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Bad Keywords: Are You Wasting Your PPC Budget ?   by Brandon Clay

Copyright (c) 2011 Search Traffic Pro

Are you new to managing PPC campaigns? Have you recently opened a monster spreadsheet of words, ads, and numbers and said to yourself: "I have no idea what I'm looking at?" That's why it's time to take a step back - and think. Think about exactly what you're doing. The best way to think about PPC is to focus in on each of the keywords you have in front of you.

The keyword is the string of characters the search engine user types into the search box. Keywords can be one word like "hotels". Keywords can also be "longtail" multiple word phrases like "keeping austin weird, hotels". Long tail keywords are those three and four keyword phrases which are highly specific to whatever you are selling. These convert the most clicks to customers because they target a consumer who specifically knows what they want and is ready to buy. You gain access to keywords in the search engines by 'bidding' on specific keywords.

Keywords: The Most Important Part of PPC

The keyword is, perhaps, the most important component of your PPC account. It would be foolish then to waste your budget bidding on generic single keyword or double keyword phrases since these do not target the customer who is "late" in the buying cycle.

For example if you are a small hotel in Austin, TX it may not be fruitful to just bid on "hotel" because you are going to be going up against the big travel sites like Orbitz or Hotwire. Instead hone in on a smaller niche like your location and a specific amenity that you bring to the table that people will be searching for like "boutique hotel, Austin, Texas" The competition will be much smaller, targeted and the cost per click a lot less.

Getting Rid of Bad Keywords

This problem of non-relevant keywords is rampant in many PPC accounts. An obvious one like "stay texas" - sometimes its not clear. Here's how it happens and how to fix it:

1) Remove Non-Relevant Keywordsfrom Keyword Tools

Keyword tools like Google AdWords Keyword Tool are great starters for PPC accounts. Like thesauruses, they help you think of words that are related to your products or services - a very useful tool.

However, keyword tools should never be trusted implicitly. Keyword tools use computer-generated lists of words and sometimes they make mistakes. Unthinking PPC managers dump every keyword they can think of into their campaign and waste a ton of cash, receive non-relevant traffic or no traffic at all.. The worst of it is the non-relavant (no: worthless) traffic will never convert or turn into new business.

The way to fix this issue is to review your keyword list. These lists can get out of hand in size so its best to focus on a few groups at a time, especially if you have multiple people adding keywords to the account. Here's where the thinking comes in: Review your phrases and decide: would someone needing my products or services type these words into a search box?? If not, get rid of them or at the least pause them in the account. You can always ask someone else who is a fresh set of eyes give you a second opinion later. Your advertising dollars are too precious not to be reviewing those ad groups well.

2) Test Your Keywords

Another, equally important way to sort out keywords in your account is to determine whether they turn into the desired action. Going back to the hotel example, when you bid on "hotel, Austin, TX" does that longtail phrase yield the desired result on your website? Does it turn into online leads or phone calls? Review your web analytics to see which words people are converting on-clicking through to your website on. Though the keyword may seem relevant to you, searchers may disagree.

You can determine the effectiveness of keywords by using good tracking. AdWords Conversion Tracking or call tracking can demonstrate the effectiveness of each keyword in your account.

Proper keyword management is an important part of your PPC account management. To do it effectively, you need to get educated on proper online tracking, or make sure your PPC manager is doing their job ie TRACKING. Whatever you do, make sure you know which keywords you're buying from the search engines and why. Wasting PPC budget is no way to run a PPC account - and bidding on bad keywords is the main way it happens.

About the Author

Search Traffic Pro is a professional search marketing company. We focus on your company's unique position in the market and seeks to grow your presence in the major search engines via PPC, SEO and search marketing strategies. We specialize in two things:1. Growing Your Website Traffic 2. Growing Your Conversions.
Read our blog full of tips and tricks today at http://www.searchtrafficpro.com

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