Paid Search (PPC-Pay Per Click) is a great way to stick your toe into search marketing. If planned correctly, it’s cost effective, it’s simple to implement and very trackable. Whether you use Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing or MSN AdCenter, your first step is doing some keyword research. Go to Wordtracker and download the free trial, test the words you think your customers are using to find you and also get some other recommendations. Then create ad group campaigns based on your business objectives. Do you want people to purchase a product? Create an ad group using keywords for that product, take them to a page that best explains the product (the closer to the end of the sales cycle the better). You’ll need to plan which keywords to attach to which ad groups, utilizing not just broad matching, but exact matching and negative matching as well. Make sure that your ad group has a call to action. If your visitors don’t traditionally purchase or take the action you want them to take on the first visit, take them to a page that allows you to acquire an email address to begin communicating with your potential new customer (sign up for email, download a white paper, etc.) Since you’re paying dearly for that click, make sure that you’re creating a process within your Paid Search Campaign to support your business objectives. Tip: If you create an ad group that is initiated with a keyword regarding a particular product, take the click to a page that gets them the closest to that product (not your home page!) Also, remember that a paid search visit starts with a search query using the words “buy yellow widgets” take them to a landing page with the words “buy yellow widgets”, you’ll want to carry the “scent” of the originating search query throughout the process so you don’t lose your potential new customer. Look for our post June 15th when we’ll discuss creating landing pages for your paid search campaigns and improving ROI by testing creative on landing pages. Check out this great tool in beta for testing creative at Google Web Optimizer. (Next time: Defining online business goals). Hope you’ll join me!