Mobile Paid Search Advertising Strategies

In my last article on mobile PPC called Getting Started with Mobile Paid Search Advertising, I covered some basic tips related to mobile paid search marketing. In this article, I’ll build on these and cover some strategies related to mobile PPC advertising. With mobile PPC advertising, opportunities are slightly more limited so it’s even more […]

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In my last article on mobile PPC called Getting Started with Mobile Paid Search Advertising, I covered some basic tips related to mobile paid search marketing. In this article, I’ll build on these and cover some strategies related to mobile PPC advertising. With mobile PPC advertising, opportunities are slightly more limited so it’s even more important that ads are relevant and compelling.

Google maps

Incorporate Google Maps into your PPC mobile advertising. Sending people to your Google map listing can be an effective strategy in a number of ways. Take a look at the following ideas:

Focus on special offers. This is particularly effectively if synced up with specific demand or a busy time of year. For example, in the summer, clubs and bars can advertise drink specials when people tend to go out more and consume more beverages.

Focus on seasonal times. Try advertising around times like Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc. Again, a bar could use mobile PPC advertising to promote an upcoming Halloween party or St Patrick’s Day bash.

Focus on business location. Try advertising your business location if you’re located in a tricky spot and people have a hard time finding you. Include a cool offer or promotion and it’s a win for both you and your potential customer.

Google Maps mobile PPC tip:

Before incorporating Google Maps into mobile PPC advertising, make sure your Google places listing (formerly Google local listings) contains up to date contact information, payment types, hours of service, categories, etc. This will ensure you get the most for your mobile PPC advertising dollars.

The iPhone app store

With mobile PPC ads, try sending advertisers directly to the iPhone app store. With this, advertisers can encourage people to buy an app or download a free app (which is hopefully tied to a monetization plan or upsell strategy). Take a look at the following ad for an app called iFart:

App example 2

The above example seems silly but the iFart app is an Apple all time top 20 app and has made quite a bit of money (at one point approximately $10K per day). The app has been recently approved for the iPad (ooh lucky us!).

iPhone mobile PPC advertising tip:

Obviously, when targeting iPhone users, you’ll want to segment the iPhone and ensure other smart phone devices are not selected in the settings tab.

Google phone extensions

Try incorporating phone extensions into mobile PPC advertising. As you know, with phone extensions, business phone numbers appear on smart phones as clickable links underneath text ads for smart phone users. Take a look at the following example for the ad for the mobile query “travel agency:”

Phone extension example

Click to call mobile PPC advertising is particularly useful to the advertiser who wants to drive traffic to a storefront. A good example of this would be health care practitioners like chiropractors and physiotherapists. Use in conjunction with Google Maps for an awesome 1-2 paid search mobile advertising punch.


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About the author

Mona Elesseily
Contributor
Mona Elesseily writes extensively and speaks internationally on search & online marketing. She is the Vice President of Online Marketing Strategy at Page Zero Media, where she focuses on search engine marketing strategy, landing page optimization (LPO) and conversion rate optimization (CRO).

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