10 PPC Techniques & Trends For 2018

Not getting the traffic you want? Have a poor presence on google? Here are ten PPC techniques and trends that’ll get you on track and lead you into a profitable 2018.

1. Audience Targeting

This may seem basic, however, it’s always important to remember the client / audience is the most important factor. A good way to maximise your information on your audience is to use all the tools available to you. Use CRM databases, RLSA and Google’s client Match to get a full picture of your audience and allows you to set your target parameters for advertisements accordingly.

2. Lookalike Audiences

Already have audience targeting down? Time to look at expanding with lookalike audiences. A lookalike audience is a group that shares a common interest with your target audience. By expanding advertisements to this group as well you’re likely to get more clicks and sales.

3. Optimise for Mobiles

The client’s experience is crucial for successful PPC. A simple way to ensure your clients experience is a good one is to make sure your landing page is optimized for mobile devices. People browse content and shop on mobile devices now more than ever but only when it’s convenient and accessible! A slow or clunky landing page will lose significant traffic.

4. Change to AMP

The landing page and how quick and accessible it is to your client is vital in PCC. Google has introduced AMP landing pages for text based ads and they are superior to the old model in both speed and conversion. Comparatively AMP versions will load four times faster than other versions which is vital in keeping your client engaged. No one like waiting!

5. Ad Extensions

Ad extensions can be obnoxious but when done right they can be an incredibly versatile tool in hooking clients. In 2017 we saw ad extensions used in far more sophisticated ways than when first introduced. By using them for price, promotion, text and call extensions they’ve increased traffic and sales significantly. In 2018 we’ll continue to see ad extensions evolve and contribute to profit.

6. Click-to-Message

Click-to-Message ads are seeing a lot more use and will continue to see more use in 2018. By having something as simple as a message extension you stay engaged with your clients in a way that’s convenient for them. It increases conversions and sales by catering to the client.

7. Video Marketing

Video marketing has increasingly benefitted companies over the years. With the ever-increasing accessibility to the internet video ads are being seen by more and more people. Coupled with the fact that video ads can connect with the audience on a more personal level they are an essential part of any marketing campaign.

8. Multiple Ad Variations per Ad Group

A big take away from 2017 is the be successful you need to show you care about your conversions and CTR. By having at least 3 ad variations to cycle through per ad group ad rotation can be enabled to give you a massive boost in CTR and conversions.

9. New AdWords Interface

Google’s new AdWord Interface has been met with disdain from PPC experts, with many still clinging to the old interface. Experts speculate the old interface will be shut down in 2018 so a good way to get ahead of the competition is to familiarise yourself with the new interface and master it before the competition!

10. Utilising Machine Learning

Machine learning is still in some ways very underutilised in marketing. However, in 2017 Google has already highlighted the value of machine learning by using it for attribution modelling and conversion optimization. They’ve also utilised the same to upgrade the way ad rotation and bidding technologies work.