How to Do a PPC Campaign

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) can feel like buying lottery tickets. At the start, you’re hopeful, then reality hits when you see the cost per lead or sale is double what you can afford.

A successful PPC campaign isn’t luck. It’s about defining measurable goals, getting your money keywords right, matching ads to search intent, and refining based on data.

This article will walk you through an 8-step PPC framework you can start today, even on a tight budget.

Why PPC Works

PPC puts your offer in front of the exact people searching for it right now. If someone types “travelling luggage” into Google, an ad can put your store (if you sell the product) at the top of the page in seconds before organic results.

According to surveyed B2B marketers, 61% consider PPC advertising effective as a paid channel for their content marketing initiatives, while 49% said social media advertising, and 48% mentioned sponsorships. This makes PPC the most effective paid channel for content marketing activities. Additionally, PPC brings two times (200%) the return on investment, on average, with businesses earning $2 for every $1 spent.

Although PPC has a magnifying effect:

If your product solves a proven problem and your site converts visitors, PPC can scale your results fast. But if your offer is unclear or your landing page can’t turn visitors into customers, PPC will simply make you lose money faster.

PPC works best when:

• You have a proven offer that customers want
• Your website can convert traffic into leads or sales
• You can measure what a lead or sale is worth to you

Postpone PPC when:

• You don’t know your target cost per acquisition (CPA)
• Your product-market fit isn’t validated
• You can’t track conversions yet

Think of PPC as an accelerator; it enhances what’s already working. If your offer isn’t convincing, PPC won’t magically fix it.

Should You Outsource Your PPC to an Agency?

Before diving into the how-to, consider this: PPC management requires specialized knowledge, constant monitoring, and significant time investment. While this guide will teach you the fundamentals, many businesses find greater success partnering with experienced agencies.

Benefits of working with a PPC agency:

• Expertise and experience: Agencies have managed campaigns across industries and know what works
• Advanced tools and software: Access to premium bidding tools, analytics platforms, and automation software
• Time savings: Focus on running your business while experts handle your campaigns
• Faster results: Skip the expensive learning curve and costly beginner mistakes

Socialander’s PPC experts have helped businesses achieve profitable campaigns from day one, combining strategic planning with data-driven optimization. We handle everything from keyword research and ad creation to landing page optimization and performance monitoring. Send us a message now to skip the trial-and-error phase and start seeing results immediately!

How to Do a PPC Campaign: The 8-Step PPC Framework

Here’s how to do PPC campaigns that convert, without wasting budget on “learning experiences” or “testing the waters.”

#1. Decide Goals & Set Up Tracking

Before logging in to Google Ads, decide exactly what success looks like for you. This will shape everything else: your budget, keywords, bidding strategy, and optimization process.

For example:

• Lead generation: 30 qualified leads/month at ₦500 CPA
• E-commerce: Achieve at least 4× ROAS (return on ad spend), meaning for every ₦1 you spend, you get ₦4 back in sales

Once you’ve defined your goal, set up tracking to measure progress. Without it, every optimization is a guess, and PPC is too expensive to be guesswork.

To track ad setup:

1. Install Google Ads conversion tracking or your ad platform’s pixel on your site
2. Link Google Ads to Google Analytics 4 (GA4); this lets you see what people do after clicking your ad (bounce, browse, buy)
3. Create a UTM naming convention. UTMs are tags you add to your ad URLs so analytics tools know exactly where traffic came from

For example:

https://www.example.com/running-shoes?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=christmas_sale&utm_term=red_shoes&utm_content=ad1

This UTM tells you:

• utm_source = Google (traffic source)
• utm_medium = cpc (cost-per-click ad)
• utm_campaign = Christmas sale (the campaign name)
• utm_term = red_shoes (the keyword)
• utm_content = ad1 (specific ad variation)

You can only improve what you can measure. With this in place, you’ll know exactly which ad, keyword, and campaign generated each lead or sale.

Setting up proper tracking and goal alignment can be overwhelming for first-time advertisers. Socialander specializes in comprehensive PPC setup – from conversion tracking implementation to UTM structure creation, ensuring your campaigns are measurable from day one. Send a message to get your tracking foundation built right and avoid costly measurement mistakes.

#2. Audience Research & Keywords

One PPC mistake is chasing big, broad keywords like “coffee” just because they have a huge search volume. These terms are expensive, competitive, and too vague to convert well.

Instead, use intent mapping – organizing keywords based on where the searcher is in the buying journey:

Brand terms: Searches for your company or product name (“Socialander Web Development”, “Nike Air Max 270”). These are low-cost and high-converting because the person already knows you.

Bottom-funnel terms: Ready-to-buy searches like “buy DSLR camera online” or “best price MacBook Pro Lagos.” These often convert fastest.

Competitor terms: Searches for rival brands (“Samsung Galaxy vs iPhone”). These can work, but require a compelling reason to switch.

Discovery terms: Broader, research-focused queries (“how to choose running shoes”). These don’t convert immediately, but can feed your remarketing campaigns later.

Don’t skip negative keywords. Negative keywords are words or phrases you tell Google not to show your ads for. For example, if you sell software, adding negative keywords like “free,” “template,” or “jobs” prevents your ads from showing to people who are not actively buying. This alone can save you hundreds in wasted clicks.

If you’re looking to improve your overall digital marketing strategy beyond PPC, read about social media marketing services to create a comprehensive approach.

#3. Build a Smart Campaign Structure

Proper campaign structure is the foundation of successful PPC management. Without it, you can’t tell what’s working or scale profitable elements effectively.

Think of your PPC account like a file cabinet:

• Campaigns = the big drawers (product categories, service lines, or geographic markets)
• Ad groups = the folders inside each drawer (specific product sets or themes)
• Keywords = the files in each folder (search terms that trigger your ads)
• Match types = the rules for which searches match your keywords (Broad, Phrase, Exact)

Don’t mix-match types in the same ad group. If you have both “Broad” and “Exact” for the same keyword in one ad group, you won’t know which is driving performance. Keep them separate for clean data and better optimization decisions.

#4. Create Ad Copy People Actually Click

Clicks cost money. If your ad copy doesn’t persuade, you’re paying for traffic that won’t convert. Every click should have the highest possible chance of becoming a customer.

A high-performing ad copy has:

1. Relevance: Use the exact keyword in your headline. If they search “custom mugs,” your headline should say “Custom Mugs. Free Delivery”
2. Clarity: Say exactly what they get, no vague marketing words
3. A strong CTA: Tell them the next step (“Order Today,” “Book a Demo,” “Get a Free Trial”)

Some headline inspo:

• Get Your Free 14-Day Trial. No Credit Card Needed
• Custom T-Shirts. Delivered in 3 Days
• Save 25% on [Product]. This Week Only

Start with at least 3 headlines and 2 descriptions per ad group. Let the platform show all variations for 1–2 weeks, then keep the winners and replace the underperformers. Always test new variations to continuously improve your click-through rates.

Socialander can handle top-notch PPC campaign structure, landing page optimization, budget management, and metrics monitoring.

#5. Optimize Your Landing Page

Your ad’s job is to get the click, while your landing page’s job is to turn that click into a lead or sale. If the two aren’t aligned, you’ll burn ad budget without seeing results.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) is the practice of improving your landing page to convert more visitors into customers. Small changes can dramatically impact your campaign’s profitability.

Essential landing page elements:

Headline match: If your ad says “Get a Free SEO Audit,” your landing page headline should say exactly that, not “Welcome to Sun Digital Agency.”

Single clear CTA above the fold: No distractions, no multiple choices. Make it obvious what action you want visitors to take.

Fast load time: Under 3 seconds, or people will bounce. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check and improve your page speed.

Social proof near the CTA: Place reviews, star ratings, or case studies right where people make buying decisions.

Short forms: Only ask for what you need to start the conversation (name, email, phone). Each additional field reduces conversion rates.

#6. Set Budget & Bidding Strategy

Start small and controlled so you learn without draining cash. Many beginners make the mistake of launching with huge budgets before understanding what works for their specific business and market.

Budget recommendations:

• Start with a small amount for initial testing
• Use manual CPC or maximize Clicks until you gather at least 15–30 conversions in 30 days
• Once you have enough data, switch to Smart Bidding

Smart Bidding options:

• Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) if you know how much a customer is worth to you
• Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) if you want a specific revenue ratio

If your average profit per sale is ₦15,000, you might set a Target CPA of ₦5,000. That way, you’re aiming for 3x return on each conversion, ensuring profitable growth.

#7. Track and Measure What Matters

If you don’t measure, you’re flying blind, and PPC is an expensive place to guess. Focus on metrics that directly impact your business’s profitability, not vanity numbers.

Here are metrics to focus on:

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): Are your ads relevant enough to earn clicks?
• CPC (Cost Per Click): Are you paying too much for each visitor?
• CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Are you getting customers at a profitable cost?
• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Are you earning more than you spend?

You can ignore vanity metrics like impressions. High impressions don’t pay the bills, conversions do. Always tie your metrics back to actual business goals and revenue growth.

#8. Optimize Continuously

Successful PPC campaigns aren’t “set it and forget it.” They require ongoing attention, testing, and refinement to maintain and improve performance over time.

Weekly tasks:

• Pause keywords or ad groups with no conversions after sufficient traffic
• Add new negative keywords to cut waste and improve targeting
• Test fresh ad copy and headline variations to improve CTR

Monthly tasks:

• Shift more budget to your best-performing campaigns and ad groups
• Test landing page improvements (different CTA wording, shorter forms, new headlines)
• Revisit bidding strategy to ensure you’re scaling profitably

Always make continuous improvements, not tear it down and rebuild. Your best gains could come from small, data-backed tweaks rather than major overhauls.

Continuous optimization requires dedicated expertise and time – resources many business owners don’t have. Socialander manages this entire optimization cycle for you, implementing weekly keyword reviews, monthly performance analysis, and ongoing bid strategy refinements. Send a message to get started now and let experts handle your PPC campaign.

Common Beginner Mistakes With PPC Campaigns

Most wasted ad budgets come down to the same avoidable errors:

1. No conversion tracking: Without tracking, your campaign is just expensive guesswork. Ensure to measure leads or sales.

2. Using full automation from day one: Letting Google or Meta decide everything (budget, targeting) before you have conversion data often leads to wasted spend on low-quality clicks.

3. Mixing match types in one ad group: When broad, phrase, and exact match keywords are lumped together, it’s hard to see which is truly profitable. Keep them separate for clean data.

4. Sending traffic to your homepage: A homepage has too many distractions. If your ad promises “Get a Free Site Audit,” send visitors to a page built only for that offer.

FAQ

1. How long before my PPC campaign becomes profitable?

PPC campaign profitability varies by industry and offer, but most campaigns need 2–4 weeks of consistent testing before you have enough data to optimize effectively.

For example: A campaign spending ₦30,000/day with a target CPA of ₦5,000 might need 15–30 conversions before Smart Bidding can stabilize and deliver consistent results.

2. Can PPC work for brand-new businesses?

Yes, but only if:

• Your product-market fit is already validated (people want what you sell)
• Your landing page is designed to convert visitors into leads or customers

If you’re still testing your offer, focus on organic channels first to refine messaging and pricing before spending on ads.

3. Should I use Google Ads or social media ads for PPC?

If your offer solves an active, urgent problem people search for, such as “emergency plumber,” “buy solar panels,” start with Google Ads. But if your offer benefits from discovery, such as “custom T-shirt designs,” “luxury scented candles,” Facebook/Instagram/TikTok ads can reach audiences who didn’t know they needed your product.

Some businesses use both: Google Ads for high-intent buyers and social media ads for building demand and awareness. For more insights on social media advertising, check out our comprehensive guide to social media marketing.

Final Takeaway

PPC is not a magic switch you flip for instant sales – it’s a disciplined, data-driven process. Success comes from starting small, tracking every click and conversion, and letting the numbers guide your next move instead of your gut feeling.

Think of it as an ongoing loop: test, measure, improve what works, and cut what doesn’t. When you approach PPC as a continuous experiment rather than a one-time off, you turn it into a predictable revenue source that can grow alongside your business and budget. 

Socialander has perfected this experimental approach, turning PPC into constant results for businesses across Africa and beyond. We help you turn PPC into a reliable profit generator. We handle everything about your PPC campaigns; your role is to enjoy the profit. Send a message to get started now!