[Inzvestor]

I've noticed that I am still getting good click through rates when lowering the cpc on certain keywords but always seem to be paying either top price or a couple of pence below the recommended rates.

Eg
I test the market with a £0.40 cpc and pay approx £0.38 on average
I reduce my maximum cpc to £0.30 and pay approx £0.28 on average
I reduce my rate even lower to £0.20 and still get the same level of conversions, paying on average £0.18.

The winner here is me on this occasion but the winner on the first example is ?

Has anyone else found this happening also?

I'm yet to determine the lowest amount I can go to and still achieve my goal. I am hoping it will be £0.07 cpc or less... That's my target

[boxby]

yep. Google is a business, it will spend everone's budget everyday to optimise revemue for itself. and even though there is a shortfull between the max cpc and what you pay, you can bet your bottom dollar that google will spend your monthly budget in it's entirety each day.

let start a campaign, everyone put 1p as maximum cpc, I bet we'll all get the same referrals!

[Peter W]

I never spend my whole monthly budget, but then I don't bid much for each click.

On Microsoft PPC it is difficult to spend anything at all, even with an average ranking of between 1 and 2.

[admagic]

First to say you dont want to be top of the list: you can be second or third-
if you are part way down then price affects position. Is your average position changing?

And if there are more than 5 bidders, you will find your ad slipping down the list as you reduce your bids - so eventually CTR will suffer as you slip out of sight

Several things to look at...

If your keywords are not getting GREAT quality , then upgrade the landing page to be more relevant and/or multiple landing pages/articles - quality affects price

Do all you can to highlight your ads - eg tricks with URLS

Keep testing new ads to improve CTR, that will bring price down too.

Separate your money words out into another campaign - and try a geotargetting campaign Separately geotargetting multiple areas, is often cheaper than a blanket campaign.

Finally and most of all...

There are massive opportunities in both site targetted ads and backdoor keywords.. and they canbe clicks for a 2p - without knowing your niche it is hard to give specific advice.

[Cracking Media]

Originally Posted by admagic

There are massive opportunities in both site targetted ads and backdoor keywords.. and they canbe clicks for a 2p - without knowing your niche it is hard to give specific advice.

Admagic - very interesting. So how do you find out the "backdoor keywords"? Do you really need paid for tools to do that? If so, is there one you would recommend?

Peter

[inkmaxhk.com]

Agree with Admagic and I am also wondering " Is your average position changing?"

[admagic]

Originally Posted by crackingmedia

Admagic - very interesting. So how do you find out the "backdoor keywords"? Do you really need paid for tools to do that? If so, is there one you would recommend?

Peter

I explained somewhere....

"Backdoor" keywords is all about mindset - and this is where clever marketing comes in.

Thinking the thoughts of your customer....when they are not directly searching for your product, how can you identify them by traces?
How can you recognise them in the lead up to buying your product or service..

This is a massive subject, and takes some experience.
I dont want to give away specific examples of stuff I am using right now

So Let me give you a few other examples

I once got a lot of cheap clicks for a financial/investment product by targetting "wall street journal" - many of the readers of that publication were the type of peope who wanted my product

I have got a lot of cheap clicks in another market, by targetting the name of a best selling book - which only the type of people who would also be interested in my product would ever want to buy and read.

To get some cheap clicks for golf irons you can target the keywords "how to chip" - which are far less competitive and cheaper than words for golf clubs..

You then have to work out with copy how to get them from what they were searching to an interest in your product.. as always rpermission marketing. First turn them into friends, then turn them into customers.

In the last case it is easy...you offer them a free download ebook on the "secrets of chipping"...then after free info you can make them a great offer for wedges, golf balls , all sorts of things!


So think the thoughts of your customer, find the traces of them on the web - there is no precise formula here.

By the way , dont fall into the mistake of many google adwords consultants. They assume there is less and less quality traffic done this way. They dont even go and look for it, because nobody is teaching this stuff to them.

Wrong. There is far more traffic than is ever searching directly for things - and done correctly the traffic is worth more.

For example the guy typing "how to chip" is almost certainly a passionate golfer - and a lifetime customer for golf stuff if you treat him right. The guy typing "cheap golf clubs" is far less likely to be a loyal life time customer - indeed may be a friend or relation looking for a gift.

And I guess the final point in there is.....
Target a market, not a product. Go after passionate golfers, and supply all they need. Dont blinker yourself to golf clubs

With backdoor keywords, generally offer free information, those searchers want - dont do a direct pitch for your product.

[Inzvestor]

So far no difference in position with 10p less per click
Knocking this down by another 10p tomorrow night for reference