Optimize your Google AdWords campaigns to maximize your Return On Investment (ROI) by using the same keywords within the Trinity of PPC Success:

1) Keyword Bid
2) Ad Copy
3) Landing Pages

You are hoping that potential customers start with a search on Google and end up buying your products from your website. This is a journey from keyword search to your advert and then to your landing page, as shown in the diagram below:

At each stage a searcher makes a decision to move closer to buying from you or not.

You can influence those decisions by matching your keywords with your ad copy and then with your landing pages. If searchers see the keywords they searched with, then they are more likely to think they will find what they are looking for and then read, click and buy.

Let’s look at each of the three parts of that Trinity of PPC Success with the example of a search with the keyword BMW series 3 manual:

1. Keywords

In the image below, the search with the keyword BMW series 3 manual is made on Google:

2. Ad copy

The image below shows an advert that displays for a search with ‘BMW series 3 manual’. The title, the URL and the description all use elements of the keyword:

3. Landing pages

Completing the Trinity of PPC Success, the landing page shown below is seen by those who click on the ad above. The headline and key copy both use elements of the original keyword:

Your check list for the trinity of PPC success

When ad copy and landing pages are related, conversion figures will be higher. Google also wants ads and landing pages to be relevant to searches so the more targeted and relevant your ads and landing pages are, the more favorably you are treated by Google. Here is a quick check list for the trinity:

• Make sure an ad group’s keywords are all in its ad copy. Only put a keyword in an ad group if it appears in the ad copy.
• If you’ve got keywords that don’t match the ad, take them out and put them in a new ad group with new ad copy that uses those specific keywords. You can create as many ad groups as you need.
• Don’t send people to your home page – think seriously about creating bespoke landing pages at least for each ad group.
• Use tools like Google’s Website Optimizer to improve the performance of your landing pages.
• Continually monitor and test Clickthrough Rates (CTRs) and ROI of keywords.
• Keep testing ad copy – use A/B testing to get a feel for ad tone and test two or three ads at a time. Test headlines, offers, USPs and calls to action like “buy” or “get”.
• Spend time creating your ad copy.

Monitor results, refine ads and landing pages

Allow the performance of your ads and landing pages to influence your ongoing strategy. As you monitor your campaigns over time you will notice things that work really well (and not so well!). Because you can change your keywords, ad listings and landing pages at any time, you have huge control over the performance of your campaign. Delete components that aren't delivering sales and swap ad listings and landing pages monthly to promote new offers.

About Ian Howie

Ian Howie started working in Search in 1995, turning professional in 2002 and specializing in PPC & Analytics since 2003. Ian has worked along side Wordtracker since 2006, authoring Google AdWords PPC Masterclass and contributing to Wordtracker Academy. Ian is both Google Adwords and Google Analytics qualified. Follow Ian Howie's PPC & analytics thoughts on Twitter @ihowie.