Win at the pay-per-click game

When it comes to niche marketing, many companies using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to reach new customers make the same mistake: they drive prospects to their home page.

This costs companies thousands of dollars each year in lost sales and increased PPC fees, says Heather Lutze, author of The Findability Formula: The Simple and Non-Technical Approach to Search Engine Marketing. Before launching a PPC campaign, she notes, you must be clear about your customers’ intent at each stage of the buying cycle, and their search habits. That means you must think like your prospects and customize the results you give them based on their search terms. Simply having every searcher land on your home page is a formula for disaster. Here are some details to consider for each phase.

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  The Information Phase. During this stage, customers don’t know what they want yet. They are only aware of a pain, a problem, a need, or a desire that they’re trying to solve or meet. Use your most “generic,” one- or two-word key terms to drive prospects to your home page during this phase.
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  The Shopping Phase. Once customers have begun shopping — comparing features, sizes, colors, brand names, price points, and retailers — they add more modifiers to their search term to get more detailed results. At this point, rather than drop someone off at your home page for general information, you want to deliver prospects directly to a landing page with the specific information they’re looking for, based on their search keywords.
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  The Purchasing Phase. Consumers who are ready to make a buying decision use the longest and most specific search terms. At this point, make sure you bring people directly to your shopping cart page. Note that your longer, more specific, highly-targeted keyword phrases will have a lower search volume than more general terms. That should not cause you undue concern, however, because their conversion rate will be higher since those customers know exactly what they’re looking for.

Facebook accused of massive click fraud

Facebook advertisers are accusing the social networking company of click fraud rates of between 15% and 100% - charging them for non-existent clicks. The move follows a Microsoft civil lawsuit against alleged click-fraudsters filed last week.

Click fraud is defined as “A type of internet crime that occurs in pay per click online advertising when a person, automated script, or computer program imitates a legitimate user of a web browser clicking on an ad, for the purpose of generating a charge per click without having actual interest in the target of the ad’s link.”

Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reports that Facebook is seeking to nearly double revenues from last year of $US280 million to $550 million this year.

Small, self-serve advertisers make up a big part of that revenue, and they’ve been reporting skyrocketing click fraud rates over the last few weeks Facebook has been gradually relaxing the rules on what advertisers could promote since the beginning of this year, in a bid to increase its share of affiliate marketers’ (advertising middlemen) cash.

But many advertisers are checking the clicks reported by Facebook against their own figures, only to find large discrepancies - different to standard click fraud complaints where ‘bots’ ratchet up fake clicks – there are no clicks at all.

The brouhaha follows hot on the heels of Microsoft filing a civil lawsuit alleging a massive click fraud scheme this time last week.

Microsoft Associate General Counsel Tim Cranton said the company had gathered “substantial evidence that a handful of individuals were likely responsible for these click fraud attacks, which affected online advertisements related to auto insurance and the online role playing game, World of Warcraft.”So far there’s been no official word from Facebook even acknowledging there is a problem.

"Pay-Per Click" Ad Campaign: Earn More By Spending Less

What is "Pay-Per Click"? "Pay-Per Click", is an easy to understand advertising strategy. There are around 300 million searches at major search engines everyday. This causes 80% of internet traffic. Placing your websites on these search engines is very important in reaching as many potential customers as possible. But in order to be seen and clicked most frequently, your website should be viewed at the top most of the search list. Most people only reach up to the third page of a search engine so the lower your rank, the lesser the chance you will be clicked. In "Pay-Per Click" advertising, you pay to be always visible on the internet. You select keywords or key phrases about your website, and the highest bidder ranks the best.

There is no upfront cost. You only pay after a visitor clicks your link. This is why it is called "Pay-Per Click". Everyday millions of people around the world click on Pay-Per Click Advertising Campaign. With the booming internet industry and the ever growing online business, an ad of virtually anybody on the planet can be seen on the internet anywhere in the world.

The "Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign is the premier growth area in online marketing. Last year, an estimated $741.2 million was spent on "Pay-Per Click" advertising. The usual search engine optimization can take weeks or even months to produce results. "Pay-Per Click" advertising can attract customers at an instant. Why? Because, this cutting edge ad campaign can be placed on any website and can be viewed by potential online customers, anywhere, anytime and all the time.

The only challenge is placing the ads on proper websites that will attract possible customers for a specific product or services. "Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign attracts the right consumers at the shortest possible time. This is the most cost effective way of marketing products or services. You can also monitor the customers who visit your site, what they are looking for and what they are buying. With the right creativity on using the right search-phrases, we can direct the right people who are willing to do business with us.

"Pay-Per Click" advertising can easily be managed 24 hours per day and 7 days a week through the internet. This allows you improve the campaign strategy by effectively responding to the activities of both customers and competitors. So what are you waiting for? "Pay-Per Click" now and let your business take the fast route to success.

India Emerging As SEO Hub With Exemplary SEO Services

Catapulting business websites to top search engine rankings and making it cling there by putting in consistent efforts- SEO services in India have empowered E-entrepreneurs and small businesses apart to find a local as well as global market over the Internet. Popular search engines return billions of results for every word that is searched and it is critical for businesses to have considerable visibility in order to have wide reach. SEO services in India underline the presence of of websites in such a manner that it remains visible and allow more and more of targeted traffic to hit the site. SEO services in India enable you to have a much greater rate of conversions that are lifeblood for your business to perform smoothly and flourish in a fierce competitive environment.


With modern day technology in their repertoire including Web2.0, SEO services in India offer impeccable services to attract search engines like Google, Yahoo, AOL Search, Alta Vista and Ask Jeeves and give your website distinguished treatment. Employing the right mix of on page and off page tactics, link building and tagging, SEO services in India keep a track of all the wavering factors that pull prospective customers to your websites and therefore they are able to provide flawless SEO services in India.


The wide array of services of a reputed SEO company in India include competition analysis, identifying effective keywords and key phrases, content management, website optimization, Link building, directory submission, pay per click marketing and social media optimization. Social liasioning includes blog posting, micro blogging, news releases, forum posting and article submission.

If you want that your websites stays there right there on the top of search engine listings, and unleash your business potential to zoom your sales figures substantially click here to know more.

"Pay-Per-Click Fraud"

In a "pay-per-click fraud" law suit filed with the US District Court in Seattle on Tuesday, Microsoft has sued three Canadians - Eric Lam, Melanie Suen, and Gordon Lam of Vancouver - and two companies named UMGE, Super Continental USA and Super Continental US.

The three residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, have been sued for breach of contract; torturous obstruction of business relationships; fraudulent enticement and falsification; computer fraud; conspiracy; and two violations of Washington anti-spyware and consumer laws.

According to Microsoft, the accused allegedly abused Microsoft's adCenter by conducting a campaign of competitor click fraud, which is a means for gaming keyword ad auctions that allow advertisers to receive ad placement based on a bid price.

The accused exploited the Microsoft adCenter network to help their own company, and its ad purchases of keywords connected to the so-called "gold farming" in the "World of Warcraft" online game; as well as another business of reselling car insurance.

Microsoft's associate general counsel, Tim Cranton, said: "Microsoft gathered substantial evidence that a handful of individuals were likely responsible for these click fraud attacks, which affected online advertisements related to auto insurance and the online role playing game, World of Warcraft."

Along with seeking an injunction against the defendants, Microsoft - which claims to have reimbursed advertisers for $1.5 million due to the fraud - has also sought $750,000 in damages.

Affiliate marketing programs -- tips for success

1. Create a Good Site
Your goal is to keep your visitors on your site. You must use your site as a marketing tool. Your site must be well organized and have the right look and feel. You want visitors to click on the “Buy” button. You want them to make a purchase. Make sure your site directs visitors to that button. You must hold the visitors’ interest. This is called conversion.

2. Create and Post Great Content
For your site to generate income, it needs to:• Attract a lot of visitors (traffic) • Make visitors purchase (conversion)
Good content and good usability are very important. The content must be relevant, and it should encourage visitors to purchase. This is marketing.

3. Search Engine Optimization
If you choose to attract visitors through search engines, the content must be search engine optimized (SEO).Search engines are geared to text quality. Relevant and well-written text helps your Google ranking and drives traffic to your site.
Write for your readers, and for Google. It's called SEO copy.

4. Advertise and Build Traffic
Attracting traffic can also be accomplished through paid ads and links. You place an ad on another site and pay a small amount each time a visitor clicks on your ad. This is called pay per click. Google Adword is the biggest pay per click market for affiliates. You decide how much you're willing to pay for each click and set a cap for your total spending. Some web hosts give away free Adwords checks when you place your site with them.
Please note that some affiliate programs often limit where and how you're allowed to advertise their products. They don't want you to interfere with their own advertising.

5. Starting from Scratch vs. Buying a Site
The easiest and least expensive way to start a new affiliate business is to set up a new domain and build a site from scratch. It requires time and effort, but your initial investment can be next to nothing.
If you can afford to make the investment, you may want to consider buying an existing site. Old sites may have a built-in credential with search engines, and traffic to these sites make already exist. With the right effort, you can get an old site up to speed very quickly.

6. Try Your Luck
Affiliates can be very successful, which could lead to personal satisfaction. If you have Internet access, you can try your luck as an affiliate. But, remember, success is never a guarantee.

Yahoo! offers advice to avoid rejection of PPC online marketing ads

Companies using pay per click services have been offered some tips from Yahoo! to ensure that their ads pass scrutiny.

In a post on the Yahoo! Search Marketing blog, Malin Kennedy, senior manager of advertiser experience at the search engine, said firms must abide by a few simple rules to avoid having their pay per click (PPC) ads rejected.First of all, they must tell the truth and not misrepresent themselves by submitting trademarked keywords that do not have any correlation with the products and services being sold.They should also make sure their web pages are able to handle increases in traffic without crashing, as search engine crawlers are likely to reject broken links. In addition, landing pages should be tailored to the content that is being advertised so that it is of the utmost relevance to those clicking on the ads.

"This will help your customers fulfil their online experience, as you will clearly offer what they seek," said Mr Kennedy.According to a new survey by Forbes, pay per click marketing has been named as one of the most effective tools for improving website conversions.

Pay per Click Advertising – An Internet Advertising

Pay per Click is an Internet advertising model used on search engines, advertising networks, and content sites, such as blogs, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.
Websites that utilize pay per click ads will display an advertisement when a keyword query matches an advertiser's keyword list, or when a content site displays relevant content.

Google Ad Words, Yahoo! Search Marketing, and Microsoft ad Center are the three largest network operators, and pay per click providers and all three operate under a bid-based model.

There are two primary models for determining cost per click: flat rate and bid-based. In both cases, the advertiser must consider the potential value of a click from a given source.

There are several points that make pay per click advertising a vital part of your business. The most important reason for you to begin a pay per click advertising campaign is to lure customers away from our competitors. A great advantage is the fact that with pay per click advertising we will be able to have a top position for our ads right from the beginning. Pay per click advertising will increase exposure for our website.

There are various reasons for the growing Popularity of Pay per Click Management it can save the money. This is because only those who actually click through on our ad need to be paid for. Advertisers are not charged for advertising but are charged only when interested visitors click on their link. This relevancy made the advertising option affordable and meaningful for all advertisers.

Pay per click advertising can provide instant traffic to our website. Traffic generated by pay per click advertising is usually more targeted than from organic results because webmasters can control the keywords. Pay per click advertising offers us greater control and flexibility than regular search engines.

There are some pitfalls and disadvantages to using pay per click advertising companies. If there were no disadvantages to this advertising, then everyone would be using this method; yet, many Internet marketers do not use it.

Many people have lost thousands of pounds on pay per click advertising by simply not having a clear understanding of the complexity involved. It takes a while to learn how to bid properly, create compelling ads that are relevant and using these methods effectively in a marketing campaign.

Pay per click advertising is something everyone should test the water on, before jumping in, head first.

Tips that help you to increase website traffic

While making a proper internet marketing strategy for your website make sure all your efforts intend to increase website traffic. Increased traffic ensures better visibility, business and profit.

This article helps offers you some tested tips on how to increase your website traffic.

Quality content and traffic of website

Content is the king web space-this is not at all an exaggerated proverb. Apart from an appealing look and feel of your website, it’s the information offered by the content of your website that makes your target audience interested and engaged. If you are really interested in repeated visits from your target audience keep the content fresh and updated. Though user-created content was very promising during its inception, it has started loosing its relevance. Hence, have your own team for content generation who can create informative, error-free and quality content.

Keyword rich content, higher ranking on search engine and website traffic

The content of your website needs to be keyword rich. It increases the relevance of your website when search engines crawl sites for related searches. Keyword rich content increases the rank of your website for organic searches. Higher ranking comes always with the lucrative incentive of increased website traffic.

Increasing website traffic through link building popularity

Link exchange is crucial for website management and increasing traffic. While making link exchanges make sure that you are dealing with websites that are dead on content and can offer your visitors some relevant information. Once you are rich in content, may sites will want a link from you. But, be cautious and avoid a bad neighbourhood for your website at all costs.

Increasing website traffic through proper internet advertising strategy

Advertising is of equal importance like content when increasing website traffic is concerned. If you can afford, running a pay per click campaign is a good move. Relate e-zines to your website and submit articles there regularly. Participating in message boards and discussion forums also yield increased traffic for your website.

PPC online marketing 'a top tactic for improving conversions'

Companies looking to improve their website conversion rates may wish to consider using pay per click services.Along with search engine optimisation, pay per click ads have been named as one of the most effective tools for boosting conversions in a new survey by Forbes.

The research shows that 82 per cent of companies are using conversions or sales data to measure the success of their internet marketing campaigns.It also reveals that when it comes to influencing brand perception, firms see site sponsorships and pay per impression programmes as most effective.

"The need to build a trusted relationship with customers as part of an overall marketing strategy may in turn increase the need for contextual ad environments that align the advertiser's message with trusted, branded media," said Forbes.com president and chief executive Jim Spanfeller.

According to eMarketer, a recent survey by MarketingProfs and Forrester Research has revealed that many business-to-business advertisers are set to increase their internet marketing budgets this year.