PPC ads will be MORE powerful
if you use these new tricks.

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

There’s apparently a lot of interest in “pay per click” advertising, based on the response I got to last week’s newsletter. So I thought I would share with you a few clever ideas that can make your PPC advertising MORE POWERFUL, and potentially COST you LESS.

I’m going to keep this super-simple, because if you’re not active or fluent with pay per click, this might get pretty boring pretty fast.  But trust me, this really is quite simple.  The following snapshot of PPC ads (taken TODAY) are PRETTY good, but they’ve missed out on a couple of golden opportunities to be BETTER.

Good AdWords ExtensionsThe GOOD things (which don’t cost any extra, by the way) are, in order of appearance:

  1. Anthony Sylvan is using the “callout extension,” which allows them to add a 2nd line of “promotional text,” which in this case starts with “Expert Craftsmen…
  2. Anthony Sylvan and Blue Haven are both taking advantage of the “link to address” feature.
  3. All 3 ads are utilizing the “site links extensions,” which offer direct links to 4 (or more) different pages on their websites. (But notice how Anthony Sylvan’s site links are in 2 columns on 2 lines, whereas the others are all crammed into one line.  I’ll explain why that happens in a minute.)

Now let’s talk about what those ads are MISSING.

“Review Extensions”

Just recently, Google added an option to add a “review extension” to your PPC ad.  This can be either a direct quote, or a summary comment, as long as (1) is from a publicized source, and (2) you provide a link to the source.  As you can see in the example below, the company Brighter Blooms was praised with a testimonial on the Busy-at-Home.com website, so they were able to add a link to that.

Google AdWords Review ExtensionI shouldn’t have to mention that “reviews” are big deal right now, so these links in your pay per click ad are giving your potential website visitor exactly what they want. 

A couple of things worth noting here:

  • The praise or compliment has to be at a valid website.  And Google will decide whether the source you provide is worthwhile.
  • For some reason, at this time, Google will not allow links to reviews from Yelp or Houzz or similar websites.  (I presume it’s because Google perceives these website testimonials would be too easy to manipulate.)

Google says that these review extensions are typically boosting ad response by an average of 10%.  And again, it doesn’t cost you anything extra to add these extensions to your ads. (By the way – if someone clicks the link to the website with the review, you don’t pay for that click either.)

“Call out Extensions”

I mentioned the “call out extensions” in the first example, above.  This option has actually been around for more than a year and a half, but it’s still not being used by most amateur PPC advertisers. And that’s a complete waste of money, because it provides all the following benefits:

  • It makes your ads larger and more impressive.
  • It specifically focuses on boosting your credibility.
  • And it allows you to mention “options” and other items that you otherwise would not have room to mention in your ad.

Using call out extensions (just like using review extensions) can also improve your “ad quality rating,” which can reduce your cost per click. Just keep in mind that when you start using call out extensions, you should review and revise your “ad copy” so that you don’t repeat yourself in these 2 separate lines of text.

Mobile “Call-Only” Campaigns

Google actually took away the option to run completely independent “mobile campaigns” versus “desktop campaigns,” which is unfortunate, since people tend to behave DIFFERENTLY when searching on mobile phones versus desktop. But just recently, Google added a new option called “Call-Only” Campaigns. These ads don’t link to a website; they link to a “call now” function.  Thus, these ads will only run on a device that has the ability to make a phone call.

The 2 big advantages of this are:

  • Google will tend to give these ads “priority treatment” over non-“mobile specific” ads.  So basically, you get to move “to the front of the line” (which in this case, means “to the top of the mobile phone search results.“)
  • And the “call to action” is a PHONE CALL, rather than just a click, which is a greater commitment on the part of your prospect.  So in most cases, you’re likely to get a better qualified and “warmer” prospect as a result of these types of ads.

Basically, if you’re more interested in phone calls than website visits, then these “call-only” campaigns may be the best ad strategy for you.

Conclusion…

The key point here is if you’re currently running PPC ads, or you’re THINKING about launching a PPC campaign, then you should be sure to take advantage of these “insider secrets.” You’ll make more money, and you’ll get better results.

If you have questions about PPC advertising, or any other aspect of advertising or “Marketing for Pool Builders,” then just give us a call at 877-634-8787.

To Your Success,
Brett Lloyd Abbott
MYM Austin Inc./”Marketing for Pool Builders”
877-634-8787 (18-PROFITS-UP!)

©2015 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin, Inc. May not be used without permission.

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