how does PPC work for competitive niches?

[Wrenny]

So say random CPA offers something about relationships. A pretty competitive market.

I make an average landing page. I don't do much SEOing but instead just toss my money into PPC.

Do I really need to rank high on a keyword search or as long as my keyword is good for PPC?

I guess i'm just sortve confused as a newbie when I look at network offers..I'm part of clickbank and ads4dough. Most of the offers look like they are pretty competitive..so I feel like frustrated on how to start.

 

[omgyams]

Start with something that has very little competition. You're going to lose money learning how it works, might as well do it on cheap clicks. You can read and read and read, but you won't understand PPC until you actually do it.

 

[justo_tx]

You can also start by advertising on the content network only (much cheaper than search) while you figure out how to adjust bids, refine ad copy to increase CTR, improve your quality score, etc... all things that will work exactly the same when you run your ads on the search side.

 

[BlueYonder]

One very important thing to remember to do when starting out is to create a very large and varied keywords list and concentrate on long tails. It's slow and dull, but you'll lose less money while learning how to make money. The long tails are very nicely targeted to the people you want to convert, so be patient and scale it from there by using broader terms as you gain experience.

Good luck bro.

 

[BlueYonder]

You can also start by advertising on the content network only (much cheaper than search) while you figure out how to adjust bids, refine ad copy to increase CTR, improve your quality score, etc... all things that will work exactly the same when you run your ads on the search side.

Really? I read the opposite here: use the search network only and shut off the content network when first starting out. This assumes you're using Google of course.

Who else can weigh in on content versus search?

 

[turbolapp]

You can also start by advertising on the content network only (much cheaper than search) while you figure out how to adjust bids, refine ad copy to increase CTR, improve your quality score, etc... all things that will work exactly the same when you run your ads on the search side.

That's interesting. That's the first time I've ever heard of someone suggesting to start with the content network. I can see what you're saying with the lower cpc, but for a newb I would think the naturally higher level of frustration of just starting out would be tough to handle with something as difficult to wrestle as the content network.

 

[kaveman]

That's interesting. That's the first time I've ever heard of someone suggesting to start with the content network. I can see what you're saying with the lower cpc, but for a newb I would think the naturally higher level of frustration of just starting out would be tough to handle with something as difficult to wrestle as the content network.

I think it kind of depend on your train of thought and training. I took a lot of business classes that taught me tradition marketing and I find it much easier to just hop on content because i like doing demographic targeting a lot more than strict keyword marketing

 

[justo_tx]

but for a newb I would think the naturally higher level of frustration of just starting out would be tough to handle with something as difficult to wrestle as the content network.

Huh, I never thought of the content network as any more difficult than search, in fact since you don't really have to worry about quality score it would be easier if you are cool with taking longer to get relevant data to start optimizing with (but that's just me). But since advertising on the search side where the user is more likely in a buy mode I can see where some frustration from a low conversion rate would kick in.

I also suggested this since he said "competitive niches" versus just "niches", if he's a newb and going swimming with the biz opp and resv sharks in the search waters the possibility of blowing his entire budget with little to show for it could be more frustrating than dealing with the content network.

 

[justo_tx]

Crap, I forgot content had QS now, me fail.

 

[Webtistic]

Really? I read the opposite here: use the search network only and shut off the content network when first starting out. This assumes you're using Google of course.

Who else can weigh in on content versus search?

Personally, I would suggest opting for search first as you have a more commercially motivated user who will probably tell you a little more about the advertisers conversion possibilities.

Also, start on phrase (Adwords), not exact to throw the net a little wider before establishing what keywords are working amd fine-tuning to more specific phrases.

 

[Wrenny]

I also suggested this since he said "competitive niches" versus just "niches", if he's a newb and going swimming with the biz opp and resv sharks in the search waters the possibility of blowing his entire budget with little to show for it could be more frustrating than dealing with the content network.

Like for ads4dough my AM said ResV is the big one out there thats selling. I reitereated that I'm an 100% newb and this would be my first LP I ever made. He just said ResV so I feel lost because it's fierce competition.

I wish I had an IRL friend that knew about this so I could bother them as I was creating a page. I have a few members from here on AIM but I hate bothering them.

There was a sales lead one called Policelink as well. I thought that might be a decent one but aside from the word "police" there isn't that many keywords out there. Policelink wants email sign ups for police news, schooling, etc etc. So I was thinking about police news, police school, police knowledge and using google keyword tool those ranged from 1k-10k monthly search volume with full competition.

So I feel I'm back at square one not knowing where the fuck to start.

 

[Wrenny]

I think it kind of depend on your train of thought and training. I took a lot of business classes that taught me tradition marketing and I find it much easier to just hop on content because i like doing demographic targeting a lot more than strict keyword marketing

I think your my AM that I'm referring too as well in the post above.

 

[orange]

Wrenny, try Keywordsift! It helped me to find good keywords which are cheap enough and are already bringing traffic to my site. There's very convenient way of search, you have to try! The only thing is that it's still beta tested, but nevertheless it helped me a lot) oh, and you may also try semrush to spy on competitors and learn from them.