Why Strong Keyword Research is Key to Profitable PPC Campaigns

95% of Americans shop online every year. That’s almost everyone. And nearly all of those shoppers never make it past the first page of a search engine result.

That’s why it’s so essential for a business to land their name at the top of the list, time and time again. Even though there are 5 million Amazon sellers worldwide, only a little over 100,000 of those sellers sell 100,000 or more, per year.

But how can you make sure you’re one of those top sellers? PPC is one way. But it isn’t as simple as just placing an ad. Using the right keywords is what will get you there. And without them, you’ll be at the bottom with the rest of the unsuccessful pack.

But where should you begin? Keep reading to learn all about PPC keyword research and why it’s the key to a profitable campaign.

What Is PPC and How Does It Work When You’re An Amazon Seller?

Simply put, PPC stands for “pay-per-click.” It’s a way of advertising where the advertiser only pays when someone clicks on their ad.

Have you ever noticed that if you perform a search like “best pizza near me,” in addition to your results, you also see relevant search results that appear in ad form?

Have you ever notices that when you search for something on Amazon, like “first aid kit,” at least one sponsored result will also come up at the top of the search page?

That is PPC advertising. There are a couple of different types of PPC advertising, but that one, the paid search ad, is one of the most common. Other forms include things like banner ads or re-marketing.

An important thing to note is that when those ads appear at the top of a page, it isn’t because those businesses paid more than others to make sure they appeared. It’s because they bid on words and terms (keywords) that they want to trigger their ads to be displayed.

That bidding process is all part of an ad auction that is based around algorithmic calculations. When an internet or Amazon user performs a search, the algorithm determines which ads are displayed and in what order they are displayed. So it’s essential that you use the right keywords to ensure your product doesn’t get overlooked by potential buyers.

What Are Keywords?

There are three types of keywords: head keywords, mid-tail keywords, and long-tail keywords.

Head keywords are usually a single word. They also typically have a lot of competition. For example, shoes would be a head keyword. But most savvy internet users would never just search “shoes.” They would search “the history of shoes,” or “women’s black shoes” to make a search more specific to what they need.

Mid-tail keywords are slightly more descriptive than head keywords but not as much so as long-tail keywords. For example, “women’s running shoes” would be a mid-tail keyword.

Long-tail keywords generally have AT LEAST 3 to 5 words in the query and are very specific. For example, someone might search “women’s brown flats on sale size 9.”

Head keywords are very competitive, which is why they aren’t necessarily the best option for a small business or someone new to PPC advertising. Long-tail keywords have a much lower volume of site traffic but they have higher conversion rates. They are much easier to rank for.

How Does Research Work?

You want the keywords that you bid on for a specific ad to be relevant. You have to pay each time someone clicks on your ad, so you want it only to come up as it pertains to relevant searches. That way, you have a better chance of that click leading to a sale.

Any SEO campaign must perform keyword research to launch their ad succesfully. You also want to research your competition and determine how feasible it is for you to end up at the top.

To find the right keywords, you can look at your business or service holistically, check out the competition, and make a list of all words that might pertain to a search that will bring customers to your site.

Here are some Amazon FBA tools that will help grow your business, including a PPC keyword research tool and many others that assist in sales growth. You can use the software to see what words other competitors are bidding on and where they’re getting their traffic from.

How Does Someone Become a Buyer From Beginning to End?

There is a process that every buyer goes through in their search for the right product. It begins with them being unaware that they need anything at all. Once they become “problem aware,” they’ll begin their journey to finding what is right.

When they are problem aware, they are in an awareness stage. They know they need to find a solution to their problem. That’s when research begins until they arrive at a solution. For someone who realizes they need a new computer, they might just search new laptop, at this point.

Once they become more aware of what they want, and they move from the awareness stage and into the consideration stage, they might search for new MacBook air 2019 or MacBook air 2019 reviews.

As they move into the decision-making stage, they’ll search for things like new MacBook air 2019 buy online coupons.

The important thing to do is make sure that you’re marketing campaign covers ALL the steps of a buyer’s journey so that you’re grabbing customers’ attention at every step.

Be Mindful of Negative Keywords

Watch out for negative keywords. Even though you might have an excellent selection of positive ones, the negative keywords could be bringing you down.

For example, you don’t want verbiage on your website that will being irrelevant traffic to your ad. If you’re selling fake Christmas trees but you have people who want real trees clicking on your ad, you’ll want to add things like “real Christmas tree” into your negative keywords.

You Don’t Have to Do Your PPC Keyword Research Alone

In an attempt to move towards online marketing, it can be daunting to think about keywords and algorithms all on your own.

But there are many tools and resources available to use, for little to nothing, that can help. There are professionals in the industry who have helped clients generate those clicks time after time. PPC keyword research is essential in making sure your ad makes it to the top of a search. But it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think.

And we are here to help. Try our FREE keyword Research and Reverse ASIN tool Ask.Zon.Tools today!

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Also published on Medium.