PPC or Pay-Per-Click is one of the most important marketing strategies that continue to stand the test of time.

Popularly known as paid ads, PPC is a key component in a digital marketing course. Not only does it help you increase web traffic, but it also allows you to connect to your target audience when they are looking for your product or service. 

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Many business owners don’t reap the benefits of PPC as they simply don’t fully understand it.

In other cases, several businesses fall victim to common PPC myths or misconceptions that prevent them from launching an effective PPC campaign.

In this article, we have tried to dispel some PPC myths that have plagued the digital marketing industry and have put PPC in a bad light.

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Top PPC Myths You Should Discard

1. Being in 1st Position on the SERP Page is Most Profitable

The number 1 position on the Google SERP page is certainly the most desirable position for all brands and companies. Though it is a great position to be in, being number one does not equate to profit. Moreover, to maintain that coveted position you may have to spend more money than you generate.

Also, it attracts a lot of searchers who are just at the beginning phase of their research and might not buy from you. You must play with ad positioning and see which position provides you with the right balance between costs vs. value.

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2. PPC is the Best option to Get the Number 1 Position on SERP

This is a very prevalent PPC myth, which has been around for quite some time. Many companies, especially startups, plan to use only PPC to rank number one on the Google SERP page without any SEO strategy. PPC can indeed get you on top of the Google SERP page but you have to spend a huge amount of your marketing budget to be in that position.

On the other hand, there is no guarantee that SEO will help you rank on the SERP page. The important thing is you will get positive results when both PPC and SEO work together. Unless you are a big brand that doesn’t require any branding anymore you should use both PPC and SEO to achieve a better position on the SERP page, if not the #1 position.

3. Set your PPC Campaign and Forget

This is one of the greatest PPC myths and you should discard it as soon as possible. This PPC myth is far from the truth. Know that while you run your campaign you should keep looking for various opportunities to optimise it. You need to constantly monitor your campaigns; you need to keep on testing what works and what does not.

You must lower or increase your bid according to traffic and also turn off and turn on at the right time to get the most from your investment. For this reason, many businesses seek help from PPC agencies who can dedicate their time and expertise to yield the most from your campaigns. The more effort you put in the more you get out of it.

4. Use as Many keywords as Possible

This is a very silly but common PPC myth, and the logic behind this is that you will be able to reach more people by putting as many keywords as possible. If you use this method, first of all, you will get a lot of unqualified traffic affecting your campaign and without relevant keywords, you will spend more money on the clicks that won’t convert. Moreover, Google might flag your campaigns for keyword stuffing.

5. PPC is Too Expensive

This is an old PPC myth and it probably comes from inexperienced marketers who are not fully skilled in PPC strategies and how to use the platforms, thus ending up spending more money. When handled by an experienced PPC manager your spending won’t catch you by surprise. However, you have to allocate a reasonable percentage of your marketing budget to get a good return from PPC.

Most of the paid advertising platforms including Google AdWords allow you to set your daily and monthly budgets. You have control of how much you spend and your ads will keep showing until your budget is depleted. Another important factor is that many companies have big discrepancies between their cost of service and PPC spending, you have to keep your PPC budgets more in line with the revenue for better results.

Understand that PPC metric is not what matters but PPC ROI is what counts. If your PPC campaign is bringing in more leads and generating more sales, than what you are putting in, then how come it is expensive?

6. Only Long Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are long forms of keywords that are specifically related to your business. Long-tail keywords are effective in converting more leads as they have a smaller audience and they are much more targeted. Long-tail keywords should be part of your PPC campaigns but you shouldn’t solely focus on them as they are less competitive and cheaper. General short keywords have a high search volume which helps you get in front of your target audience and creates brand awareness. You have to keep a fine balance between long-tail keywords and short general keywords.

7. Only Run PPC on Google

Google has the major market share in search engines and the most popular one in the world, but it doesn’t mean you should only run your PPC campaigns only on Google and completely ignore other search engines like Yahoo and Bing. Both Yahoo and Bing offer lucrative benefits and you have a better chance of ranking on these platforms due to lesser competition. Some advertisers have seen better ROI results on Yahoo and Bing.

8. No One Searches at Night

Another PPC myth, which doesn’t take into account that customers are no longer restricted to traditional opening and closing hours. Online searches and shopping go on 24/7 and if you are using analytics then you can determine your conversion rates by the hour.

Moreover, if you are serving international customers then you need to consider different time zones so that they are well-targeted. Also, you should keep in mind that your customers may not be able to search while they are at their workplaces and therefore evening and night times can be your busiest times for your traffic and sales.

9. Anyone can Do PPC

You are making a grave mistake if you believe this PPC myth. Unless you are extremely knowledgeable in running PPC campaigns or a fast technology-driven fast learner with a lot of time, it is less likely you will benefit from PPC campaigns. Only specialised PPC marketers or PPC agencies can derive your coveted results.

An agency will optimise your landing pages, will recommend you to make changes in your website, will test campaigns and see what works and what doesn’t, will use data to make necessary improvements in your PPC campaigns. This work needs a lot of time and attention which might not be possible for a single person who is also responsible for other things.

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10. PPC Campaigns Give you Instant Results

There are no guaranteed results with PPC campaigns. In some cases, it generates quick results and starts generating leads and in some cases, it might take weeks or even months, it depends on the campaigns and nature of your business. Also how compelling is your ad copies and how much you are outbidding your competitors.

Instant results are only an illusion and it never happens with any form of business. The actual time to derive results largely depends on the type of business, completion, budget, and site optimisation.

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Conclusion

This article can help you figure out what are the biggest and the most popular PPC myths that you should leave behind. PPC is an important component in digital marketing and it should be handled with care or you end up losing money.

If you wish to learn more about PPC and how the world of digital marketing works, you must check out MICA and upGrad’s PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication.

This course is specially designed for Freshers, Traditional Marketers, Entrepreneurs, Brand and Communication Managers, Sales Professionals to make a successful career in digital marketing. Moreover, you will receive practical experience from industry leaders and get one-on-one feedback.

You will also have a personal Success Mentor who will ensure your consistent progress.  If you have strong leadership skills and a burning desire to create valuable and engaging content this course is just for you. Kick-start your career with the right set of skills and practical industry experience.