Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an essential component of any ecommerce marketing strategy. Well-optimized PPC campaigns can drive targeted traffic to an online store, increase brand awareness, and boost conversions. However, over time, even the best PPC campaigns can become less effective as consumer search behavior evolves. This is where conducting regular PPC audits becomes critical.
PPC audits examine all aspects of an existing campaign to identify areas for optimization and improvement. When performed periodically, PPC audits enable ecommerce marketers to maximize their advertising spend and achieve the best possible return on investment (ROI). This article will explore the fundamental role PPC audits play in optimizing ecommerce PPC campaigns.
Examining Campaign Structure and Settings
One of the first things a PPC audit evaluates is the overall structure and configuration of the campaign. This includes examining elements such as:
Campaign settings - Are campaigns properly set up and segmented based on goals, target audience, and products? Too many broad campaigns can dilute their effectiveness.
Ad groups - Are ad groups tightly themed and relevant? Ad groups with closely related keywords perform better.
Match types - Is the campaign utilizing the optimal match types (broad, phrase, exact) for each keyword?
Locations - Is the campaign properly geo-targeted? Location options match business delivery capabilities.
Devices - Are campaigns optimized for mobile? Mobile drives over 50% of ecommerce traffic.
Ad scheduling - Are ads running during peak shopping times for each target audience? Ad schedules should match consumer patterns.
Bidding - Is bidding appropriately aggressive or conservative by product/service? Consider setting unique bid strategies.
Analyzing Keyword Performance
The keywords that trigger PPC ads are the foundation of every campaign. A critical step in any PPC audit is thoroughly analyzing keyword performance by examining factors such as:
Impression share: Are all keywords getting a sufficient volume of impressions? A low impression share indicates opportunities are missed.
Click-through rate - Do keywords have an acceptable CTR? Highly irrelevant keywords should be removed.
Conversion rate - Are keywords driving conversions? Low-converting keywords should be re-evaluated.
Relevance - How closely do keywords match products or services? Irrelevant keywords waste budget.
Competitiveness - Can bids for top-ranking keywords be justified? Consider reducing bids for hyper competitive keywords.
Search volume - Are keywords frequently searched enough to warrant inclusion? Add more high-volume keywords.
Cost-per-click - Are CPCs reasonable compared to keyword competitiveness? Reduce bids on overpriced keywords.
Optimizing Ad Copy
Even keywords that generate traffic and conversions can be improved by optimizing PPC ad copy. Here are some best practices:
Dynamic keyword insertion - Does the ad copy incorporate the actual keyword searched for? This improves relevance.
Emotional triggers - Do headlines and descriptions use powerful words that compel clicks? Avoid generic ad copy.
Targeting - Is ad copy tailored to the intent of each keyword? Match copy to keyword intent.
Offers - Do ads promote special offers or savings to motivate action? Special deals should be advertised.
Call-to-actions - Do ads incorporate clear CTAs such as "Shop Now" or "Sign Up Today"? Strong CTAs boost conversions.
Mobile optimization - Have ads been optimized for small screens? Short headlines and descriptions are critical.
Evaluating Landing Pages
The landing page experience is just as crucial as ads in converting PPC traffic. Key landing page factors to examine include:
Mobile optimization - Do landing pages load quickly on mobile and convert well? Over 50% of traffic may be mobile.
Relevance - Do landing pages match advertised keywords and offers? Mismatching landing pages causes high bounce rates.
Persuasive content - Does copy compel visitors to convert? More persuasive copy improves conversion rate.
Simplicity - Is the page simple with a clear CTA? Avoid distracting or excessive design elements.
Speed - Do pages load quickly? Slow load times over 3 seconds lead many visitors to abandon.
Forms - Are forms short with only essential fields? Long or complex forms hurt the conversion rate.
Measuring Campaign Performance
The final step of a PPC audit is an examination of overall campaign performance and return on investment. Key metrics to evaluate include:
Bounce rate - Is the bounce rate acceptable? High bounce rates indicate poor landing page experience.
Pages/session - Are visitors viewing multiple pages per session? Low page depth signals poor engagement.
Conversion rate - Is the conversion rate satisfactory compared to similar campaigns? Low conversion rates mean leaks in the funnel.
Cost-per-conversion - Have CPCs grown over time? Rising CPCs need conversion growth to be sustainable.
Return on ad spend - Is campaign profit exceeding the cost of advertising? Negative ROAS needs to be corrected.
By regularly evaluating these metrics through PPC audits, ecommerce advertisers can optimize performance, maximize ROI, and adapt to evolving consumer search patterns.
FAQs
How often should you conduct a PPC audit for an ecommerce business?
By conducting thorough PPC audits every quarter, ecommerce businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of their campaign performance and identify key optimization opportunities. This not only keeps you informed about your advertising efforts but also empowers you to make data-driven decisions. Additionally, more frequent monthly reviews of core metrics are also recommended to stay on top of your campaign's health.
What tools can assist with conducting PPC audits?
When it comes to conducting PPC audits, you can rely on a range of effective tools. These include Google Analytics, Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, paid search management platforms, call-tracking software, and keyword research tools. These tools provide robust data insights, giving you the confidence to evaluate keywords, ads, landing pages, and overall performance.
What are some common problems found during PPC audits?
Some frequent problems are poor quality score keywords, low relevance between keywords/ads/landing pages, unattractive ad copy, high bounce rates, low page depth, declining conversion rates, and negative return on ad spend.
How can you improve keyword performance in a PPC campaign?
During audits, analyze impression share, CTR, conversion rate, relevance, competitiveness, search volume, and cost-per-click for each keyword. Use this data to identify low-performing keywords to remove or improve and high-potential keywords to add.
What should you do if a PPC audit reveals the bounce rate is too high?
Review landing page load times, mobile optimization, persuasiveness of content, simplicity of design, form length, and match with advertised keywords/offers. Implement landing page enhancements to reduce bounce rates—Retest after changes.
Final Thoughts
Regularly conducting comprehensive PPC audits is crucial for keeping ecommerce campaigns aligned with business goals as search marketing continues to change. Auditing campaign structure, keywords, ad copy, landing pages, and overall performance identifies improvement opportunities that can refine PPC strategies over time. With disciplined optimization guided by periodic audits, ecommerce PPC campaigns can consistently deliver high-value traffic, leads, and sales. IoVista Inc. provides expert services in performing these audits, ensuring your campaigns achieve optimal results.
Name: IoVista Inc.
Address: 5220 Spring Valley Rd Suite 568, Dallas, TX, 75254
Phone No: 214–239–0143
