Ten years ago, small business owners met overheads and wages, restricting any advertising budget to modest letter-box drops and Yellow Pages spots. Going toe-to-toe with big names in the local market was a pipe-dream, reserved only for middle rung companies with a kernel of influence in the right tide-pools. Enter the internet – market monopoly wasn’t so simple anymore, transforming an exclusive dance into a rank-free boxing competition, closing the gap between moneyed-up power and fresh faced (or not so fresh faced) little guy.
Local people want to buy from local businesses just like yours. An Adwords text ad cannot be discarded or thrown away with junk flyer clutter; it isn’t a stab in the dark or a needless expenditure, hoping to draw one call from a neighbourhood drop.
What does Adwords do for the small business? Adwords places your business front and centre daily, appealing to thousands of eyes searching specifically for your service or product.
The best part? You only spend money when somebody engages and clicks through to your business. No more squandered resources.
Before you open a browser and sign up, there are a few tips we’d like to share to get you started.
PPC: What is it?
Research. Before signing up and surrendering your credit card details to the Google Gods, understand the basic machinations of pay-per-click advertising; many media agencies will make it seem simple – throw your money on the table and watch the coffers swell; the convenience of Adwords should not dispel savvy planning. Questions to consider:
- What is your competition doing? Online and off?
- What search phrases do you feel are most relevant to your business? How popular are they? Note any sponsored SERP patterns – Which businesses consistently appear?
- How much are you willing to spend?
Keywords: Lock in Lasting Traction
Remember the search phrases from the previous section? These are called keywords. Load your top ten into a spreadsheet and identify any running themes – if you’re having issues devising the right set for your audience, take a look at your website Analytics. When in doubt and a metric analysis software hasn’t been installed, Google offers targeting tools to help you on your way. When setting up a campaign for the first team, the Google team may contact you and nudge you along the right path to optimisation – take their advice lightly, listen closely and retain your sense of business identity; they mean well, they’re actually quite helpful, but they don’t know your business like you do.
Site Makeover: What Is Your Website Saying About You?
Think of your website as a front desk. Is it crisp, professional and efficient? Does it direct visitors appropriately, cultivate their attention and communicate with potential customers or client in a language they understand? Most beginners think a home page is the perfect landing pad, forgetting their own internet practices. You have less than five seconds to make an impression and prove yourself relevant to their query before they click away. Targeted landing pages might be a pain to implement but will pay off – you’re proving to your audience you’re invested in their needs and goals, that your business strategy is about delivering quality results to discerning searchers.
This post was written by Jessica Hannah, who is a member of the team at Search Factory, an online marketing agency based in Brisbane, Australia.
