Adwords: Strategies to research, develop and dominate markets
Google adwords is a revolutionary marketing tool. Since its introduction and fine tuning, it is now unbelievably powerful. Whole websites and books have been written on the subject, and I believe we are still only scratching the surface.
The concept of "searching and finding"
The main point is that you can access potential customers when they are searching for something. Before we even start you have to see that you are accessing your customer at a very critical time. Why are they are searching? Have they just fallen out with a current supplier? or can’t lay their hands on their yellow pages? or best of all, they don’t know where to find the product. Once you get your head round this, you will realise that never before have you been given an opportunity to access customers anywhere in the world at the point when they are hunting for something. With one google search and one low cost click, you have a hunter of your products on your page. With the correct page, this hunter will become a customer. I have proved to myself that you can sell any product in this scenario. What will vary however is the conversion rate. This figure has to be related to the total click cost required to achieve this sale. This is where the second great strength of adwords is. It can automatically provide you with cost per sale data. Now all you have to do is find products where the cost per sale is less than profit made on that sale.
I can help you avoid wasting money on clicks
This is where my expertise really cuts in. You can waste huge amounts of money if this is tackled wrongly. You must feed the traffic in, testing and tracking all the time.
I have many failures behind me, where I couldn’t get the balance correct. However I have learnt strategies that mean each new product can be tested for under £100, not even the cost of one newspaper advert. Markets I have ruled out FOR ME include things as varied as online dvd rental (affiliate), a particular type of cut flower and paving slabs. Each of these has shown different reasons for failure. They can show very high traffic levels but very poor conversions, or the click price is to expensive although you are getting good conversions.
Assessing Adwords results before optimising your site
I always advise the use of Adwords before starting down the SEO route for the natural search because, although each click is free in the SERPS, the conversion and market type is still the same. This means that if you can’t convert a cheap Google Adwords advert into a sale, you won’t convert an “expensive” optimised free listing. Work out what converts in Adwords and then optimise your site for that.
Novel approaches to utilising both Adwords and SEO strategies
I also advocate the maintenance of Adwords even after you are in the top 3 in the SERPS for your chosen keywords. Here are my reasons:
1. Search screen domination.On some of my keywords, I control 4 of the links on the first screen of SERPS. 2 versions of my Adwords adverts at positions 2 and 4 and two natural listings at 1 and 2( a section or homepage and a product page) This is what I mean about dominating your market. I can prove that ALL of these positions get clicked on. I am showing 4 different headlines, benefits or calls to action.
2. Covering Long Tail searches. This is absolutely critical and a huge problem, and strength, of natural search. We have mentioned elsewhere about the concept of the “long tail”. Most people will not land on your site using your 2 or 3 word key word phrase. They will arrive after using maybe 2 of them or a phrase using 6 words. Often words like “where” or “best” or “supplier” or very commonly a geographical location eg “cheap blue [widgets] for sale in Coventry”.
The problem with natural search is that if you have not optimised for most or ALL these words then you can be knocked down the SERPS. However if you have a broad match keyword phrase on your Adwords account for “blue [widgets]” you will always have a listing there.
The tip above I have NEVER seen advised by anyone else. This is where my personal experience and holistic approach cuts in. People selling SEO or Adwords will always suggest that one will be better than the other, when I would argue they are both required to push you site forward.
I have a whole lot more to tell you about Adwords ( I have spent a high 5 figure sum (£) with them!) so sign up to my newsletter on the left and I will let you have more in manageable pieces.
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