3 Key Considerations for a Killer Paid Search Strategy

Marketers at B2B companies can achieve stellar results with a robust Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising strategy, which includes search engines, YouTube and social. We're one quarter into the new calendar year, and it's an ideal time to revisit your PPC plan to improve and adapt to what you find is working best. In this post, we’ll explore three critical considerations that can help your business retain its competitive edge through PPC advertising:

• Review past performance for clues on what to do more of and what to stop doing.
• Fight back against intensified competition and cost increases from the advertising platforms through a ruthless review of keywords.
• Embrace automation and AI-based tools for easy ways to work efficiently and improve results.

In fact, by utilizing the above guidelines, GGC saw PPC leads increase more than 150% in several accounts.

First up though—ever wonder what PPC can contribute to a B2B marketing plan? Here are several reasons why you need to incorporate PPC into your yearly marketing planning:

• Highly targeted. Paid media allows B2B companies to target your ideal audience based on parameters such as industry, job title, company size or location, and much more. Granular targeting helps your ads reach the most relevant decision-makers and potential clients.
• Immediate visibility. Companies will see almost instant visibility through search engine results, although ranking can take time and some tweaking. The first step, however, is to simply appear on the list of search results in response to a B2B buyer’s query. This increases the chance of engagement.
• Keyword specificity. B2B companies can rely on a trained, experienced specialist to identify the specific, industry-related keywords when developing the text for PPC ads. The ads enable businesses to target these keywords to increase the chances of reaching the proper target audience.
• Measurable results. PPC platforms lend themselves naturally to detailed analytics and reporting. A B2B business can track key metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (CVR) and return on investment (ROI).
• Global reach. Companies that work across borders or are expanding internationally can reach target regions or audiences using PPC for a cost-effective and traceable marketing effort that helps level the playing field. Also, it is easily adaptable to market locations, new product launches, niche marketing, and seasonal demands.
• Cost control. In terms of cost-effectiveness, PPC offers flexibility for managing budgets. B2B marketers can establish daily or monthly ad spend limits to help ensure the budget stays on track while continuously adjusting campaigns based on performance metrics.

Starting a new fiscal year or adjusting your PPC plan? Here are the top three considerations for companies embarking on a new PPC lead generation plan:

1. Review Past Performance
2. Fight Intensified Competition and Inflation
3. Embrace Automation and AI

While PPC offers many advantages for B2B marketing, it is essential to consider it as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy that may include content marketing, email marketing, SEO, content pillars, video testimonials, and more. The effectiveness of PPC advertising can vary depending on the industry, target audience, and specific goals, so a well-rounded marketing approach is often the most successful way to reach and engage B2B customers.