Best SEM Marketing Campaign Cost Control Strategies to Minimize SEM Ads Spending and Maximize Conversion Rate
Best SEM Marketing Campaign Cost Control Strategies to Minimize SEM Ads Spending and Maximize Conversion Rate
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Keywords that have high search volume are more likely to have expensive CPC (Cost-Per-Click). Depending on the industry, the cost-per-click rate of an SEM ad campaign can range from a few pennies to over twenty dollars per single click. Let’s discuss how to best control SEM campaign costs to decrease SEM ad spend and increase the conversion rate of a lead or a sale.
Top 12 SEM Marketing Campaign Strategies to Cost Control SEM Ads and Maximize Conversion Rate
#1. Define Cost Per Acquisition Parameter in Search Engine Marketing Campaign
Cost-per-acquisition or CPA is the bidding method that focuses on maximizing conversion rate while reducing ad spending. CPA measures the cost to complete a call-to-action, such as capturing a lead or closing a sale.
Within Google Ads and Bing Ads, set an appropriate CPA and define how much marketing budget to allocate towards each acquisition or conversion within an ad campaign.
How to Calculate Cost Per Acquisition in SEM Ads
Cost-per-acquisition is calculated by the total ad campaign cost divided by the total number of leads converted. The value is a dollar amount representing how much an ad campaign costs to make the conversion happen.
#2. Evaluate SEM Marketing Campaign Ad Messaging Performance
The messaging in an SEM ad is a critical component of a winning paid search campaign. High-performing ad messaging increases ROI or return on investment.
The following components of effective ad messaging bring together a targeted ad message that increases CTR (Click-Through-Rate) that drives more opportunities to successfully complete a conversion. Periodically test these components for optimal ad performance.
4 Components of Effective SEM Marketing Campaign Ad Messaging
- Relevant keywords
- Audience appeal
- Captivating call-to-action
- Compelling benefit statement
#3. Improve SEM Marketing Keyword Performance with Advanced Keyword Research Tools
Analytics data is the key to SEM ad campaign’s keyword performance and conversion rate success.
Use search engine marketing tools like Semrush to discover profitable keywords. Make sure to check for search volume and competitiveness of every keyword periodically. Focus on raising the quality scores and CTR (Click-Through-Rate) of these keywords within ad content.
4 Criteria of High-Performance SEM Keywords
- Returns high sales volume
- Generates the most clicks
- Creates the lowest bounce rate (when a visitor takes no action on your website and leaves)
- Leads to the most time spent on the website
Semrush
Best for SEM Marketing-
Discover all the best keywords to target and bring traffic to your site through Semrush keyword research tool.
-
Audit webpages and suggest ideas to improve SEM performance.
-
Uncover all of the keywords and content in competitors'SEM strategies.
-
Research competitors to uncover their display ads and SEM marketing campaigns.
#4. Split SEM Marketing Ad Campaign Traffic and A/B Test Landing Pages
Getting visitors to click on your ad is only half the battle. Turning that click into a conversion is the ultimate objective of a successful search engine marketing campaign.
So how do you ensure that the ad campaign’s landing page effectively converts call-to-action, such as a sale? This is when A/B testing comes in.
A/B Testing SEM Marketing Ad Campaign Landing Pages
Free A/B testing tools like Google Optimize allow you to divide traffic from the same ad campaign onto two or more different landing pages. Test ad elements such as keywords one at a time to perfect both ad messaging and landing page content for maximum conversion results. Monitor how various landing page components improve the conversion rate. Keep testing and perfecting the ad campaigns for better ROI over time.
#5. Simplify Customer Acquisition Conversion Funnel on SEM Marketing Campaign Landing Pages
You can improve the conversion rate of both e-commerce and B2B (Business-to-Business) websites by simplifying customer acquisition conversion funnels on the SEM ad campaign landing pages.
Optimize E-Commerce Website Checkout Process
For e-commerce websites, the goal is to guide visitors through the checkout process in as few simple steps as possible to reduce friction. Making an efficient checkout funnel improves user experience and leads to better conversion results. An efficient checkout process has a higher potential to turn ready-to-buy visitors into committing customers.
Optimize B2B Website Form Fill Process
For B2B websites promoting email signups or form fills that involve collecting customer data, make the landing page form brief, simple, and frictionless. Shorter and straightforward forms-fills are more likely to convert through an ad campaign.
#6. Increase SEM Marketing Campaign Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of total sales volume, leads, or any other conversion value divided by the total number of visitors. It is one of the most critical key-performance metrics in search engine marketing that needs to be closely tracked.
In short, the higher the conversion rate in a search engine marketing campaign, the better the ad performs. Keywords, ad messaging, and landing page optimization all have significant influence over ad campaign conversion rates.
3 Key Factors that Influence SEM Marketing Campaign Conversion Rate
Key Factor #1: Analyze SEM Keyword Performance
Refer to the analytics data from Google Ads and Bing Ads to track and improve the campaign’s performance. Based on data, you can refine ad messaging, benefit statements, and call-to-actions.
Key Factor #2: Optimize SEM Ad Messaging with Keyword Research
Use keyword research tools to find, track, monitor, and refine keywords with the lowest CPC (Cost-Per-Click) and the highest CTR (Click-Through-Rate) in ad campaign messaging. High-performing keywords can uncover unique niche markets while improving conversion rates.
Key Factor #3: Improve SEM Ad Campaign Landing Page efficiency
A/B test different visuals, titles, and call-to-actions to identify the best landing page content for high-conversion SEM campaign.
#7. Reduce SEM Marketing Campaign Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is one of the most negative metrics affecting an SEM campaign’s success. When visitors leave a website immediately after clicking on an ad, advertising dollars are wasted, leading to a lost opportunity.
How to Reduce SEM Marketing Campaign Bounce Rate
Other than technical issues or broken links, landing page content is the first to be evaluated. Ambiguous, irrelevant, or misleading landing page content can contribute to high bounce rate.
What visitors see on the landing page should be consistent with the ad messaging. Focus on concise call-to-actions and highlight the benefits statement. A sales pitch may earn you clicks, but it can turn into lost marketing dollars when you lose a customer over low-quality landing page content.
#8. Target Geolocation Performance in SEM Marketing Campaign
Picking the right location can significantly increase the precision of SEM ad campaign. In both Google Ads and Bing Ads, update the location option to the appropriate geographical regions the ad should target. You can specify the location based on county, state, or city.
You also can adjust the campaign bids according to ad performance in different locations. It is a cost-conservative way to push campaigns to the right audience for maximum exposure.
Take Advantage of Location-Specific Keywords in SEM Marketing Campaign Landing Pages
Use location-specific keywords in landing pages, such as New York City or Los Angeles, to respond better to location-specific search queries. Make educated predictions of visitor demographics by researching your Google Analytics reports.
Learn more about Google Ads location targeting for SEM campaigns.
#9. Optimize Time on Site Metric for SEM Marketing Campaign
The longer visitors stay on a landing page after clicking through an ad, the more likely they will respond to call-to-actions.
Examples of SEM Marketing Campaign Landing Page Call To Actions
- Clicking on a link
- Completing a form fill
- Making a purchase
How to Increase Time on Site and Decrease Bounce Rate
More dwelling time on a webpage can potentially reduce bounce rate and increase the website’s Google quality score rating over time for the SEM ad.
How to keep visitors from ditching your landing page too soon? The following are good metrics to focus on to improve visitor time on site.
Top 3 Metrics to Improve Visitor Time on Site
- High content engagement
- keyword relevancy
- Creative ad messaging
#10. Customize SEM Marketing Campaign Schedule and Ad Performance
With Google Ads and Bing Ads, you can customize the timing of when SEM campaign ads appear in search results. It is a great way to improve ad targeting by narrowing the window of the highest search traffic period while reducing ad spending.
How to Customize SEM Marketing Campaign Schedule to Improve Conversion Rate
Both Google Ads and Bing Ads have the “day parting” option that allows you to customize ad scheduling. It makes ads appear in search results on selected days and times.
How to Determine the Best Time to Show SEM Ads
How do you determine the best time to show ads? Look into your Google Analytics reports. Pinpoint the peak period when you receive the most views and conversions. Keep an eye on the day parting schedule and adjust it periodically according to search traffic flow.
Learn more about Google ad scheduling and day parting in SEM campaigns.
#11. Reduce Cost Per Lead in SEM Marketing Campaign
Advertising cost reduction is one of SEM ad campaigns’ biggest challenges. Campaign cost quantifies the value created through paid search and measures ROI (Return On Investment).
How to Reduce Cost Per Lead in SEM Marketing Campaign
You can lower the cost per lead by using advanced keyword research tools like Semrush to discover long-tail keywords with high Google quality scores. It is a much more cost-effective method than going into a bidding war with generic keywords that every competitor wants to rank for.
Semrush
Best for SEM Marketing-
Discover all the best keywords to target and bring traffic to your site through Semrush keyword research tool.
-
Audit webpages and suggest ideas to improve SEM performance.
-
Uncover all of the keywords and content in competitors'SEM strategies.
-
Research competitors to uncover their display ads and SEM marketing campaigns.
#12. Accelerate SEM Marketing Campaign ROI
ROI (Return on Investment) is measured by the percentage of converted sales divided by cost. It is one of the most result-oriented but complex performance metrics to measure through search engine marketing.
The challenge comes from correctly pinpointing the exact actions contributing to the conversion. For example, there can be instances where visitors see your ad for product A but end up buying product B.
How to Track and Accelerate SEM Marketing Campaign ROI
So how can you track and increase ROI conversion? Look into the analytics data collected on the back end of your website. Data about how visitors interact with your ad campaigns are extremely valuable to your ongoing paid search efforts. Take advantage of the analytics data to test new campaign messaging and improve landing page content so that you can increase conversion rate over time.
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