Using Pay-per-Click Search-Engine Services

One of the best methods of increasing your site traffic is to use the pay-per-click services offered by many search engines. Most of them allow you to bid on key words or phrases that users are likely to search for. The highest bidder gets the highest ranking in the search results, and pays the search engine every time someone clicks on their link. Here are some basic guidelines:

• Choose your keywords carefully. Pick terms that apply to your site's content or your visitors' interests. It is vitally important that you understand what your customers are looking for, or what problems they might be trying to solve, when you generate keyword lists. Now, it's true that the most obvious and popular keywords tend to be the most expensive. You can benefit by thinking of more specific, but less obvious, search terms that will convert higher for you at a lower cost, but only if they match your site's content. For help in picking keywords, you can use tools like those offered by Overture and Wordtracker. You should also look at what terms your competitors are bidding on, and monitor referring URLs to your Web site.

• Closely track your ROI. Most search engines allow you to group similar keywords and monitor their performance at either the group or individual level. Additionally, Associates tracking tags allow you to track your Web site's performance or that of different keyword campaigns at a greater level of granularity. (For information on how to obtain tracking tags, see our FAQ.) Consult your Associates reports to see how many visitors to your site ultimately made a purchase. If your average conversion is 1%, then bidding 5 cents per click for a placement in a search engine's listings will cost you around $5 per sale. If you're making over $5 per sale, you're in good shape. If you're not, you'll need to continue to optimize your site. It is important to track your results at a level that allows you to easily understand what is working, and if you are making money. This will allow you to eliminate unprofitable keywords quickly.

• See where the traffic is. Search engine traffic has become greatly concentrated over the last couple of years. These sites all offer pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion services and are widely used by consumers: Google, Overture (a Yahoo Company), LookSmart.

Finally, it's often a good idea to start small and test a handful of keywords before you invest too much money and time in pay-per-click campaigns. While they can be a lucrative way to drive traffic, they can also be risky if your traffic isn't ultimately converting into. For some additional tips, click here to read how fellow Associate Art World Chicago successfully used paid search results to make money.