November 9, 2007      (Updated from our May 28, 2004 article)

In traditional print advertising or similar ad vehicles, companies pay for the number of people who are supposed to see the ad, or at least that is what is supposed to happen. With search engine marketing, companies participating in a PPC (Pay per Click) program such as Google’s AdWords or Overture, these companies are actually paying the search engines each time people click on their ads.

This system appears to be closer to a performance-based ad program, since companies only pay to actually get eyeballs, and hopefully shoppers into their websites. However, there is a caveat to this. Web visitors who only browse and don’t buy anything can quickly dry up an ad budget.

Luckily, there is a way to fight this growing problem. Savvy search engine marketers (SEM) or their ad agencies need to pre qualify such visitors by writing ad listings that will focus their attention on their real needs. Additionally, when correctly written, these ad listings will give them a better clue on what they will find on your site.

If done correctly, your ad listings will be an invitation to buy the products and services you offer, not just to browse around. This article details the eight important steps needed to better target prospective clients in any SEM campaign.

Step One: Describe a real feature or benefit
This step may appear self-evident, but it is one of the most critical in attracting real buyers and not just lookers. It is important to carefully list all your most important features and benefits your visitor can expect once he or she clicks your ad listing. A great example of a feature or benefit could be: “Save 20% on your next purchase of printer paper” or “Save at least 30 minutes the next time you file your taxes”.

Next: Give your Web visitors an incentive >>>

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Article written by Serge Thibodeau,
President & CEO,
Rank for $ales
Copyright (c) Serge Thibodeau 2004

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