But how do these two channels compare to each other? When does it make sense to invest in one versus investing in the other? What are the key differences, and should they ever be run simultaneously? 

This post will investigate some of these questions from a high level. 

What Are Paid Social and Paid Search Marketing Campaigns?

Paid search marketing, commonly referred to as PPC, for “pay-per-click,” is a form of digital marketing in which you bid to have your ads displayed at the tops of the search results. There are different formats but in essence, they are all the same in this manner. 

Typically the ads are displayed at the tops of the SERPs (search engine results pages) but sometimes they are displayed at the middle or even at the bottom. 

Search engines differ in how they display their ads, but in most cases you will see “ad’ somewhere in the listing. For Google, a criterion known as “ad rank score” which accounts for bid amount, ad quality, device usage, and the landing page assigned to the ad, is used to determine where the ads will be placed. 

In paid social, you pay to have a post or an ad sponsored or boosted in a user’s social feed or in certain results. Ads can have different formats, such as text, images, carousels, or even reels (videos), and are usually marked by “sponsored” or “promoted” so that users know they are ads. 

Unlike in Google PPC, paid social campaigns usually don’t require the admin or ad manager to target or bid based on keywords, and the ads will be placed according to targeting that focuses on the user’s account activity. 

Either way, regardless of the fact that the manager of each campaign might target users differently, these paid strategies are an effective way to get ads in front of potentially qualified and interested users. 

Key Differences 

While both paid search and paid social marketing campaigns can give you a fast track for getting ads in front of interested users and potentially driving leads and sales, they differ in a few key ways. 

One of the main ways in which they differ has to do with respect to targeting. Generally speaking, paid search is more intent focused. In most paid search campaigns, administrators bid on keywords associated with an interest in buying something.

For instance, a user might type in the name of a product or brand in the search bar, and get an ad. Users might also might type in a question about a product, replacement, or repair, and get an ad based on a keyword the query contained. 

Search ads can also be targeted based on demographics, device, time of day, interests, and past user behavior on search engines. Paid search also allows for retargeting, in which users are targeted based on whether they have previously interacted with a brand or website through a search engine. 

Paid search is less intent focused, and while targeting is possible based on interest, a lot of ads or sponsored posts will show up in users’ feeds based on what they’ve shown interest in through their past behavior. It’s not targeted based on a user’s imminent need to fix a problem. It’s more about visibility and keying in on user interests. 

Social channels all vary slightly based on targeting criteria, but many (such as Facebook) enable you to target based on interest and demographics such as age and location. 

The ad format between paid search and paid social will also differ. Search ads are texted based, whereas most social media ads leverage visuals and sound in the form of music or video to attract and engage. 

Since search ads are mostly verbal, they’re perfect for targeting users that are actively looking for a problem they need to solve. Social media ads can be effective at driving sales through bottom-of-the-funnel marketing, but they are also effective at connecting with users, building brand credibility and amassing a following. 

Paid search and paid social also differ in the long-term implications. Typically, paid search doesn’t have any long-term effects. They work for targeting users that want to buy now and that’s it. Once you end the campaign, all the positive effects will taper off. 

This is not necessarily the case with paid social, because if you gain followers through the campaign, you can generate conversions through those captured leads down the line. Of course, there are ways around this; for instance, you could use a paid search campaign to generate subscriptions to a newsletter or email list that could be used for remarketing. But as a general rule, paid search is better for the short term and paid social, though it can be effective in the short term, can also accrue brand-loyal followers. 

With respect to conversions, paid search is usually the way to go, since it is intent focused and specifically can be used to target keywords associated with a high intent to purchase. 

as some supporting evidence for this claim, per Wordstream, paid search has a considerably higher conversion rate compared to paid social, at 3.75% versus 2.1%.

Why Paid Social?

Paid social enables you to start generating impressions and amassing followers right away, assuming your targeting is on point. When done right, it can also provide a boost to conversions and sales. 

It also enables you to generate interest with unique ad formats that leverage visuals and video in ways that would be difficult (or not really possible) through conventional paid search. 

And then of course there is the reach. Meta alone has 3 billion users – nearly half the population of the globe. 

Why Paid Search?

Paid search can be effective for bringing in highly qualified leads overnight and is probably the better option for driving sales as quickly and effectively as possible. Using Google’s advanced metrical tools, you can also drive a higher ROAS (return on ad spend) to improve the profitability of the campaigns. 

Paid search can considerably improve brand awareness and brand recall, can boost brand loyalty, and boost conversions and sales immediately, assuming you’re following an effectively targeted strategy. 

Which Is Right for Your Business?

That really depends on what your goals are. If you’re just looking to bring in revenue, then probably paid search. If you want to do serious brand work and connect with customers, then it’s definitely paid social. 

That said, there are some other considerations to make here. 

If you operate in a niche market or sell somewhat unique products that sell themselves with a demonstration, then a paid social campaign that visually shows the use cases of your products is a more effective way to get the word out, so to speak. 

By contrast, if you know there is viable search volume behind search terms associated with the purchase of your products, then paid search likely makes more sense, regardless of how unique or specified the product is. 

It is also the case that these strategies are often best paired, if you have the digital marketing budget for it. With paid search you can drive sales in the short term and with paid social you can build a better, stronger, more visible brand – and you don’t need me to tell you why both of those things are valuable. 

To Learn More About Either

This is at best a very high level overview of both of these digital marketing channels and much more could be said on each, specifically with respect to how they work, and in which cases they might be best suited to a particular business model. 

If you want to learn more or explore your options, get in touch with one of our team’s digital marketing specialists and we’ll talk over what’s available for your business, as well as what channels might serve you best. 

The post Paid Social vs. Paid Search (Google Ads): How They Compare appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

It’s equally well-known that even with experts managing an eCommerce PPC campaign, you can still only hope for an average click-through rate of about 2%.

Adding to this, there are industries that can’t advertise at all. Among those that can, there is often stiff competition, and the more competitors there are, the more you have to pay for your ads to get seen and clicked. 

All for the hope of getting enough return to cover the cost of the campaign as well as the management fee. 

But it can be done and eCommerce PPC management is something at which we excel – as will be demonstrated here. 

About the Client, Industry, and Challenges Faced

The client in question is one that specializes in formulating clean supplements that are designed to improve holistic wellness, from pure ingredients sourced from all over the world. 

If that sounds like a competitive market to you, you’d be right. There are 16 full pages of results for the keyword “clean supplements” alone. 

Despite the interest in and high volume associated with qualified target keywords for this client, the competition was immense. 

That, and the number of qualified competitors with good brand awareness and relatively high domain authority also squeezed the market even further. 

Our approach for this client was multi-pronged, but it hinged heavily on audience targeting, keyword targeting and bid strategy, and a series of ongoing optimizations implemented after the campaign was launched. 

Ad Campaign Proliferation and Optimization 

One of the keys to our success with this campaign was the fact that we utilized so many different campaign types with an emphasis on maximizing return on investment. 

One of the main drivers of success for this campaign was our utilization of a Pmax campaign that served ads across several channels, including Search, Display, Shopping and YouTube. The specific goal of this campaign was to maximize conversion value. 

We automated audience targeting, without utilizing predefined segments, which enabled us to cut costs associated with targeting while boosting performance. The Pmax campaign utilized 83% of the total budget and returned an impressive ROAS of 7.8. That is to say, for each dollar this client invested, $7.80 came out of the campaign.

In addition, we ran a Dynamic Search campaign, targeting website URLs, and which automatically generated ad copy, with a campaign goal of improving ROAS. This campaign accounted for 9% of the total budget and generated a ROAS of 6.8.

We also ran a Branded Search campaign in tandem with the others, focused on increasing exposure for branded terms. Though this campaign only utilized 8% of the total budget, it delivered an unbelievable ROAS of 64. 

All in all, this mix of campaigns was strategic and ensured optimal performance with a focus on conversions and ROAS, across a diverse group of channels, all while delivering performance among shoppers in various stages of the funnel. Moreover, the campaigns improved not only revenue, but also brand visibility – which brings up another element of success.

The Intangibles 

While it’s easy to see how a high ROAS and revenue directly impact a company’s bottom line, what it’s tough to account for are the intangibles. 

But doubtless, many online shoppers were exposed to this client’s brand and did not immediately convert. 

It’s a well known fact that familiarity with a brand makes a lead more likely to convert, even if not immediately. The fact of the matter may be that some of the company’s organic conversions were assisted by our eCommerce PPC management efforts. 

And that is another reason that a unified digital marketing strategy has the potential for such great efficacy. 

With that said, let’s take a closer look at the data. 

The Results: A High-Level Look at 2023 vs. 2022

If you take nothing else away from this case study, internalize the data shown above that illustrates the performance of this campaign from 2022 to 2023. 

Though it tells a slightly different picture in terms of metrics than what has been shown so far, it is evident enough that from 2022 to 2023, clicks, conversions and conversion value all rose while the cost of conversions fell, indicating a higher net profitability for this client’s PPC campaigns.

We accomplished this in part, through a combination of active and passive optimization efforts, delivering an increase in conversions and revenue for the client – the bottom line in almost all eCommerce PPC campaigns. 

Experience Effective eCommerce PPC Management Firsthand 

There’s no guarantee of success in digital marketing for any business, regardless of the strategy pursued. 

However, one way to hedge your bets is to work with an eCommerce PPC management company that has years of experience working in competitive verticals. 

Agencies that fit the bill have worked with clients in those verticals and know what keywords to target (as well as which to avoid) as well as what campaign optimizations to make to maximize return while minimizing spend. 

It’s easy to fritter away money on a PPC campaign, and not easy to generate a solid return. But that’s what eCommerce PPC management companies are there for.

This is just one example of success we’ve delivered for one of our clients over the years. To learn more about the measurable results we can generate for your business, see our full collection of case studies.

The post Overcoming Industry Competition with Effective eCommerce PPC Management appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

They carry the top brands, too. You name it, they have it. Fujikura Ventus. Autoflex Golf Shafts. Nike Golf Equipment. Check. Check. Check. 

They also happen to be running an eCommerce operation (link above) so they can better serve their golfing customers far and wide across the country. Expertise and inventory like theirs aren’t easy to come by. 

But reaching that broader market? That’s a bigger question. Fortunately for their customers (and for them) they partnered with us for PPC and SEO services for online growth. Here’s the short version. 

The Background 

It all started back in early 2020. Basically they, like so many others in their industry, were looking for effective ways to increase their reach online. 

They also sell the best golf equipment brands in the industry, inclusive of the most in-demand clubs, shafts, and golf bags, at competitive prices. Plus, they offer club fitting services, sell used gear, and a whole lot more. Their service is top tier.

It then became a question of what channels to target. For this project, we chose a bifurcated strategy inclusive of PPC and SEO.

Why PPC and SEO Work Well Together 

Starting from nothing, following a two-pronged approach that includes both PPC and SEO is a smart move. This is because the two work in very different ways and help drive a strategy forward over the long-term.

Here’s why. With search engine optimization (SEO), you need to make granular optimizations at the page level which not only take time themselves, it takes time for search engines like Google to recognize them and assign authority so the website ranks higher in the organic search results. You also need to develop a long-term content strategy as well as start sowing links. 

That all takes a long time. Most SEO efforts don’t bear real fruit for a year or more. In this instance, it just happens to be the case that we can take a long look backwards.

The thing here is, if you’re aiming to have SEO pay for itself, it usually takes a while. Clients that want to see results more quickly should also invest in PPC. 

In PPC, instead of organically improving positions, you bid for top ad spots in the paid search results by buying – literally- relevant keywords. This gives PPC marketers the ability to buy positions for higher visibility, effectively overnight. 

Paired with exceptional targeting – which will be covered in more detail below, PPC can start driving traffic and generating higher conversion rates and sales right out of the gate.

But it gets better, because as data associated with customer and purchasing behavior rolls in over the course of the campaign, PPC specialists can hone their strategy and improve targeting to improve both ROI and ROAS, boosting profitability. 

Then, as SEO efforts improve and organic impressions, clicks and sales start to generate steam, domain authority increases. Higher organic rankings improve the credibility of paid ads, which in turn makes it easier to develop a sensible bid strategy, lowering cost per click. 

Keyword Strategy, Targeting and Setting the Stage 

For success in both SEO and PPC, you need a cohesive keyword strategy, which in many cases will revolve around the same keywords.

That’s the secret sauce of a campaign which we won’t divulge here, but suffice it to say our SEO experts uncovered a bunch of mostly golf shaft and bag-related keywords that were attainable, had decent volume, and which were associated with intent to purchase. 

These we set the rest of the campaign around. For the purposes of SEO, the targeting is more or less inherent in the search intent of the keyword. For PPC, it required an additional layer of targeting by area, keyword, and a select group of demographic factors.

With this joint keyword strategy and targeting unfurled and in place, the stage was set. So what sorts of results have we gathered through the years?

Success with PPC and SEO Is a Long-Term Game: Results 

Success in PPC is measured directly through user actions, and ultimately in sales. The efficacy and profitability of the campaign can be measured in ROAS, or return on ad spend. Here we will take a look at conversions and conversion value.

These metrics are straightforward and the numbers about to be presented speak more or less for themselves. The following shows data for their PPC campaigns from Q1 of 2023: 

As you can see from the image which represents performance during that quarter, there was still a respectable volume of conversions and total conversion value. 

But part of our targeting was involved in looking for ways to further improve the campaign. We determined that by adding a Customer Match list, along with calls, store visits and directions to store in mid 2023, we could improve targeting, attract new customers, and improve conversions and overall conversion value.

As evidenced by data from Q4 2023:

And again by data from Q1 2024: 

I won’t beat a dead horse; the numbers speak for themselves. 

As for SEO, that’s a slow game, too. Here are some figures associated with target keyword standings up through the present time:

As you can see, as of the latest scan through one of our proprietary tools that tracks organic keyword rankings, Dallas Golf Company is on one page for most of the target keywords displayed in the image below. You can clearly see positions and search volume – but we blanked out keywords to protect the strategy:

But what about organic traffic? Impressions? Clicks? Sales? 

We can see some of this through Google Search Console. We can only go back 16 months, but you can see there is a clear upward trajectory, notwithstanding a little dip in the middle, which is customary due to natural search engine algorithm updates and fluctuations:

Still, the trend is overwhelmingly positive. 

We can see more through Google Analytics GA4, specifically with respect to event count. There were some minor drops in views and users which can be expected with a bump in traffic – but events are up substantially: 

This of course represents the bottom line – both organic and paid traffic have brought in a substantial amount of conversions and revenue for this client, but there’s more that should be exposed. 

The Soft Details: Content Marketing Success

In SEO, you may have heard the expression, “Content Is King.” This might mean different things to different people, but in this capacity, it’s important to understand that a huge amount of organic growth – SEO, that is – hinges directly on the quality of content a website publishes. 

Content creation could result in product page copy, category page copy, blog copy, CMS page copy, FAQ page copy – whatever – but it has to be attributable to your domain and it has to be both useful and convey authority at the same time. 

Therefore, a large portion of this eCommerce SEO campaign’s value came from optimizing category and page page content, and more directly, writing blog posts that were useful to the target market. These blogs brought in visitors and conveyed authority to the target pages that we wanted to get into ranking. 

How valuable does it need to be? Well, let’s take a look at the top performers. 

The image above shows only traffic to their blog since January 2023. The blog alone, for which our content production team was almost entirely responsible, brought in nearly 200,000 views during that time frame. 

What’s more is that average session duration among those 100,000+ sessions was over a minute – ludicrously high. People are actually reading these blogs and gaining something valuable from them. 

Even better? Every single page has a little bit of conversion value attached. This means that not only are these blogs ranking and pulling in traffic that actually reads them – many of them go on to make a purchase from their website. 

And that is why you can’t completely optimize your website without creating content that actually resonates with your users. No digital marketing strategy – especially SEO –  is complete without it and it is arguably the most impactful ranking factor that will affect your online presence. 

Get Your Marketing Off the Ground Today 

Results like these are, in a word, not necessarily common, and there’s some more insight here. They don’t happen overnight. This case study has been clear on that. 

What’s worse: You can’t begin your SEO marketing efforts in 2020, unfortunately. That proposition is off the table. 

But you can begin today, and there’s no time like the present. 

To start generating more traffic, sales, and to build a massive organic footprint and respectable domain authority, get in touch with us today at 888-982-8269.

The post Uniting PPC and SEO for Long-Term Success (Plus Some Content Marketing) appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a critical metric in digital marketing, yet even seasoned eCommerce merchants often get confused as to how it works.

Understanding ROAS is critical to improving the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns, but more importantly, it can help you navigate important business decisions such as monthly advertising spend and how to price your products in a competitive market.

This guide breaks down what ROAS is and how to leverage it for optimal ad performance.

What is ROAS?

Let’s start with dissecting exactly what this metric is. ROAS is calculated by dividing the revenue generated from advertisements by the cost of those ads.

ROAS is expressed as a ratio or a percentage, and it’s used to evaluate the financial return from specific advertising efforts. A higher ROAS indicates a more successful advertising campaign in most cases.

It’s important to note that in some cases, a wildly high ROAS may have very little to do with sustained or reliable ad performance. I will delve more into this subject below, but let’s say you have a product that is going for around $600. You run an ad for a week with a tiny budget of around $10 a day and no real strategy, yet by chance someone clicks on the ad and converts.

Well, at the end of the week, your ROAS will be somewhere around a 10.00 or 10x. You spent around $60 to gain a $600 profit. Not bad, right?

However, is this number sustainable? Is a 10x ROAS the norm for this product or industry, or was this just luck? The next week, you might spend twice as much and get only one sale again. That means you would have spent $120 to get a $600 order. Now you’re at around a 5x ROAS.

See how such a small change can dramatically affect how ROAS is interpreted? You doubled the budget and got the same exact number of sales, but your return was halved. This kind of bizarre result might be a cause for massive confusion if you don’t understand the digital advertising landscape.

Let’s dig a little deeper into exactly how ROAS works and what can affect it:

Factors Affecting ROAS

Average Order Value (AOV): This is the average amount of money spent each time a customer places an order. A higher AOV can positively impact ROAS, as it means more revenue is generated per transaction. Strategies to increase AOV include upselling, cross-selling, and bundling products. Key takeaways: the price of your products plays a big role in your achievable ROAS. If the average cost of an item in your store only costs around $10, and shoppers tend to only purchase one of these items at a time, then by definition, it may be difficult to achieve a high ROAS.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): This measures the total cost of acquiring a new customer. If CAC is high, it can lower the ROAS, as more is being spent to attract each customer. In competitive industries where the average price of a click or view is high, a high ROAS will be that much harder to achieve. In some industries, a 1.5 ROAS might be the expected norm.

Ad Quality and Relevance: Ads that are well-designed and highly relevant to the target audience tend to perform better, leading to a higher ROAS. This includes factors like ad creative, messaging, and targeting precision.

Market Competition: In highly competitive markets, ad costs can be higher, which might reduce ROAS. Conversely, in less saturated markets, ad spend might yield higher returns.

Seasonality and Trends: Consumer behavior often changes with seasons and trends, affecting ROAS. For instance, retail businesses may see a higher ROAS during holiday seasons.

Website and Landing Page Experience: The user experience on a website or landing page can greatly influence conversion rates. A positive, seamless experience can lead to higher conversions and thus a better ROAS. It’s critical to understand the correlation between ROAS and conversion rate, and how the user experience of your site plays a role here. It doesn’t matter how high you price your products or how much traffic you drive, if your conversion rate is only around .2% or .5%, it will be difficult to drive a positive ROAS.

Strategies to Improve ROAS

As you can see from the above list, there are numerous factors that play a role in how ROAS is calculated. In many cases, it has little to do with ads at all, but more to do with the products, the average order value, and the conversion rate, which are influenced by things like the UX of the website, brand trustworthiness, and what the individual products cost relative to the competition.

There are some straightforward approaches to improving ROAS, however. Here are some:

Optimize Ad Targeting: By refining the targeting parameters to reach the most relevant audience, advertisers can improve the efficiency of their ad spend, potentially boosting ROAS. This is the bulk of the secret sauce that goes into a smart advertising campaign, whether it’s a Google PPC strategy, a Facebook ads campaign, or even a TikTok ad. Knowing how to target the right audience instead of just throwing ads at anyone with eyeballs is often the key difference between a successful ad campaign and just “running ads.”

Improve Ad Creatives: Testing different ad formats, visuals, and copy can help in identifying what resonates best with the target audience. You know that if you are targeting the same audience with two creative variants, and if one is performing better than the other, that the creatives are likely playing a role. Regularly analyzing campaign data and conducting these kinds of A/B tests can help in identifying what works and what doesn’t, allowing for continuous optimization and improved ROAS over time.

Enhance User Experience: Optimizing the landing page or website for better usability and faster load times can increase conversion rates. Usability includes things like clear and attractive product images, easy checkout, helpful product descriptions, trust factors like reviews, and readable fonts.

Focus on Customer Retention: Acquiring new customers is often more expensive than retaining existing ones. Implementing strategies to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value can positively impact ROAS.

Adjust Pricing Strategies: Consider testing different pricing models or strategies to increase the average order value, thereby potentially boosting ROAS.

Expand to New Channels: Diversifying advertising channels can help in reaching new audiences and can also reduce the reliance on any single channel, which might be seeing diminishing returns. Each advertising channel technically has its own user cap in terms of how many people can potentially be reached in a given month or year. When a certain audience becomes exhausted, adding on another channel can be one way to mitigate the potential fall off in users and revenue.

Utilize Seasonal Campaigns: Capitalizing on seasonal trends and creating timely marketing campaigns can help in achieving a higher ROAS during peak times. It’s important to note that the ROAS that can often be achieved during promotions should not be taken as a baseline for average day to day performance.

Educate and Engage Your Audience: Content marketing and engagement strategies can build brand loyalty and trust, leading to higher conversion rates and repeat purchases.

ROAS in the Learning Phase

It’s worth noting in any conversation regarding ROAS, how it can vary substantially depending on what phase of the campaign you are on. In the beginning months of an advertising campaign, especially on Google, ROAS can be incredibly low, because the ad platform is serving ads to everyone that potentially falls in the audience bucket. As the ad learns, it gets served to an increasingly optimized audience. This will naturally improve the ROAS.

On the other hand, there are times when an ad campaign is first launched where the ROAS can seem strangely high. This is because the full budget over the course of the month has not yet been utilized, however a few high average order value orders might still be placed, thus driving up the ROAS. Once the ad runs for a few more months and evens out, the ROAS may go down.

The Relationship Between ROAS and Ad Spend

The last point worth noting here is how ad spend is correlated to ROAS.

Let’s say you are currently getting a 4x ROAS, and this return works for your business given your margins. You love the return and decide to increase the spend. The logical inference is that if you are getting a 4x return on a set amount of spend, that if you spend more, you will get more money, because the 4x will sustain itself.

This is not at all the case in many cases.

Remember, the return you get is directly correlated to the ad spend you are putting into the ads. So if you are spending $10,000 a month and getting $40,000, upping the spend to $20,000 could result only in around a $50,000 or $60,000 return, or a 2-3x ROAS.

The reason for this involves a combination of users in the available audience, the price of the products, and the actual amount of money being spent, among other things. Always weigh these factors when proposing an ad spend increase.

Building an Effective Advertising Strategy

ROAS is a vital metric in evaluating the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns, but it’s clear that there is a lot to learn when it comes to really getting a handle on it and how to positively influence it. One of the best reasons to engage with a qualified eCommerce PPC agency, because experts understand the nuances involved with ad spend returns and can often make the necessary adjustments in order to improve it.

Regardless of your approach, it’s important to take ROAS into account at every step of your PPC approach, no matter what platform you decide to advertise on.

The post What is ROAS? A Short Guide on Ad Performance appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

…And I’m back with another: ROAS, or return on ad spend, which is just one of a handful of acronyms digital marketers use with reckless abandon and utter disregard, verging on mild contempt, for audiences, such as CTR, CTA, ROI, CTC, CPA, CLV, and so on and so forth.

Putting aside all jest, in this post I’ll break down what ROAS is and why it matters. I’ll also attempt to estimate an answer to the question, “What is a good ROAS?” and provide some ideas on what you can do to improve it.

First, What Is ROAS? 

Before I can talk about why ROAS matters, first let’s talk about what it is and how to calculate it. 

First, as I have stated, ROAS stands for return on ad spend. It is one of the most important metrics for you to track for your eCommerce PPC campaigns. 

Fortunately, calculating ROAS is actually quite easy. To do so, you need only two numbers. These are revenue from the campaign (what the campaign is making for you) and the total cost you’re putting into the campaign. 

Simply put, ROAS = Revenue/Cost.

So let’s say you’re putting $1,000 per month into the campaign, and the campaign has generated $1,200 in revenue. To generate ROAS, divide 1,200 by 1,000, which gives you 1.2. In this instance, the return from the campaign covers all costs and turns a profit of $200. 

It should be relatively apparent (not to mention straightforward) why this is an important figure, but to be clear, it shows not only whether you’re covering the costs of the campaign, but how much you’re making (and by what margin) as a percentage. 

If you know no other metric associated with your campaign, learn and follow your ROAS. It tells you what you need to know. 

So, What Is a Good ROAS? 

Frankly, any ROAS over 1 is good. If the ROAS is 1, your campaign is breaking even, which is not great, but once you’ve crossed that threshold, you’re in the black and the campaign is making money. 

However, an ROAS of 1.1 is nothing to scream about, nor is an ROAS of 1.2. So what are some better-than-good ROAS figures? 

Honestly, there’s no single answer to this. It will vary by industry, what audiences you are targeting, what you sell, and a whole bunch of other factors. 

What I can say is this: average ROAS across all industries (according to what I have read and researched) is about 2. If your campaign is covering its costs and earning that much over again in revenue, you’re in a decent spot. 

In other words, you’d be making twice what you’re spending on that campaign. Since that’s just average, we can say that an ROAS of 3 or 4 is pretty good, and an ROAS of greater than 4 is abnormally good, even excellent.  

The only thing I can say, given the number of moving pieces, is that as long as your ROAS is higher than 1, you’re making money. Anything over 2, which beats the average, is good or better.

Ways to Maximize ROAS

Given what we now know, let’s talk about some things you can do to improve your eCommerce PPC campaign’s ROAS score. 

Lower the Overall Ad Cost

Lowering the ad cost is one of the simplest (mathematically, at least) ways to improve ROAS, but I have to say this with a caveat. If you lower the ad cost, ROAS will go up, but you’re not actually making more money. You’re just making more as a percentage of what you spend. So in the long term, this may not be the best way to improve ROAS. 

Anyway, some effective ways to lower ad cost are to review your campaign’s keyword list and remove keywords that are costing too much and dragging down your ROAS. You can also try adding new keywords with high volume and low difficulty (and hence low bidding prices), or try to improve your overall quality score. 

Optimize Ads and Landing Pages 

A better way to improve ROAS is to enhance the performance of the campaign itself by optimizing the ads and landing pages. 

Perhaps your ads aren’t converting because ad copy is stale or irrelevant. It has to get attention to get clicks, you know. An ad copy refresh paired with A/B testing may show you where improvements need to be made. 

Maybe ad spend is too high as a component of ROAS because you’re paying for clicks that don’t get conversions. Landing pages that are confusing and don’t funnel the user towards the desired action of buying present roadblocks to converting that affect your bottom line. They should be easy to navigate and the checkout button should be easily visible from the moment the page lands without requiring any additional action from the user. 

A/B Test 

A/B testing, in which you test two sets of ads or strategies concurrently and track results, gives you an ongoing avenue to continuously improve your ad campaign by weeding out underperforming campaigns and variants. 

It is one of the most effective ways to improve ROAS because it allows you to catch inefficiencies and filter them out, in the only way possible – through live testing. 

Hire a Proven Expert for eCommerce PPC Management Services 

Last but not least, you can probably improve ROAS by hiring an eCommerce PPC management services provider with a history of producing results for its clients. 

This is especially true if you’re not familiar with PPC and how these metrics all work. Digital marketing experts do. They spend their entire careers poring over these metrics and testing different methods for improving ROAS.

They can likely do it for your business.

The post What Is a Good ROAS? appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

It can be expensive and it involves no small commitment in time or resources, but then again, organic marketing, like SEO, often returns the biggest gains, not only in terms of actual dollar value, but also in customer loyalty.

Naturally, some of our businesses are in these restricted spheres. 

Fortunately for them, we have a proven history of making things work, especially with SEO. 

The Challenges of Digital Marketing for PPC-Restricted Businesses

For our clients that are in PPC-restricted industries, the main challenge is that platforms like Google and Facebook won’t allow them to pay to advertise. 

That shuts doors not only for them but also for us. After all, we do also offer PPC management services. 

It also tends to make these industries extremely competitive with respect to SEO. 

The reason for this is that all of the other contenders must also engage in SEO (and organic social media marketing) in order to survive.

Since one of the cornerstones of SEO is content, the challenge becomes even bigger. To write for these clients, we need to become industry experts ourselves. 

More often than not, this requires close collaboration, and coordination, with the client in order to determine a cogent content schedule.

That way we can move in lockstep. As you’re about to see, it works. 

Select Findings

A picture tells a story. They also say a picture tells a thousand words. So, I combed through Google Search Console and Google Analytics to find real data that illustrates the performance of our SEO services for some of our clients in PPC-restricted industries. 

The data you’re about to see covers 4 separate clients, each of them in slightly different industries. All are PPC-restricted.

Let’s take a look at blog growth for one of our clients that has been around several years. 

Growth has been slow but steady. If you’re wondering, we were starting out with absolutely nothing. The blog was bare when we started the campaign and had 0 visits. We were working with plenty of days at the beginning that had no visits, but as you can see we’ve picked it up. 

Growth has been particularly strong in the last year, and domain authority and sessions are both growing. In this particular case, remember – we’re not in this to grow our clients’ blogs, but to get them visits to their product and category pages in order to increase conversions. Blog growth only sweetens the deal and serves as a validator, for us. 

Here’s overall traffic to the same client’s website, basically from the start of the campaign to the present time: 

You don’t even need to see actual numbers to see how strong growth has been. It’s up almost double, on average, since the campaign began. 

Let’s take a look at blog growth of another client’s blog.

The situation is the same as it was for the last client. We were working with nothing at the outset but have seen huge gains in the last year. Blog growth and time on page are very strong (nearly 3 minutes time on page is impressive in its own right) and the fact that there’s even a little bit of page value is even more impressive. We do eCommerce SEO, remember, and the fact that people are reading our blogs and then buying from our client’s website is extremely gratifying for us (and them). 

Here’s traffic to the same client’s website, showing growth during the first half and latter half of the current campaign by breaking it up into roughly two components. 

Again, you don’t really need numbers to see how dramatic growth has been. Still, figures tell a pretty powerful story. Pageviews are up almost double. Page value has more than doubled since we started the campaign. I won’t belabor this. The image and the figures tell you as much as I possibly could.

As impressive as these metrics are, sometimes it’s visibility and clicks that show how effective our efforts are. 

Check out these results through Google Search Console for another client. 

The weird spike in the middle makes it a little hard to see just how dramatic the positive movements were for this client, but the metrical increases are clear. 

Clicks increased by almost 5,000 during the second half of the period, and impressions nearly doubled. Nearly twice as many searchers saw our client’s website in the organic search results as had seen it during the immediately preceding period. 

These results tell an even more pointed story, for a different client, and the image is far more compelling. 

Clicks, impressions, average position, and even click-through rate all increased for this client during this period. Impressions didn’t quite double but increased substantially, and the same could be said for clicks. 

What’s really impressive about this is that, as impressions increase, click-through rate usually drops. It’s very hard to get both more impressions and a higher share of clicks from them, but we did. This is likely due to the fact that we were targeting highly relevant keywords for this client. 

That doesn’t just mean more people saw our client’s listings; it means more of the people that saw them were looking for what they sell, and clicked. 

The Proof Is In the…Results

These figures span a period of more than 3 years – in two cases nearly 4 – and for 4 separate clients with unique models. 

All of them operate in PPC-restricted industries, and for all of them, the keys to growth have been in a strategic partnership that entailed the delivery of highly targeted, highly, effective SEO services. The rest of our case studies tell similar tales. 

If you’re reading this and are responsible for the success of an eCommerce business in a restricted vertical, an SEO strategy might just be the missing piece.

The post SEO Case Study: Tracking Long-Term Growth of PPC-Restricted Clients appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Today we’ll dissect practical approaches that can enable small businesses to enhance their digital marketing endeavors, with a keen focus on social media marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Social Media Marketing

Social media has evolved from a group of communication platforms into robust marketing resources, presenting small businesses with golden opportunities to amplify their brand presence. Here’s how small business owners can make the most of it:

Understanding the Audience

Before developing a social media marketing strategy, small businesses must undertake a comprehensive study of their target audience. Diving deep into demographics, preferences, and behaviors can provide the insights necessary to tailor their content for maximum impact.

Consistent Branding

Across all social media platforms, maintaining a coherent branding strategy is pivotal. A uniform profile picture, cover photo, and color scheme cultivate a unified online identity, contributing to a professional and trustworthy image.

Quality Content

Regular posting of high-quality content stands as a cornerstone of effective social media marketing. This could encompass informative articles, captivating visuals, and even content co-crafted with the community. The objective is to sustain audience engagement and pique their interest as much as possible with every post.

The Art of Hashtags

The correct use of hashtags can propel posts beyond their immediate circles, while overusing hashtags can spread a post too thin or attract the wrong audience. By diligently researching relevant and trending hashtags within their industry, small businesses can strategically integrate them into their content, broadening their reach, and targeting the proper audience. 

Engagement

When it comes to posting on social media, interaction is paramount. Swift responses to comments, messages, and mentions construct a sense of community and trust around the brand, resonating positively with the audience. Potential customers will love seeing interactions like this even if they have no desire to interact themselves. 

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

In a landscape where attention is a valuable currency, PPC advertising is a lever small businesses can pull to instantaneously steer traffic toward their digital domains. As the name suggests, clicks on these ads will cost businesses money, so investing in the correct keywords is essential. 

Keyword Research

At the core of any triumphant PPC campaign lies meticulous keyword research. Identifying keywords that mirror the business’s brand while balancing search volume and competition levels is essential to any PPC campaign.

Crafting Ad Copy

Condensing the whole of a business’s offering into a short snippet of ad copy is an art. Writing a PPC ad involves succinctly articulating the value proposition, highlighting unique selling points, and culminating in a compelling call-to-action paves the path to success. All of this needs to occur within tight character limits, which can make it a challenge for businesses who are new to digital marketing. 

Landing Pages

A smooth connection between the ad itself and the landing page that ad leads to is indispensable. Small businesses should fabricate dedicated landing pages that seamlessly align with the ad’s content, fostering a seamless user journey and increasing the likelihood that clicks will become conversions.

Testing

Finding the optimal ad spend involves near constant A/B testing. By experimenting with diverse headlines, ad copies, and CTAs, small businesses refine their campaigns, inching closer to perfection with every iteration. PPC campaigns can evolve over time as competitors bid for keywords and potential customers change how they search. 

Budgeting

A well-structured budget is the guardian of successful PPC campaigns. Vigilant budget management, informed by the performance of different ads and keywords, ensures that resources are allocated optimally. A PPC campaign can quickly go from profitable to draining if it is not being maintained and optimized. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is all about helping businesses enhance their visibility on search engines and driving organic traffic. This is done through a variety of methods including website optimization and link building to increase a site’s authority. 

Choosing Keywords

The proper use of keywords in a website’s content, meta descriptions, headings, and URLs forms the bedrock of a successful SEO strategy. However, it’s essential to avoid the overuse of keywords aka “keyword stuffing”, which can hurt rankings.

Quality Content

The foundation of all SEO campaigns is the creation of informative, engaging, and well-researched content. Small businesses can attract more organic traffic and cultivate the kind of authority that attracts inbound links, reinforcing their online presence as an authority in their field.

Mobile Optimization

The lion’s share of digital consumers now shop and access content via mobile devices. Therefore, fostering a mobile-responsive website is non-negotiable for businesses who want to offer a positive user experience and climb to higher search rankings.

Site Speed

The speed at which a webpage loads is a decisive factor. Optimizing images, implementing browser caching, and selecting a reliable hosting service are all part of the process of achieving faster load times. User satisfaction and retention are directly tied to site speed and search engine algorithms will factor site speed when determining rankings.

Local SEO

For small businesses that have both online and physical locations, local SEO is an option for guiding potential customers to their brick and mortar stores. Updating their Google My Business listing, ensuring accurate contact information, and actively seeking customer reviews are the cornerstones of success when it comes to local SEO. 

Despite how intimidating the eCommerce marketplace can seem for new businesses, digital marketing is always there to help businesses increase their visibility. By nailing the nuances of social media marketing, mastering the intricacies of PPC advertising, and embracing the principles of SEO, even small businesses can achieve great things.

The post Small Business Digital Marketing: Strategies for Success appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

The value of a well-run campaign is self-evident.

And the keyword in that statement is “well-run.” 

You can make boatloads from a PPC campaign. Or you can waste an endless sum of money and make Google richer in the process.

The campaign will do your online business little good if you can’t convert some of that initial investment in the campaign into revenue for your business.

Yet it is quite possible to spend a lot of money on PPC and not make a single cent from the efforts. 

Fortunately, eCommerce PPC management specialists know their trade. 

One of the tools in their arsenal is a set of PPC audit services, which are designed to show you how your current campaign is performing. 

…As well as how it can be improved. Here’s what you need to know. 

What PPC Audit Services Can Show You 

What value you can get from PPC audit services ultimately comes down to what the report shows. 

Overall, these are some of the most important takeaways you can get from a PPC audit. 

• Device Breakdown 

Our eCommerce PPC management specialists are highly skilled with respect to audience and device targeting, but even so, we are particularly attuned to the performance of existing campaigns. This is only one of the prongs by which we target our customers’ campaigns. 

All the same, a PPC audit will show you (if you don’t already know) who your PPC provider is targeting and where. 

It will also show whether your ads are reaching more users on desktop or mobile, which should be of particular interest to you because your users may predominantly shop on one over the other. 

In more explicit terms, it’s a waste of money if you are reaching 90% of desktop users in your target audience, but other research shows that none of your purchases come through desktop users. In that situation, more should be spent on reaching mobile users. 

Just an example, but that should paint the picture quite clearly. 

• Current Audience Targeting 

There are plenty of ways to target an audience for the purposes of a PPC campaign. Some of these factors are demographic, such as age, marital status, and gender; others respect purchase history, interest, and other similar factors. 

All in all, audience targeting makes one of the biggest, if not the single biggest facet of targeting in a PPC campaign. 

That is to say, your ads need to show up in front of the right people that are actually interested in making a purchase. 

If they don’t it doesn’t matter if all of the other pieces of the puzzle are aligned. Your campaign won’t make money. 

• Current Location Targeting 

Perhaps not as important with respect to performance as audience targeting is (although this, itself, is still a component of audience targeting, technically) geographic targeting will make a difference in the performance of a campaign. 

Some campaigns are location specific. PPC audit services can uncover where most of those impressions are occurring and if they are geographically relevant to your audience, because if not, once more the campaign will not generate return as desired. 

• Performance with Respect to Current Keyword Strategy 

When you hear the word “keyword” your mind might automatically shift in the direction of SEO, but the little-known truth is that keywords have a massive impact on PPC as well.

This is because you need to bid on keywords in order to show up in the ad results above the organic listings. 

You also need to exclude certain keywords, specifically those that have high volumes but which are generally irrelevant to your ads. If you don’t exclude them, your ads will show up for them, which almost inevitably leads to the possibility of getting clicks but no conversions, which will become costly.

You want to pay for as few useless clicks as possible. Ideally, you would get a sale from every click, but in the real world, that’s not possible. 

However, PPC audit services can help expose areas in which you should (or shouldn’t) be targeting specific keywords. 

• Bid Strategy Opportunities 

Similar to keyword strategy is bid strategy; actually, this is an offshoot of it. 

There is a misconception among some entrepreneurs that the best way to go about bid strategy is to keep overall spend as low as possible. 

On its surface, this makes sense because bids are an expense and one way to minimize expense is to minimize bids. But in practice, this is not how it works. 

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and in this case, in order to get impressions (and clicks) for those competitive keywords, you need to pay (bid) more to show up in the search results. 

It costs more, but showing up for the most relevant keywords will help guarantee more clicks that will result in conversions. 

And there is a good reason it costs more to be more aggressive with your bid strategy. There are other competitors in that space vying for the same keywords. If you don’t pay for them, they will, and they will capture more clicks and conversions as a result. 

So, while it will cost more to be more aggressive with your bid strategy, it also has great potential to profit your campaign. 

• Opportunities for Landing Page Optimizations 

Another thing PPC audit services can show you is where (if anywhere) your campaign stands to benefit from landing page optimization. 

Some eCommerce PPC management providers don’t offer landing page optimization services, so they just create ad groups and assign landing pages from the existing URLs of the client website. 

This can work, in some instances. In others, the messaging of the ad copy just doesn’t line up with the landing page. This requires one of the two to be adjusted.

Sometimes, this is this landing page itself. A landing page that is not in line with what the ad copy advertises, and from which the visitor can’t talk the direct, desired action, will result in bounces.

Which, in turn, will rack up expenses for the client paying for the campaign. 

PPC audit services can expose opportunities here. 

• Other Soft Factors  

There are other things an audit can demonstrate, many of them unique to each campaign. For instance, an audit can expose weak areas of ad copy, opportunities to target different keywords or products from those that are currently being targeted, and other factors. 

• Recommendations for Campaign Type 

An audit may also be accompanied by specific recommendations for ad type gathered from the data in the audit.

There are all sorts of campaigns; social campaigns, search campaigns, video and shopping campaigns, display campaigns, and more. 

Not all work equally given a business’s model, but a provider of PPC audit services will make recommendations about how to proceed and why. 

• Overall ROI 

Last and perhaps most importantly, PPC audit services can show you how your existing campaign is currently performing with respect to impressions, CTR, spend, and overall ROAS and ROI – if that information is privy to the auditor. 

At any rate, the goal for most eCommerce PPC campaigns is to maximize profit so that you get the most in return from each dollar you spent. This is equivalent to maximizing ROI. 

An audit can break down your current expenses and show weak areas in your current strategy that can be improved with the eventual aim of improving ROI. 

The Best Part About PPC Audit Services: They’re Free

One of the best things about the PPC audit services we offer is that they are free. This is a huge benefit to some customers, especially those that aren’t sure how to proceed with a PPC campaign or even if there is anything “amiss” with their current campaign. 

A PPC audit will help you answer those questions and lay out a framework for the next steps – and you can get those insights free.

The post The True Value of PPC Audit Services appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

An eCommerce paid search agency can play a crucial role in helping a business scale by utilizing their expertise in digital advertising and paid search campaigns. In fact, a well-crafted PPC campaign might be the single best way to scale an online store in most industries.

In this article we will explore some of the direct benefits of hiring an agency for PPC management, and how pay-per-click advertising could be your optimal scaling solution.

Benefits of Hiring an eCommerce Paid Search Agency

It doesn’t take much to launch a PPC campaign these days. Whether it’s on Google, Bing, Amazon, Facebook, or anywhere else, the process is relatively straightforward.

Managing a successful campaign that actually generates a positive ROAS, is another story. To successfully run PPC ads, you need to have a rich understanding of the market landscape, proper budget allocation, and the technical skill to be able to execute on the data that’s received.

Many businesses launch and manage their own PPC ads, with mixed results. On some platforms, if your product is hot and your creatives are attractive, you can find success with relatively little effort – yet scaling your entire business with this kind of methodology only goes so far.

An eCommerce paid search agency specializes in being able to scale businesses, because they understand the importance campaign optimization.

Tweaking the targeting and budget could be enough to take your ROAS from a 1.1 to a 1.4, and that could be the difference between “making a profit” and being able to scale for some businesses. It’s those small things that matter when it comes to PPC, and if you aren’t in the trenches every day optimizing campaigns, there is a good chance you will miss these potential opportunities completely.

Here are a few of the reasons why eCommerce PPC agencies are so effective:

Strategic Campaign Management

An eCommerce paid search agency can develop and execute effective paid search strategies tailored to the business’s goals.

They will perform comprehensive keyword research, create compelling ad copy, optimize landing pages, and manage bids to drive relevant traffic and maximize conversions.

Increased Visibility and Reach

By running targeted paid search campaigns, an agency can enhance the business’s visibility in search engine results pages. This increased visibility helps drive more qualified traffic to the eCommerce website, expanding the business’s reach and potential customer base.

While visibility alone is easy to achieve (simply run a branded campaign while also bidding on competitor keywords), generating visibility while also running effective conversion-orientated ads for a positive ROAS can be challenging. This is something many businesses struggle with, and one excellent reason why a PPC agency could be the smart choice.

Improved Conversion Rates

An eCommerce PPC agency will continually analyze and optimize the paid search campaigns to improve conversion rates. They may conduct A/B testing, refine targeting parameters, and employ conversion rate optimization techniques to ensure that the business is getting the most out of its advertising budget.

Many business owners or in-house teams take the “set it and forget it” approach to PPC campaigns, but this is not what you want to do. These campaigns must be continuously monitored and optimized in order to perform at their best. Unless you are acting upon the data you receive, you’re missing out.

Also keep in mind that no matter how well an ad performs out of the gate, there is a high likelihood that it isn’t fully optimized on the first go. An agency will monitor the data and act accordingly.

Expertise in Different Ad Platforms

eCommerce Paid Search Agencies possess extensive knowledge and experience in working with various ad platforms, such as Google Ads, Bing, and social media advertising platforms like Facebook Ads and TikTok. They stay up to date with the latest trends, features, and best practices, leveraging this expertise to drive optimal results for the business.

Some businesses thrive on only one advertising platform, but many benefit from a multi-channel approach. However it is unlikely that you will be able to optimize campaigns across one platform let alone multiple ones.

Scalability and Flexibility

As the business scales, an eCommerce paid search agency can adjust the campaigns accordingly. They can handle increasing ad budgets, adapt to changing market dynamics, and implement strategies that align with the evolving goals and needs of the business.

This is one of the most important reasons why a PPC agency is necessary in most cases. Constantly tweaking and optimizing campaigns eats up a lot of time and also requires a very specific skill set. By partnering with an eCommerce PPC agency that excels in paid search strategies, you gain the benefit of their collective expertise and round-the-clock attention.

Even if you are large enough to have an in-house marketing department, how many resources can you dedicate to your paid search ads when there are so many other things to consider?

Data-Driven Insights and Reporting

eCommerce PPC agencies will provide regular performance reports and data-driven insights.

They will track key performance indicators (KPIs), measure campaign effectiveness, and provide actionable recommendations to continually optimize the campaigns and drive growth.

One pain point we often see when it comes to clients seeking PPC services is that they never could make heads or tails of the data. They had the capability to launch and even manage campaigns, but when it came time to act on the data, they couldn’t. Primarily because they couldn’t figure out what it was they were even looking at.

To be sure, the data that comes in from a paid search campaign can be rather dense. Conversion rates, bounce rates, ROAS – figuring it all out and then acting on it in a strategic manner is simply not something just anyone can do.

Time and Resource Savings

By outsourcing paid search management to an agency, eCommerce businesses can save valuable time and resources. An agency takes care of the technical aspects, campaign monitoring, and optimization, allowing the business to focus on core operations and other growth initiatives.

Scale to Avoid Stagnation

Scaling is crucial for eCommerce businesses to avoid stagnation for several reasons:

Increased Market Share: Scaling allows eCommerce businesses to capture a larger market share. By expanding their reach, they can attract more customers, gain a competitive advantage, and establish themselves as leaders in their industry. This helps them stay ahead of competitors and maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving market.

Revenue Growth: Scaling with PPC enables eCommerce businesses to drive significant revenue growth. As they expand their operations, reach new markets, and attract more customers, their sales and revenue potential increases. This growth in revenue provides resources for further investment, innovation, and market expansion.

Cost Efficiency: Scaling often brings economies of scale, allowing businesses to optimize their operations and reduce costs. By increasing the volume of sales and production, eCommerce businesses can negotiate better deals with suppliers, reduce per-unit costs, and improve overall profitability. This cost efficiency enhances the business’s competitiveness and ability to invest in future growth.

Adaptability to Market Changes: Scaling enables eCommerce businesses to adapt to changing market dynamics. By scaling their operations, they can quickly respond to shifts in consumer preferences, technological advancements, or market trends. This agility helps them stay relevant and adjust their strategies to meet the ever-changing demands of the market.

Innovation and Competitive Advantage: Scaling provides eCommerce businesses with the resources and capacity to invest in innovation. It allows them to develop new products or services, improve their customer experience, adopt emerging technologies, and stay ahead of competitors. This continuous innovation creates a competitive advantage and helps the business differentiate itself in the market.

Talent Acquisition: Scaling often requires businesses to expand their team and attract top talent. As eCommerce businesses grow, they can offer more job opportunities and provide attractive career prospects. By hiring skilled professionals, businesses can bring in fresh perspectives, expertise, and capabilities that drive further growth and innovation.

Customer Expectations: In the rapidly evolving eCommerce landscape, customer expectations continue to rise. Scaling allows businesses to meet and exceed these expectations by investing in infrastructure, customer support, fulfillment capabilities, and other aspects of the business that contribute to an exceptional customer experience. Failing to scale may result in falling behind competitors and losing customer trust and loyalty.

Partnering With the Premiere Paid Search Agency For eCommerce

Getting an eCommerce business off the ground is no easy feat, but with the right PPC agency in your corner, this goal becomes far more obtainable.

If you are interested in scaling your online store, it’s important to consider your paid ads strategy and invest in it accordingly.

Not sure how your advertising efforts stack up? Take this free PPC audit to get valuable insights from an eCommerce professional.

The post Scaling With an eCommerce Paid Search Agency appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

But here’s the burning question: which platform, exactly, is best suited for your business?

With both Google Ads and Facebook Ads offering unique features and targeting capabilities, it’s crucial to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and how they align with your marketing goals. 

That’s why, in this article , we’ll go through the specifics of both platforms and highlight each one’s features so that you can unravel the mysteries of Google Ads and Facebook Ads and discover the path that will lead your business to success.

The Power of Intent: Google Ads

When it comes to capturing users actively searching for your products or services, Google Ads takes center stage. It operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where advertisers bid on keywords related to their products or services, and pay only when their ads are clicked.

It’s because Google’s advertising model relies heavily on keywords that it becomes extremely important to understand how  a potential customer would go about looking for, asking about, and finding your business. 

For instance, let’s imagine you own a yoga studio in New York City. With Google Ads, you can bid on keywords like “yoga classes in NYC” or “best yoga studio near me,” ensuring that your ads appear prominently when someone in your target area is actively searching for yoga classes. This highly targeted approach significantly increases the likelihood of connecting with potential customers who are ready to take action.

Industries that Thrive with Google Ads

While both Google Ads and Facebook Ads can be effective advertising platforms, certain industries are more likely to benefit from the unique features and targeting capabilities of Google Ads. Here are some industries that tend to thrive with Google Ads:

1. E-commerce and Retail

Google Ads is a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses and retailers looking to increase online sales. With the intent-based targeting and search advertising capabilities, businesses can effectively promote their products to users actively searching for them.

Of course, advertising on Facebook can yield just as significant results, depending on the campaign and ads that you’re running. The main difference is that Google Ads will target those who are already on the lookout for your products (meaning the intent to purchase is already there). When users on Facebook see your ads, on the other hand, they may not yet be in a place where they’re looking to buy.

2. Local Services and Brick-and-Mortar Businesses

If you operate a local service or have a physical store, Google Ads offers invaluable opportunities to attract nearby customers. Local businesses such as restaurants, salons, repair services, and professional services can leverage location-based targeting and local ad extensions to increase their visibility in the local market.

By appearing prominently in local search results and utilizing features like call extensions and Google Maps integration, businesses can drive foot traffic, generate leads, and enhance their local presence.

3. Professional Services and B2B

Google Ads is particularly beneficial for professional service providers and businesses operating in the B2B sector. With search ads, businesses can target specific keywords related to their services, allowing them to reach decision-makers and professionals actively searching for solutions.

Whether you offer legal services, marketing consulting, or software solutions, Google Ads enables you to position your business as a trusted authority and capture high-value leads. By utilizing ad extensions like sitelinks and callouts, you can highlight your expertise, showcase client testimonials, and drive qualified leads to your website.

4. Home Services and Contractors

If you provide home services such as plumbing, electrical work, or home renovations, Google Ads can be a game-changer for generating leads and acquiring new clients. Users often turn to Google when they need immediate assistance or professional services for their homes.

By running targeted search ads with location-based targeting, businesses in the home services industry can ensure they appear in relevant search results when users are actively seeking their services.

5. Travel and Hospitality

The travel and hospitality industry heavily relies on Google Ads to reach potential travelers and tourists. Whether it’s hotels, airlines, tour operators, or vacation rentals, businesses in this industry can leverage the intent-based targeting and display advertising options of Google Ads to showcase their offerings to interested travelers.

By targeting keywords related to travel destinations, attractions, and accommodation options, businesses can attract potential customers and influence their booking decisions. Remarketing campaigns can also be effective in reminding past website visitors of your travel offerings, increasing the chances of conversions.

The Art of Aligning Interests: Facebook Ads

If there’s one thing Facebook (as a social media and advertising platform) has in common with its goal to connect people to one another, it’s its ability to help users find friends, influencers, and businesses with common interests.

While Google Ads capitalizes on intent, Facebook Ads excels in targeting precision. With its extensive user data and robust targeting options, Facebook allows you to pinpoint your desired audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even life events.

Let’s say you run an online store selling athletic apparel. With Facebook Ads, you can precisely target fitness enthusiasts, marathon runners, or individuals who have recently engaged with fitness-related content.

If you were to target the same audience on Google, you would have to go after keywords whose search intent might be more centered on an athletic apparel’s brand, material, or local availability. What’s more, you would only attract users who are actively on the lookout for athletic apparel at the moment.

Facebook makes it so that even those who probably already have a still-functional set of athletic wear will still be targeted and shown your business’ ads. This means that by tailoring your ads to specific audience segments, you can increase the relevance and effectiveness of your campaigns.

Industries that Flourish with Facebook Ads

While Google Ads offers distinct advantages for certain industries, Facebook Ads provides unique opportunities for businesses in different sectors. Here are some industries that are more likely to benefit from the targeted advertising capabilities of Facebook Ads:

1. E-commerce and Retail

Similar to Google Ads, Facebook Ads can be advantageous for e-commerce and retail businesses. However, Facebook’s robust targeting options, including demographic, interest-based, and behavioral targeting, make it particularly effective for reaching a specific audience.

Retailers can leverage Facebook’s vast user base and powerful ad formats, such as carousel ads and collection ads, to showcase their products, build brand awareness, and drive conversions.

By utilizing features like dynamic product ads and retargeting campaigns, businesses can engage with potential customers who have shown interest in their products, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

2. Fashion and Apparel

The fashion industry thrives on visual storytelling, and Facebook’s highly visual nature makes it an ideal platform for fashion and apparel businesses.

Brands can leverage Facebook Ads to showcase their latest collections, lifestyle imagery, and fashion videos to captivate their target audience. With precise audience targeting based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, fashion brands can ensure their ads are shown to users who are most likely to engage with their content and make a purchase. 

Moreover, Facebook’s integration with Instagram ads opens up additional avenues for fashion businesses to reach a visually oriented audience.

3. Creative and Visual Arts

Artists, photographers, designers, and other creative professionals can leverage Facebook Ads to showcase their work and attract potential clients. The visually engaging nature of Facebook makes it an ideal platform for artists to display their portfolio, share behind-the-scenes content, and promote their services.

By targeting users with specific interests and demographics relevant to their creative niche, artists can ensure their ads reach individuals who appreciate and value their work. Facebook’s ad formats, such as slideshow ads and canvas ads, provide opportunities to tell compelling visual stories and evoke emotional connections with the audience.

4. Local Events and Entertainment

Businesses involved in organizing local events, concerts, festivals, or entertainment experiences can leverage the geolocation targeting capabilities of Facebook Ads to reach their target audience effectively.

By targeting users within a specific location radius and aligning ad campaigns with the interests and behaviors of local residents, event organizers can drive ticket sales, increase event awareness, and generate excitement.

Facebook’s event promotion features, including event pages, event responses, and ticketing integrations, provide comprehensive tools for promoting local events and maximizing attendance.

5. Health and Wellness

Businesses in the health and wellness industry, including fitness centers, health clinics, and wellness products, can benefit from the targeted reach of Facebook Ads. With the ability to target users based on their interests, behaviors, and engagement with health-related content, these businesses can connect with individuals who are actively seeking solutions to their health and wellness needs.

Facebook Ads can be used to promote services, share educational content, and generate leads for health-related programs and products. By utilizing video ads, testimonials, and success stories, businesses can build trust and credibility within this industry.

The Budget Factor: Cost and ROI

When it comes to budget allocation, understanding the cost and return on investment (ROI) is crucial.

Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. The cost per click can vary depending on factors like competition, keywords, and industry.

On the other hand, Facebook Ads typically follows a cost-per-impression (CPM) or cost-per-action (CPA) model, where you pay for impressions or specific actions such as link clicks or conversions.

In the end, determining which platform offers the best ROI for your business requires a bit of testing and experimentation as well as analyzing your objectives, industry, and target audience

So Which Platform Best Suits Your Business?

In the realm of digital advertising, the choice between Google Ads and Facebook Ads boils down to understanding your business objectives, target audience, and marketing goals.

Google Ads excels in capturing intent-driven traffic, ensuring your ads appear when users actively search for your offerings. 

On the other hand, Facebook Ads offers precise audience targeting, allowing you to reach potential customers based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors. Both platforms offer unique benefits that can drive your business forward.

Ultimately, the best approach lies in adopting a comprehensive strategy that combines the strengths of Google Ads and Facebook Ads, depending on your specific marketing objectives. 

Harness the power of intent with Google Ads while leveraging the precision targeting and visual storytelling capabilities of Facebook Ads.

By integrating these platforms into your marketing arsenal, you can reach your target audience more effectively, drive conversions, and propel your business to new heights in the dynamic digital landscape.

The post Google Ads VS Facebook Ads? Which One’s Best for Your Business? appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.