There's a Dirty Little Secret in the World of Google Pay-Per-Click Today

There's a dirty little secret in the world of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) today. What's more, publishers making money off you and your daily ad spend, really don't like talking about it. What does this mean for you, and how can you overcome it?

It seems everyone involved in marketing is talking-up the benefits of Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC). But is it really good for you? The truth for most of advertisers is this;

Google PPC Just Isn't Working for You as Well As It Should.

But the problem is not with your keywords, ad structure or ad text. You likely sweat bullets working at these aspects of each ad. What's more, you may find the right keywords and ad text so good, it can make even your most jaded prospect sit up and click. So far, so good - your PPC ad is doing its job.

But the structure and content of any Google ad is only a small part of what's actually needed to make PPC advertising work for you.

And this leads us to Google PPC's dirty little secret;

Making it Work for You is Nowhere Near as Easy as it Appears

And that's not the worst of it. Let me help you understand why this is so. You see, getting people to click on your ad is actually the easy part. But creating great ads with the right keywords and bidding the right amounts really doesn't count for much towards your campaign's ultimate success.

Unless the web page you're sending your prospects to is doing its job properly. And the majority of landing pages associated with Google PPC - well, gosh they simply don't work nearly as well as they should.

Please do me this small favor, because what follows is critical to your online business success. To get that sale, sign-up or whatever other action you desire from your prospect, you need to build a solid bridge between the click...and the result you ultimately wish to achieve.

Remember I asked you at the beginning how you overcome the negative effect of this secret? Well here are ten elements of winning landing pages that can help you truly build a strong bridge between your PPC ad, and the action you ultimately want your prospect to take;

1. It's imperative that your landing page is working in conjunction with your Google ad text. Has your page been specifically tailored to do so? If it hasn't, it's likely a sign of trouble. And it's sheer lunacy to use your home page. Because it's very unlikely your home page is anywhere near specific enough to be associated with your Google ads.

2. Does your landing page contain elements which make it appear personal? Tests prove people buy far more frequently when they feel like they're interacting with a real person. To achieve this, you need to use conversational language your prospect would use. Make text 'feel' like a conversation between you and your online prospect.

3. Do you have a spokesperson pictured prominently on the page, looking your prospect squarely in the eyes when they arrive? This builds trust. Make sure the photo is of good quality and well-lit.

4. Is the headline at the top of your landing page grabbing your prospects by the eyeballs, and does it contain text that relates to the 'call to action' in your Google ad?

5. Is your landing page 'in-sync' with your PPC ad text? No prospect should be too surprised by what they see in the first 8 seconds after they arrive. Or they'll likely kiss you goodbye. At an average per-click cost of say, 60 cents, that expensive 8 seconds works out to an ad cost to you of $270 per hour!

If you're advertising a particular product in your ad, make sure they can see the item when they land, without scrolling.

6. Eliminate unneeded elements - avoid distracting your potential customer.

7. Remember, most people on the internet don't trust you (not yet, anyway). Yes, it's unfair. So have trust elements clearly displayed in the margins of your landing page. Prove you're hacker free with one of the online security service shields. If you belong to Square Trade, Online Business Bureau or Better Business Bureau (BBB), display their logo or shield prominently. Show your returns policy.

8. If you want your prospect to fill in a form, make sure the form has only a few steps. Three is okay. Two is better. You can always get more info from them later by email. For example, if you want them to sign-up for a newsletter, require only first name and address.

9. Include testimonials from your satisfied clients or customers. Don't have any yet? Give a few items away for free and get their feedback.

10. Test, test and test again. Winning online is a process of continual improvement. You should always be trying to optimize your landing page and recording results. If possible, split-test (have at least two landing pages that alternate automatically) at all times. Software to do this, easily and automatically, is readily available on the net.

About The Author-- Roger Hall of BetterClix.com develops programs and pay-per-click ads to help you succeed in your business. Find out more today how to create Pay-Per-Click ads that work, with his popular FREE PPC Tips series for advertisers. Available at: => www.betterclix.com/adwordsmyths.html

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