Serious About PPC? Here Are Some Seriously Good Resources

If you or someone in your team is getting started with pay-per-click, this list of resources will put you on the right track to PPC success. But first, a warning…

Don’t just ‘have a go’

Google and the other big ad platforms have put a lot of work into making their user interfaces as friendly to the beginner as possible, which makes it tempting to just jump right in and start building PPC campaigns. But these intuitive interfaces mask a lot of complexity and could lead you down avenues which quickly gobble up your budget while delivering little in the way of value. Such bad experiences can turn people off PPC for good.

At Manifesto, we find that pay-per-click advertising is the channel which provides the highest return on investment 90% of the time. This is down to the fact that, with PPC, you’re targeting ‘in-market’ audiences, i.e. people actively searching in your niche for information or services that you can provide. Our rule of thumb is always to start with PPC and then build out other channels.

The following resources, many of which have helped refine our own approach to creating and executing PPC campaigns, can take you from PPC zero to hero in short order.

Google Ads Search Certification

Google’s own academy might seem like an obvious place to start, but most people don’t. It provides really useful self-guided learning and, as a bonus, you get a certification at the end. This one’s for beginners who are serious about building out PPC as a core skill.

PPC Keyword Research Guide

The cornerstone of any successful PPC campaign is keyword research – choosing the best keywords to bid on, i.e. those that are most likely to result in clicks and conversions. Keyword research is part science and part art – this resource from WordStream helps you get started with the science.

The 10-Minute AdWords Management Workout

You’ll need a good process for making sure your ad spend is optimised, without taking up too much of your time. Improving your AdWords results isn’t about working longer or harder. It’s about working smarter. At Manifesto this resource from Unbounce was used as the foundation for building our daily optimisation checks.

Ultimate Guide to Google Shopping

Google shopping ads can be used to sell your products directly from the search results page, but learning how to use them effectively is a bit more involved than with campaigns using simple text ads. Shopify’s ultimate guide is a complete resource, with a very handy section on bidding.

Don’t Forget Bing!

Most small and medium-sized businesses see Bing Ads as an afterthought, but they should be considering it earlier in their PPC planning. Because PPC novices aren’t using Bing as much as Google, advertisers on Bing have numerous benefits resulting from a lack of competition, such as better ad positions and cheaper costs per click. At Manifesto, we find that whilst the amount our clients can spend on Bing is often much smaller, the ROI is nearly always higher. It’s really simple to mirror everything you’ve set up in Google in Bing, and keep it updated dynamically with scheduled imports. This Bing resource shows you how.

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Want expert help optimising your PPC campaigns, or coaching your team to get more out of your ad spend? Speak to our digital marketing strategy team.