Using Web analytics to optimize PPC campaigns

Improve the effectiveness of your pay-per-click campaigns by using web analytics. Understanding user behavior and applying that to your online marketing campaigns can dramatically improve results. Follow these tips for improved conversions:

Volume & conversion rate comparisons Comparing paid and natural traffic, paid engine to paid engine and paid keyword to natural keyword offers a great opportunity to set goals and find new and missed opportunities. PPC optimizers can make comparisons between landing pages, copy, etc., to make drastic optimizations or minimal tweaking.

New keyword opportunities Seek monthly keyword perfor¬mance data from natural search engine reports and internal search box queries to spot missing paid keywords. Add new keywords, increase appropriate paid ranks/bids where gaps exist and focus on top converters to reap instant gains.

New traffic source opportunities Domain referral reports show where visitors come from, and the associated volume and conversion rates. Identify what the converting sites have in com¬mon and see if there's a way to increase exposure or interaction through display ads, mobile search or international search.

Budget forecasting Flat month-to-month PPC budgets seem to be the standard, yet conversion rates and volume typically change monthly. Seasonality exists in Web analytics data, and monthly ad budgets should reflect those ebbs and flows. Conversion rates should dictate your budget allocation within each engine.

Segmenting user behavior Using click path tools allows insight into how your consumer interacts with your brand. How are people using brand keywords? Has the visitor been to the site before? There is no average user, so build focus on personalized user experience, based on what you find.

Hot products, top converters With a limited budget and possi¬bly thousands of product URLs, where do you focus the keyword lists, customized copy, page optimizations and budget share? Web analytics tools offer product analysis/comparison reports. The 80/20 rule holds true; see what moves the needle — or not — with the data, and focus your limited resources where appropriate.

Landing page analysis/bounce rates There are many land¬ing page choices for your PPC destination URLs. Bounce rates are immediate indicators of what is or isn't working and A/B or multivariate tests can further improve both page “stickiness” and conversion rates.

This post provide by Jeff Campbell, VP, production development and innovation, at Resolution Media. Reach him at jcampbell@resolutionmedia.com.

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