PPC - check my understanding

[Mattonella Tile Studio]

As I've mentioned on another thread I've had BT come to see me today regarding BT Webclick. It seems the gist of it is Google adwords but on google, msn, yahoo and 9 other search engines.

They've told me that the cost is £480 and they will guarantee 480 people visit the website. So in PPC terms that's £1 per click.

Now I've only just started playing with adwords but at the minute I'm getting people clicking through on one term I've chosen and the average cost is 8p. I'm thinking that 480 people visiting will cost me, on average, £38.40

Am I missing something here or are BT proposing to charge me a shed load more than if I just continue learning the system myself? (albeit I'd just be on google and not the other search engines)

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

BT are losing money. The directory business is dying, BT need to think of something............ "Click ads!" Spend the money on proper SEO and then you'll save money on PPC with google, BT anyone else.

 

[AuctionMaster]

They've told me that the cost is £480 and they will guarantee 480 people visit the website. So in PPC terms that's £1 per click.

That's some rip-off!!!!

Definitely set up AdWords campaign yourself and you can get visitors to your website for 10 - 30 p in most niches.

Read this through as a start-up reference:

http://www.akamarketing.com/google-adwords-guide.html

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Bt Webclick is an amateur attempt at PPC, it is the brainchild of a bean counter who can see a way to grab unsuspecting business people. They are effectively charging you a fixed price for clicks. They operate tiers depending on the competitiveness of the phrase.

Blow them out and say thanks but no thanks

 

[directmarketingadvice]

As I've mentioned on another thread I've had BT come to see me today regarding BT Webclick. It seems the gist of it is Google adwords but on google, msn, yahoo and 9 other search engines.

They've told me that the cost is £480 and they will guarantee 480 people visit the website. So in PPC terms that's £1 per click.

Now I've only just started playing with adwords but at the minute I'm getting people clicking through on one term I've chosen and the average cost is 8p. I'm thinking that 480 people visiting will cost me, on average, £38.40

Am I missing something here or are BT proposing to charge me a shed load more than if I just continue learning the system myself? (albeit I'd just be on google and not the other search engines)

There is a couple of things we don't know about.

Maybe they'll be going after more competitive keywords or maybe they'll show your ads at position #1 and you're currently way down the page.

Also, we don't know if you're likely to make a profit at £1.

So, if it's different keywords AND if you're likely to be profitable at £1 per click, then there's a decent chance they'll increase your profits.

However... that's assuming a lot of stuff and there's a couple of questions I have:

(1) Did the rep ask you whether you're running a PPC campaign already? If so, he/she should have asked you how much you are paying for a click and explained why you should go from 8p to £1.

(2) Did he/she ask you what your breakeven was?

Grabbing the number £1 out of the air doesn't make sense. However, if the rep said something like:

"You've said you're willing to pay up to £80 to make a sale. We know your site converts at around 1%. So, if we set the bid levels at £1 per click, you'll get high placings at a decent profit and with very low risk".

that would show they're focused on you getting a good result out of this.

If they didn't do those two things, I would wonder if they really know what they're doing - or, alternatively, if they're not trying to rip you off.

And, in that case, I'd suggest you ditch them and continue to learn to do it yourself.

Go to Amazon and get Perry Marshall's book. It's very readable and it'll teach you the basics.

Finally:

Google adwords but on google, msn, yahoo and 9 other search engines

I've read that Google is now something like 90% of the UK search market. They also recently did a deal where Yahoo would show adwords ads mixed in with Yahoo PPC ads.

I don't know about msn and whether they show google ads mixed with their own- it's so tiny, I don't pay any attention.

The other 9 search engines will have a microscopic slice of the market and will include AOL (which uses adwords ads) and probably others that show adwords, too.

So, this "adwords, but also on other search engines" is not a selling point that's worth a damn. You'll get most of that from your own adwords campaign anyway.

Hope this helps,

Steve

 

[OldWelshGuy]

BT have a tiered system that runs from £20 a month for a set amount of clicks, up to around £300 a month for the same volume of clicks, based on the competitiveness of the words.

I wouldn't use them, because put simply there is no direct correlation between click cost and the amount you pay. So in effect you are paying a huge chunk for PPC management.

 

[allaboard]

There is a couple of things we don't know about.

Maybe they'll be going after more competitive keywords or maybe they'll show your ads at position #1 and you're currently way down the page.

Also, we don't know if you're likely to make a profit at £1.

So, if it's different keywords AND if you're likely to be profitable at £1 per click, then there's a decent chance they'll increase your profits.

However... that's assuming a lot of stuff and there's a couple of questions I have:

(1) Did the rep ask you whether you're running a PPC campaign already? If so, he/she should have asked you how much you are paying for a click and explained why you should go from 8p to £1.

(2) Did he/she ask you what your breakeven was?

Grabbing the number £1 out of the air doesn't make sense. However, if the rep said something like:

"You've said you're willing to pay up to £80 to make a sale. We know your site converts at around 1%. So, if we set the bid levels at £1 per click, you'll get high placings at a decent profit and with very low risk".

that would show they're focused on you getting a good result out of this.

If they didn't do those two things, I would wonder if they really know what they're doing - or, alternatively, if they're not trying to rip you off.

And, in that case, I'd suggest you ditch them and continue to learn to do it yourself.

Go to Amazon and get Perry Marshall's book. It's very readable and it'll teach you the basics.

Finally:



I've read that Google is now something like 90% of the UK search market. They also recently did a deal where Yahoo would show adwords ads mixed in with Yahoo PPC ads.

I don't know about msn and whether they show google ads mixed with their own- it's so tiny, I don't pay any attention.

The other 9 search engines will have a microscopic slice of the market and will include AOL (which uses adwords ads) and probably others that show adwords, too.

So, this "adwords, but also on other search engines" is not a selling point that's worth a damn. You'll get most of that from your own adwords campaign anyway.

Hope this helps,

Steve

Hi Steve

I`ve read some of your posts with interest
and on the back of one of them I bought (my life in Advertising)

which I am currently reading and find it extremely interesting

So is the perry marshall a good adwords book.. and can you reccomend any other adwords book/seo...so I can get free delivery from amazon as well!!!!!!!

thanks

 

[directmarketingadvice]

Hi Steve

I`ve read some of your posts with interest
and on the back of one of them I bought (my life in Advertising)

which I am currently reading and find it extremely interesting

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

It can be a difficult book to get into because of the archaic style of writing. But, after a few chapters, it becomes easy to read and the education you get is fantastic.

So is the perry marshall a good adwords book.. and can you reccomend any other adwords book/seo...so I can get free delivery from amazon as well!!!!!!!

I actually think "Adwords for Dummies" is a better book than Perry's, but I think (despite its title), it's more complicated.

So, I'd recommend reading Perry's first, then the dummies book.

(BTW, Perry's book has stuff the dummies book doesn't have, so it's worth reading both, not just Dummies)

Hope this helps,

Steve

 

[markmclaren]

Google has about 87% market share so you aren't really going to benefit much by looking elsewhere.

 

[Words of Magic]

I would recommend Perry marshalls book, the definitive guide to google adwords. I purchased the most expensive package, which includes 6 Cd's that has hundreds of tips
and advanced techniques for beating the adwords system.

http://www.perrymarshall.com/adwords/

Wishing you all the success in the world,

 

[Mattonella Tile Studio]

There is a couple of things we don't know about.

Maybe they'll be going after more competitive keywords or maybe they'll show your ads at position #1 and you're currently way down the page.

Also, we don't know if you're likely to make a profit at £1.

So, if it's different keywords AND if you're likely to be profitable at £1 per click, then there's a decent chance they'll increase your profits.

However... that's assuming a lot of stuff and there's a couple of questions I have:

(1) Did the rep ask you whether you're running a PPC campaign already? If so, he/she should have asked you how much you are paying for a click and explained why you should go from 8p to £1.

(2) Did he/she ask you what your breakeven was?

Grabbing the number £1 out of the air doesn't make sense. However, if the rep said something like:

"You've said you're willing to pay up to £80 to make a sale. We know your site converts at around 1%. So, if we set the bid levels at £1 per click, you'll get high placings at a decent profit and with very low risk".

that would show they're focused on you getting a good result out of this.

If they didn't do those two things, I would wonder if they really know what they're doing - or, alternatively, if they're not trying to rip you off.

And, in that case, I'd suggest you ditch them and continue to learn to do it yourself.
Steve

Regarding keywords they said that you could have an unlimited number of keywords (couldn't I do that anyway) and they skirted around when I said I pay 8p on average, but I didn't question them until I'd checked my understanding on this forum.

They didn't ask anything about break even points, or how many contacts I'd need to convert to make profit.

There was no guarantee of where the ad positions would be, only that you'd get 480 clicks for £480.

They made a big point of saying that google adwords costs a fortune, but no quantification of that, or how they'd be cheaper.

 

[georgelane]

I second the Perry Marshall and Adwords for Dummies recommendations.

I've been coached by, and exchanged ideas with the author, Howie Jacobson. He really is very good along with Perry's right hand man, Bryan Todd.

Also, if you can get hold of anything by Dan Theis, you won't be disappointed.

Just a quick note of caution on buying physical books on Adwords: Because Adwords moves so quickly, books can become outdated rapidly. I know Howie updates the Adwords book online, but if you get Perrys book, go for the ebook version.


Cheers,


George.

PS:I'll be creating some Adwords tutorials in the next month or two. (I'll probably do a freebie for UKBF members)