Let’s get something straight right out of the gate. If your PPC ads are not generating impressions or getting clicked on, they’re not doing their job, period, full stop.
We don’t want to mince words about that.
However, even if they are getting really high impression numbers and generating a lot of clicks, that doesn’t automatically mean they are performing.
We recently reached out to the eCommerce PPC management specialists at Genius eCommerce at geniusecommerce.com for more information on this phenomenon. Here’s what we gathered from them.
High Impressions: When It’s Not a Good Thing
It might make sense to you that if a set of eCommerce PPC ads are not generating impressions, no one will click on them. That much is true.
But what happens when ads generate a bunch of impressions and no one clicks on them anyway?
You see, if the eCommerce PPC management company behind the scenes is performing applicable, accurate keyword research, customer targeting and segmenting, and more, the ads will show up when and where customers are searching – generating high impressions.
That’s the first piece to a successful PPC-puzzle – but only the first.
After that, potential customers still need to click on the ad and ultimately convert if the ad campaign is going to meet its objectives.
Therefore, earning high impressions is not the only important thing to focus on. So are ad copy, landing page design and development, targeting, and much more.
You need to be seen in order to convert, but you also need to meet customer expectations.
So let’s take it one step further. What happens when an ad group gets a lot of impressions and a lot of people click on it – that’s a good thing, right?
High CTR: When It’s Not a Good Thing
Well, in a word (or two), it depends.
Yes, you want potential customers to both see and click on your ads. But let’s just presume that customers are clicking on your ads and then bouncing.
This is one of the worst things that can happen in an eCommerce PPC campaign. When users see your ads and click that is a good thing – as long as they end up converting.
If they don’t convert, what happens is you end up paying for the traffic but recoup none of the expense to pay for it.
A high click-through rate is good in PPC advertising – but only when the user that clicks ultimately navigates through the website and concludes a purchase through the click.
Basically, if there are high clicks but nothing to show for it, you’ve just earned a first-class ticket to low ROAS and a high-cost campaign that you just can’t hang with it the long term because it won’t pay for itself.
There are a number of reasons that a campaign might be generating clicks but not conversions.
It could be because the ad copy is promising something that entices clicks, but on which expectation the landing page is not able to deliver.
Oftentimes, the ad copy is good but the landing page needs work. It could be misaligned in messaging, or alternatively, it could be difficult for customers to identify how to conclude a purchase.
At any rate, these sorts of issues with paid advertising marketing campaigns are the sorts of things that eCommerce PPC management companies specialize in rectifying.
What an eCommerce PPC Management Company Can Do About It
Digital marketing agencies that offer eCommerce PPC management services, like Genius eCommerce, experience a lot of challenges like this – but luckily they are well qualified to overcome them.
In many cases, issues like these can be solved by refining keyword or bidding strategy, adjusting ad copy messaging, or developing a landing page that meets customer expectations and is conversion rates optimized.
Of course, each PPC strategy is unique from the next, as are all eCommerce businesses. To learn more about how to get more from your PPC marketing, driving traffic as well as sales, contact Genius eCommerce at geniusecommerce.com.
