools with the highest returns in investment. This is because PPC is results-driven. Not only are PPC ads cheaper than other forms of advertising, one needs to pay only when the audience takes the desired action. Moreover, PPC ads allow businesses to target the right demographics when they are most likely to purchase the product or service. No other form of advertising comes even close to this.
PPC Needs a Well-Defined Strategy
A sound paid search strategy uses consumer behavioral data and tracking metrics to make decisions around a company’s marketing spend, say experts at Semgeeks Digital Agency. They go on to mentioning that it’s critical for marketers to adapt their strategies with platform changes driven by technological advancements.
Add Amazon PPC to the PPC Strategy
Amazon PPC is the tech giant’s internal advertising system. It allows professional sellers to create ads for their products, which are shown when a visitor types certain keywords to search for their desired items. Amazon is the third-largest company in terms of revenue, and ad sales is at its fastest-growing segment. Using PPC strategies to advertise on Amazon can be very efficient and cost-effective, as Amazon users have a high intent to buy.
Don’t Ignore Voice Search
People are increasingly making voice searches using their personal device like Google Home and Amazon’s Echo. In fact, Google voice search ads are poised to become an integral part of a strong PPC strategy. Voice searches are distinct from text searches in two main ways. Firstly, people are far more casual when they speak than when they type. Also, they ask questions when speaking, while using only key-phrases when typing. So, PPC campaigns would need to be optimized for natural-sounding language and in question formats for better results, says an article published by Business 2 Community.
Staying abreast of the latest trends is vital for digital marketing success. If businesses are not primed for the future, their very survival may be threatened by the next big change around the corner.
Marcelo Fincher is a blogger & writer on technology related topics with years of experience in studying technological advancements. In his spare time, Marcelo likes to read books and take a walk on the beach.
