I’ll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for a PPC Keyword Today
May 21st, 2007 by Michael Gray in SEMIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Read my top posts or learn more about Michael Gray. Want more frequent updates follow me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
Back in the not so distant past when I was still wet behind the ears and finding my way, like most newbies I was on the quest for the “perfect PPC keyword”.
I’ll admit I stalked a few people trying to figure out what they were bidding on, at some point I probably even resorted to begging for just one secret keyword. I figured once I had discovered that magic keyword things would be perfect. I would make more money, quit my job, buy a Ferrari, solve global warming and enact world peace. The truth of the matter is I was looking for a cheap easy handout, I was looking for a PPC enabler.
Sure I would have made some money in the short term but like many keywords, it would get more competitive over time, and profits would dry up and I’d end up back in the same place looking for a handout. I got lucky and nobody ever gave into my begging (probably more for their own economic protection than my well being). If I knew which keyword to bid on without understanding how to find them myself I really wouldn’t have learned anything. It’s the whole “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” thing.
To head off the more determined person who is thinking “well how am I going to learn how to do PPC and landing pages right if no one is willing to show me an example”. Ok here’s what you do go ahead and click some sponsored listings and study them and see what works and what doesn’t. Before some ding-nut gets in my face about how I’m encouraging click fraud slow down junior, and visit this page, type in some keywords and click some ads. The last time I checked nobody gets charged when you click ads on that page.
Right now I really prefer low maintenance keywords over anything else. I like keywords I can log in and check once every week or two and make sure they are working and I’m making money. I’m ok with giving up a little profit so I don’t have to micro-manage prices on a day to day level, automated bid tools just scare me. Don’t obsess over finding keywords that make hundreds of dollars a day, or thousands of dollars a month. I’m quite happy to find a bunch of keywords that will make me a few hundred dollars a month for 15 minutes of work every week.
Sphere It
May 21st, 2007 at 4:46 am
I like your sponsors. All the best, Nia.
May 21st, 2007 at 11:05 am
I totally agree Michael. My problem is using some of the popular PPA networks, it’s seems quickly saturated after the first week a new offer comes out.
Unless I go with some super longtail phrases.
Have any suggestions on where else to look or promote something that is less marketed?
May 21st, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Ken, this is just market efficiency. With more and more advertisers and affiliate marketers joinging the party every single day, saturation times should only increase.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:14 am
I cant’t agree more. People often ask how I can do. However, if they can thought first, it is easier than it looks.
May 28th, 2007 at 6:09 am
Am I missing something or did you forget to give out that secret PPC keyword?