Content, Placement or Search - Which first?

5 replies
Just wondering what you would suggest to either someone new to PPC or simply what you do yourself when starting a new campaign/product/offer, etc.?

I am new to the PPC > CPA model and want to get started asap and have heard from a couple of good sources everything from start with content-to-direct-linking while others say placement or search first.

So, what do you think would be good for a "noob" or just good advice in general?

1) Content > direct linking
2) Content > landing page
3) Placement > direct
4) Placement > landing
5) Search > direct (can't do this one can we?)
6) Search > landing?

Let's assume I've done keyword research, have a high converting offer (according to my AM) and have small budget ($100/day max!). I can put together a site fairly quickly too (most likely I'd go with Wordpress)

Any advice would be great. Maybe just pick a number and say why? Please...that is lol

Cheers
#content #placement #search
  • Profile picture of the author promo_guy
    Can anyone respond?

    What did you guys do when you first started? What's the best way to learn yet reduce risk of losing your shirt....content or search first?

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Chucky
    I am not a PPC guy (as yet). But from what I've read (I've read a lot although I haven't put PPC into practice yet), you should start with 6) Search > landing?. You can start with 5) Search > direct, in spite of the low QS and high price you're gonna have to pay. But apparently Google will shut your ad in a matter of days (but you can get a way by direct linking in the content network, it seems).

    But then again, there are certain niches that are better suited with the content network apparently.

    Hope that helps, at least hopefully that will get somebody with more experience to talk.

    I have already been criticized for talking about things that I don't do :-)
    Chucky
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  • Profile picture of the author promo_guy
    Thanks Chucky

    Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess at the end of the day I need to try...both. One friend swears by content and doesn't bother with LPs and he gets like 50 campaigns going per day..ie it's a time saver.

    PPC sounds more expensive to test (depending on niche) but it also sounds like you get a faster idea if a niche will work, or if your keywords/LP/ads etc. will work.

    Guess I'll try Search and hope I don't lose my shirt. **** berry, here I come! (just kiddin')
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  • Profile picture of the author Mavericks
    Hi,

    I will suggest you for any kind of PPC research, research and research first!

    Sometimes it is better to have smaller number of searches with very targeted keyword than to have good KEI (keyword efectiveness Index) for broad keyword.

    It is well known that with a landing page you'll get better conversions comparing to
    direct linking to sales page
    !
    Never try to sell on your landing page, sales page is for that, you just "warm up"
    your visitor.

    First try to attract people to your ad with "killer" headline on Ad, after that you must PRE sell to visitors to your landing page and then monetize from your affiliate link.

    Sometimes you do everything well but sales page just sucks!

    After that try to register a domain name as close as possible to that main keyword, write a good headline with your keyword in it. After that create a content with 3-5% of keyword density.

    Research Ads for your keywords and look at the headlines of ads, what are they telling to visitors, try to be intrigue. Or you can use some "old tricks" with special signs like ® or ™ or © to get attention. Google allow that.

    Some important rules to get good CTR (Click Through Rate):

    When you create a campaign groups never use more than 10 keywords per ad group. In one group you can write maximum 30 keywords 10 broad ex. keyword ; 10 phrase "keyword" ; 10 exact [keyword]

    You must have ad relevant to your keywords meaning your keyword must be on Headline and once in your ad.

    Also your landing page must be relevant to your keywords! Because you also want to get conversions!

    And loop again. Research, Research and again Research! Never ending process!

    Google sometimes increase the price for your keywords and you must delete your campaign and do it all over again, sometimes with the same keywords. No one knows why it is like that, and never try to understand Google!

    I hope that this info will help you a little,

    I wish you success

    IJ

    P.S. Google AdWords campaign you must check every day. You don't need to be scared like I was at the beginning, but be careful and reasonable. Before the first ever payment Goolge write at my account "We will charge you after first $70" but they do it after $15. Probably my ads were just a horror movies!
    Signature
    "Easily Uncover TONs Of Profitable Long-Tail Keywords With Little To No Competition!!...
    http://www.keyword-researchpro.com
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  • Profile picture of the author promo_guy
    Thanks Mavericks, some good points there. Still trying to decide if I should go content network first to "test" a keyword/offer then scale to Search or the other way around.

    Either way, I'm nearly ready to start my first campaign
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