10 Practical Tips to Improve Your Paid Search Performance

Paid search, or PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, can be a powerful tool for driving traffic and conversions. Struggling to see results from your paid search campaigns? Want to know how to improve paid search performance PPC? We’ve been there and are not afraid to admit it. Testing different approaches will help you understand what works, and what really doesn’t. From refining keyword targeting and ad copy to optimising landing pages and bidding strategies, small tweaks can make a big difference. In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips to help you lower costs, increase click-through rates, and maximise your return on investment. Whether you’re new to PPC or looking to fine-tune your approach, these insights will help you get better results.

PPC Advertising: How to improve paid search performance PPC

Here are ten actionable tips to help you optimise your paid search performance and achieve better results:

1. Refine Your Keyword Strategy: Focus on relevant keywords that align with your business goals and target audience. For example, if you’re a Manchester-based bakery specialising in vegan treats, target keywords like “vegan bakery Manchester”, “plant-based desserts” or “dairy free bakery manchester”

2. Craft Compelling Ad Copy: Write ad copy that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and desires. For instance, highlight unique selling points like “handcrafted pastries” or “locally sourced ingredients” to capture attention and encourage clicks. You can even test other ad copy which provides a solution like, “Save time baking and enjoy our vegan baking treats”.

3. Optimise Your Landing Pages: Ensure your landing pages are user-friendly, mobile-friendly and aligned with your ad messaging. If you’re promoting a special offer, you could test creating a dedicated landing page that clearly showcases the offer and makes it easy for visitors to take action, such as “Claim Your Discount Now.” Note this needs to be perfect as this can sometimes come across as spammy. Your main priority here needs to showcasing your business above the fold with clear call to action buttons.

4. Utilise Assets: Take advantage of assets to provide additional information and improve ad visibility. For example, add location extensions to show your business address and encourage local customers to visit your store. You can even add a phone number to get people to directly call your business!

Refine Your PPC Strategy: Update Negative Keywords Now

Regularly review your list of negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches and improve the quality of your traffic. For instance, if you’re a bakery, you may want to exclude keywords like “gluten-free” if you don’t offer gluten-free options. Your negative keyword list should be expansive as this will save you so much time and money.

6. Focus on Quality Score: Aim to improve your Quality Score by optimising ad relevance, landing page experience, and expected click-through rate (CTR). Higher Quality Scores can lead to better ad placements and lower costs per click (CPC). Note for brand keywords this should be at least 8/10 and non brand at least 4. Anything less you need to take a good look at your account.

7. Monitor Bids and Adjustments: Keep a close eye on your bids and adjust them based on performance data and campaign goals. If you notice certain keywords performing well, consider increasing bids to improve ad visibility and attract more clicks. This only applies if you’re using manual bidding or putting a max CPC bid on the applicable automated bidding strategies.

8. Test Ad Variations: Experiment with different ad variations to identify what resonates best with your audience. Test different headlines, descriptions, and calls to action (CTA) to see which combinations drive the highest click-through rates and conversions. Remember the 15 headlines and 4 descriptions are Google’s idea to make you applicable for more auctions. If you have a small budget, start with less and build out.

9. Refine Audience Targeting: Tailor your audience targeting to reach the most relevant users with your ads. For example, if you’re promoting a new product, target users who have previously visited your website or expressed interest in similar products.

10. Regularly Monitor and Optimise: Continuously monitor your campaign performance and make adjustments as needed to optimise your results. Track key metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, and return on ad spend, and use this data to inform your optimisation efforts.

Conclusion:

By implementing these ten tips about how to improve paid search performance PPC?
So now you can improve the performance of your paid search campaigns and drive better results for your business. Remember to track your progress, stay informed about industry trends, and continuously refine your strategies for long-term success.

If you need assistance with optimising your paid search campaigns, our team at The Ad Lounge is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can support your digital marketing efforts.