Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaign Management

Pay-per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are very closely related and not mutually exclusive. Both PPC and SEO have different goals and investment profiles and present the client with a number on Internet marketing options. When used in tandem, SEO and PPC can bring the client dramatic improvements in their Internet marketing results.

PPC allows the client to chose certain key search phrases and build a search engine marketing campaign around them. PPC campaigns can easily be designed and timed to align with other advertising or promotional events and give the client the opportunity to achieve mutual support of each campaign.

The critical components of a successful PPC campaign include the following:

1. Identification of the most cost-effective search phrases
2. Defining a PPC campaign budget and bidding strategy
3. Establishing a "sticky" landing page that leverages the optimum blend of visual appeal and informational content to draw the searcher deeper into the site

The essence of the PPC campaign is the selection of the appropriate search phrases. Marathon's PPC campaign management approach begins with a comprehensive Internet search engine traffic analysis. The goals of the analysis are twofold: first, identify the search phrases that offer the best blend of Keyword Effectiveness, and develop information to support the appropriate bidding strategy. Marathon's PPC campaign management engagements have all leveraged this initial traffic analysis to the clients' benefit.

Once the search phrases are identified and the relative costs identified and considered, Marathon assists the client in the PPC campaign budget definition. The definition of the budget takes into account the following considerations:

1. PPC campaign duration
2. Coordination with other promotions
3. Desired Cost-per-Conversion
4. Budget Burn Rate - should spending limits be set on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?

Once the financial aspects of the PPC campaign are decided upon, Marathon and the client turn their attention to the all important Landing Page. In many cases the overall success of the PPC campaign depends on the time and funding dedicated to the Landing Page characteristics.

Marathon's PPC campaign management engagements have typically involved varying degrees of Landing Page manipulation. The most effective PPC campaigns include a high degree of Landing Page manipulation and usually include a certain amount of "A/B Testing" to identify the optimal Landing Page design.

Utilizing the A/B Testing method means that the visual characteristics and verbal content are changed over time to determine which combination of design variables leads to the most search engine traffic and visitor conversions. The changes are done in a very controlled manner and their results are thoroughly analyzed.

The testing periods can vary, depending on the duration of the overall PPC campaign. Longer PPC campaigns give the client the opportunity to undertake extensive A/B Testing, and thereby achieve a high level of both search engine traffic and visitor conversions.

Changes to the Landing Page can be very subtle, yet result in significant swings in hit rate and visitor conversions.