How Small Businesses Can Compete Against Big Brands in PPC
Competing with large corporations can be very intimidating when you’re a small business owner. It’s hard to compare, especially when you know the competition has a much larger budget paired with a vast amount of resources. You may think that because larger businesses have more money, they will always win the bids for keywords, but this isn’t necessarily true.
The great thing about running a PPC campaign is that small businesses can compete with big named brands on a relatively even playing field. So how exactly do you win those bids and come out as a top search result? Keep reading to find out!
Be Proud of Your Roots
One of the biggest advantages small business owners have over big companies is their size. The intimacy, the familiarity and the overall feel of a small business is something large corporations just can’t imitate. When crafting your PPC strategy, it’s important for users to feel the essence of a small business oozing through their screens.
For example, showcase pictures of your brick and mortar shop, include biographies of your employees, and share the story of how your business came to be! Make your users feel like they’re a part of your community. Once you have all those things in place, the next step is making sure your website is easy to use.
You can strategize as much as you want, but if users don’t find your landing pages relevant to their search query, or if your website isn’t easy to navigate, they will leave. In fact, if your website isn’t optimized for mobile viewing, mobile searchers are 5x more likely to abandon your site.
Create a seamless user experience that your audience will enjoy by making sure your website accurately reflects your brand and is user-friendly. By laying a solid foundation for your PPC campaign to thrive off of, you’re ensuring a higher conversion rate for your business in the long run.
Target Long-Tail Keywords
Your instincts may tell you to bid directly on the top keywords in your industry, but as a small business, you should focus on targeting long-tail keywords that will drive results, especially in the mobile-first world we live in that entails voice search. You’re looking to target phrases that have a higher probability of yielding a sale. For example, let’s say you own an online dress shop. In this case, one of the long-tail keywords you might want to optimize for is “blue dresses for a special occasion“. A user who is typing in that query is more likely to convert than a user who is typing in the words blue dresses. Find the keywords users are searching for the most, then determine what long-tail keywords they’re using that are most relevant to your business.
Write Compelling Copy
It may seem a little gimmicky, but you need to sweet talk your users. When users see your ad, they should be enticed; they should want to click. You have all the right pieces in place, but what will make users choose your brand over others is the compelling copy in your ads.
A great business hack that always generates user interest is sales. Offer discounts to your customers so they feel compelled to visit your site. Use phrases like, “BOGO on your first purchase“, “Free shipping for first-time buyers“, or “20% off your whole purchase” in the body of your ad. Sales are always a great way draw in customers and drive conversions. Who can resist such a sweet deal? Give a little to get a lot!
Create a Cohesive User Journey
After you’ve updated your website, chosen your keywords, and written compelling copy, the last step is to determine what landing pages will be included in your advertisement. This is an essential part of your PPC campaign because the moment users get to your website, its sink or swim. They will either find your content relevant to their search or they will leave.
This is why you need to include relevant landing pages in your advertisements. If your discount is on dresses, include a link to the part of your website that showcases your best dresses. If you offered a free one-time consultation in your PPC ad, include a link to your “Contact Us” information.
What these landing pages prompt users to do next is take action on your website. In the first example, that person will begin browsing through your dress options. In the second example, those users are given the information they need to reach out to your team and inquire about their free consultation. Including relevant landing pages in your ad seems like a no-brainer, but this is a task many big-named companies fail to accomplish.
Tip Rewind
You don’t need to have thousands of employees or millions of dollars in the bank to run a successful PPC campaign. You can do it all with a little bit of knowledge and a lot of passion for your business. Here are those tips one more time to ensure your success:
- Understand that your size is your strength!
- Target long-tail keywords that have a higher conversion probability
- Write interesting copy that will prompt users to click
- Back your strong messaging with relevant content to keep users on your website
Good luck, and remember bigger isn’t always better!
