We all know how important it is to have a solid organic search growth, and we are all aware of how important it is to have a solid PPC campaign in place. Most companies are now aware that weaving the two together is the best way to go in order to dominate the search rankings. As things change, however, we need to re-evaluate, adjust, or tweak our strategies to adjust to a changing landscape. PPC is no different. A plethora of changes has occurred in recent months, and the forecast for the next year shows sunny with a high chance of the same exact thing. Here are some tips on how to dominate PPC in the rest of 2015 and on into 2016 based on what has happened in recent months.

Increase your focus on PPC local

In 2013, most companies said they planned to spend more on PPC. In 2014, 83% of respondents to a major e-commerce research company said they planned to spend even more than the year before. You can bet that 2015 was the same. This is mostly due to the fact that companies that are successful tend to expand and run more ads, and others who haven’t been successful get stubborn and continue to pour money into a black hole. Such is the marketing business. What you should do instead of just throwing money at PPC is concentrate more on PPC local. Recent developments with the Google “snack pack” update have taken away some of the most valuable real estate on the web: the top of the local SERP. This means that if you were there before, but aren’t anymore, then the only way to the top is through PPC. While most of your competition is fighting to take their spot back, a goal that might not even be attainable, you can focus your money on a guaranteed way to get visible.

Tip: Going local? Then talk like locals. Nothing endears people to each other like sharing a local experience. Own a car service in Manhattan? Put in your ad that you are right off the secret 3rd Ave. bridge entrance to the island. Out-of-towners sit in traffic on George Washington Bridge, locals go 3rd Ave.

Use specific locations for mobile

We all know how important mobile is, and the fact that mobile ad spend was up 22% in Q2 of 2015 only further drives that point home. But just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean that everyone is doing it right. PPC on mobile is a whole different game, with a whole new set of tools at your disposal. The bad thing about mobile is that there is very little screen space, but that’s good for you in this case because the paid ads are at the top. Using specific geo-targeting on mobile can greatly drive up your CTR, and your return on investment. By only targeting those people in your area at a specific time, and adjusting your bid accordingly, you can focus in solely on those customers most likely to buy.

Use dynamic content the right way

Dynamic ad customizers were one of the biggest things to come on the scene at the end of last year, but like all other things, it took a while for it to cement itself, and for people to understand how to use it properly. Now that we are a year into it, proper practices have been developed and used to success. Dynamic content is simply content that changes frequently in order to engage the reader. Using it the right way requires you to:

  • Use Scarcity- All marketers know about scarcity, and when combined with dynamic content, it can be powerful. Show how many people are looking at the same room, how many flights are left at the price, how many days are left on a sale, or how long another promotion lasts. This gets people to click.
  • Show them what you’ve got- A lot of marketers don’t seem to be taking advantage of this, but you can use customizers to show how many styles you have to offer, or what the starting price is.

Think this stuff isn’t important? Marketers saw an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized web experiences. Get on it.

PPC and the world of marketing are constantly changing, and you need to adapt your strategies or you face extinction. These tips on how to dominate PPC in 2016 and the rest of this year are reflective of a changing landscape, and new advances in techniques. They are based on the most up-to-date information.  In order to beat the competition, you have got to outwork them or in this case, outthink them.