PPC 101 For Local Businesses: A Beginner’s Guide
As a local business owner, you know the importance of reaching your target audience and driving sales. But with so many marketing options available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. One powerful and effective option is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. In this blog, we’ll provide a beginner’s guide to PPC and explain how it can help you boost your business and increase sales.
What is PPC?
PPC is a form of online advertising where you pay for each click on your ads. This means that you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad and is directed to your website. PPC is a popular and effective way to drive traffic and leads to your site, and it allows you to target specific audiences and measure the results of your campaigns.
Benefits of PPC for Local Businesses
There are many benefits to using PPC for local businesses, including:
- Increased visibility: With PPC, you can easily increase the visibility of your business online. Your ads can appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) and on social media platforms, making it easy for potential customers to find you.
- Targeted advertising: PPC allows you to target specific audiences and demographics, so you can reach the people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. This means that you can get more value for your advertising spend and increase the chances of making a sale.
- Measurable results: With PPC, you can easily track and measure the results of your campaigns. This allows you to see how well your ads are performing and make changes to optimize your results.
According to a recent survey, 65% of local businesses say that PPC has helped them increase their website traffic, and 59% say that it has helped them generate more leads (source: HubSpot).
How to Set Up a PPC Campaign
Setting up a PPC campaign is relatively easy, and there are several steps you can follow to get started:
- Choose your keywords: Start by identifying the keywords that are relevant to your business and that your target audience is likely to use when searching for your products or services. You can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to help you find and select the right keywords.
- Create your ads: Next, you’ll need to create your ads. Your ads should be engaging, relevant, and compelling, and they should include a clear call to action. Make sure to include your keywords in your ad copy to help improve your ad’s relevance and performance.
- Select your target audience: You can use various targeting options to specify the audience you want to reach with your ads. This could include demographic information, geographic location, interests, and behaviors.
- Set your budget: PPC campaigns operate on a bidding system, where you specify how much you are willing to pay for each click on your ad. Your budget will depend on your goals and your target audience, but it’s important to set a realistic budget that fits your business needs
- Launch your campaign: Once you’ve set up your campaign and selected your targeting options and budget, you’re ready to launch your ads. You can use tools like Google Ads to manage and optimize your campaigns, and you can track your results to see how well your ads are performing.
Best Practices for PPC Campaigns
To get the most out of your PPC campaigns, it’s important to follow best practices and optimize your ads for maximum effectiveness. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Test and optimize: PPC campaigns are not a “set it and forget it” type of marketing. You’ll need to monitor your campaigns and make adjustments based on your results. This could include testing different ad copy, targeting options, and bidding strategies to see which ones work best for your business.
- Use negative keywords: Negative keywords are words or phrases that you don’t want your ads to show up for. For example, if you’re a local restaurant, you might want to exclude keywords like “free” or “delivery” so that your ads don’t show up for people searching for free food or food delivery. Using negative keywords can help improve the relevance of your ads and increase your chances of making a sale.
- Track your results: As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to track and measure the results of your PPC campaigns. This will help you see which ads are performing well and which ones need improvement. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track your results and get a better understanding of your audience and their behavior.
PPC is a powerful and effective way for local businesses to reach their target audience and drive sales. With the right approach and best practices, you can use PPC to increase your visibility online, target specific audiences, and measure the results of your campaigns. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can set up and manage your own PPC campaigns and start growing your business today.
About Vulcan
Vulcan is the go-to platform for local businesses looking to turn their clicks into for customers.
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