Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a powerful tool for elevating an e-commerce store and driving more revenue. By implementing an effective PPC strategy and campaign, e-commerce businesses can reach new audiences, increase website traffic, and ultimately convert more visitors into paying customers. Here’s a step-by-step guide on using PPC to boost your e-commerce revenue.
Set Up Conversion Tracking
Before launching any PPC campaigns, the first critical step is setting up conversion tracking on your website. This allows you to track actions site visitors take after clicking on your ads, such as making a purchase or adding items to a shopping cart. Popular conversion tracking methods are using Google Analytics goals or Facebook pixel. Tracking conversions is key for measuring PPC return on investment.
Research Keywords
Keywords are a major factor in the success of PPC ads for all e-commerce stores, whether they are built on a large multichannel ecommerce platform like Shopify or a small eBay store. Conduct thorough keyword research to uncover terms and phrases your target audience is searching for on platforms like Google and YouTube. Identify keywords that have high search volume and low competition or cost-per-click bids. This ensures your ads show up prominently in searches and you maximize clicks within your budget. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and SpyFu are useful here.
Create Targeted Ad Groups
Group keywords into tightly-themed ad groups, like “men’s running shoes under $100” or “luxury women’s handbags.” Create corresponding ads for each group. This level of relevancy significantly boosts click-through and conversion rates compared to generic campaigns. Ensure ads direct users to relevant product categories or landing pages on your site.
Set Up a Search Campaign
With your keywords and ad copy in place, launch your search campaign on Google Ads. Set an initial daily budget that aligns with your revenue goals, then utilize tools like bid adjustments, location targeting and time-based ad scheduling for further optimization. Analyze search terms driving clicks and sales, then refine your keywords and ads accordingly.
Run Shopping Campaigns
For e-commerce stores, shopping campaigns that showcase product images and prices are extremely effective. Make sure your entire product catalog is submitted to Google Merchant Center, then enable Smart Shopping campaigns. They leverage Google’s machine learning to optimize product selection and bids to maximize conversions within your budgets.
Test Display and Video
Supplement core search/shopping efforts by testing display, Gmail and YouTube video campaigns. Build custom display and video audiences reflecting existing customers to promote products they’ve bought from you. Video ads can deliver excellent ROI as YouTube has over 2.7 billion monthly users globally.
Track, Review, Optimize
Regularly analyze campaign reporting insights – costs, clicks and conversions – and continuously optimize efforts. Monitor search terms, create negative keywords for irrelevant queries, and adjust bids and budgets. Testing different approaches like audience targeting and automated bidding strategies also improves PPC performance over time.
A strategic PPC strategy delivers the targeted exposure, website traffic and conversions needed for e-commerce revenue growth. As an intelligent data-driven advertising medium, PPC provides extensive flexibility to elevate and boost every online business. Monitor its impact and keep optimizing campaigns based on real-time insights.
