Insights from ‘The Truth About PPC’ Webinar

Our Senior Paid Media Strategist, Abbie Law, recently joined The GO! Network’s webinar ‘The truth about PPC’ to shed light on common misconceptions about PPC (pay per click). Abbie shared valuable insights on how brands can navigate PPC effectively without overspending.

Do you need a huge budget to succeed in PPC?

One of the biggest myths in PPC, according to Abbie, is the idea that only brands with large budgets can achieve success. While many believe the highest bidder always wins, she emphasised that PPC is about more than just throwing money at ads.

Instead, factors like ad strength, relevance and quality score play a crucial role in performance. By optimising these elements, brands can achieve efficiency without inflating their CPC (cost per click) unnecessarily. Abbie highlighted that smaller businesses often shy away from PPC due to budget concerns, but with a strategic approach, even limited spending can drive strong results.

The Biggest PPC Challenge for Smaller Brands

Smaller brands often struggle with competing against larger companies with more substantial budgets. Abbie advised that instead of trying to go head-to-head with big brands on broad, highly competitive keywords, smaller brands should focus on niche targeting.

Key Strategies for Overcoming PPC Challenges:

• Target a Niche: Use exact match versions of high intent keywords rather than spending on broad terms with high competition.
• Develop an Audience Strategy: Know your customer and build a precise targeting approach to maximise efficiency.
• Get Conversion Tracking Right: Many small businesses lack the resources to set up proper tracking, but it’s a crucial investment. Accurate data allows for better budget allocation and performance evaluation.

How Often Should Brands Optimise PPC Campaigns?

Optimisation is key in PPC, but over optimising can be counterproductive – especially with the rise of smart bidding. Abbie pointed out that the industry has evolved beyond manual CPC adjustments on a daily basis. Instead, brands should allow smart bidding strategies to work while still incorporating human oversight and strategic input.

Best Practices for PPC Optimisation:

• Allow Time for Learning: Campaigns need time to gather data before meaningful optimisations can be made.
• Follow Google’s Recommendations: Typically, one to two conversion cycles should pass before evaluating success.
• Avoid Excessive Changes: Constant tweaks can cause volatility, especially in smart bidding campaigns. Major changes should be given time to settle before judging their impact.
• Set Realistic Expectations: Clients often ask, “When will we see results?”  and the answer varies based on conversion cycles, but patience is key to achieving stable performance.

 

Abbie’s insights from ‘The Truth About PPC’ webinar highlights that PPC success isn’t solely about budget – it’s about strategy, smart targeting and informed optimisations. By focusing on ad quality, audience targeting and conversion tracking, even brands with smaller budgets can compete effectively.

If you want to refine your PPC strategy and drive better results, reach out to us at hello@summit.com, we can help you make the most of your advertising budget!