If you're in the market to start building some PPC campaigns, consider the following tips. They're designed to give you more bang for your buck. In my experience, these are key items to keep in mind as you build out your PPC account – either from scratch or if you’re in the need for a campaign setup refresh.
1) This one comes from Google but I find it to be a really useful. Mirror your PPC campaigns like the layout of your website. Chances are your site is set up in such a way that people can navigate through it pretty easily. Use this as a way to come up with keyword themes and build from there.
2) You know your business and you know what people call your services or products. Be sure to incorporate all variations of those keywords into your campaigns for bidding on and in the ad copy. Consider building an ad group specifically for buzz words or slang if applicable.
3) Refine your negative keyword lists. Don’t waste your money by having your ads clicked on when someone searches a keyword that isn’t related to your business
4) Another good tip (and best practice borrowed from Google) is to make sure your Search and Display campaigns are separated. Both of those networks have very distinct features and tendencies which require unique optimizations. Keep them separated for ease of management.
5) Take advantage of some of the automation tools within Adwords. Gone are the days of spending thousands of dollars on bid management tools. My favorite Automated Rule is changing the max CPCwhen the average position drops below a certain position.
6) Refine and optimize as often as possible. Take the time to go into each individual campaign and get familiar with the CTR and conversion rate to understand the “campaign average.”
7) Make sure you’re sending someone to a relevant page. You just paid for someone to enter your site. Something you offered or said in your ad sparked their interest so make sure you provide relevant information.
Consider all of these tips whether you’re building a brand new PPC account or just revamping your existing account. A majority of these tips can be applied across Google and Bing with some slight variation. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with your PPC account and campaigns to understand when optimizations need to be made.