Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for comparison sites presents opportunities compared to standard PPC campaigns. Compare sites feature multiple brands on a single page, each with distinct conversion funnels, rates, and economic considerations. Understanding these differences and crafting a dynamic strategy is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of PPC efforts.
Understanding the Multi-Brand Landscape
Unlike a typical e-commerce store selling its own products, comparison sites showcase offerings from multiple brands. This creates a multi-layered environment for PPC campaigns. Here are some key considerations:
- Conversion Funnels: Each brand listed on your comparison site has its own unique conversion funnel. You’re not driving traffic directly to a product or checkout page, but rather acting as a bridge to various conversion destinations.
- Varied Conversion Rates: Different brands will naturally have varying conversion rates on your site. Some brands might convert better due to strong brand recognition, while others might require more nurturing through ad copy and landing page optimization.
- Economic Disparity: Brand A might be willing to pay a higher payout than Brand B for a conversion event, depending on their profit margins and customer acquisition goals. Moreover, sometimes different brands pay for different events within the conversion cycle, requiring the campaign manager to use normalization tactics.
AI is Transforming Google Ads Campaign Management
AI is revolutionizing the role of Google Ads campaign manager, shifting focus from manual tasks to strategic decision-making. One of the best places to embrace and master these changes is comparison PPC. Why? The close proximity to the business and product floors and close cooperation with these teams. The constant evaluation of events from multiple brands, their value to the system and how they evolve over time requires developing a strategic mindset.
Strategic Considerations
As a traffic acquisition manager for a comparison site, you’re very close to the product floor. Together, you influence the landing experience, brand’s positioning and funnel effectiveness.
1. Keyword Strategy: Targeting general comparison keywords (e.g., “best laptops 2024”) can attract users interested in multiple brands, while brand-specific keywords help capture consideration for particular brands.
2. Ad Copy and Extensions: Ad copy must highlight the comparative aspect. Phrases such as “Compare Top Laptops” can attract clicks from users looking to evaluate multiple options. Ad extensions showcasing different brands and their unique selling points can enhance ad effectiveness.
3. Bidding: bidding is generally more complex than on a typical e-commerce account. It involves evaluating conversion rates of the listed brands and normalizing the conversion value into a weighted average in order to deduct the potential value of the click / event for the site, and bid accordingly.
What’s in it for me, the user acquisition manager?
Well, a lot.
The transformation needed from a single to multi- layered PPC entails a real growth opportunity for avid UA managers. If you’re coming from a product company or an ecommerce operation, you’ll find comparison PPC forcing you to develop additional muscles. For example, you’ll adopt a systematic view that allows you to detect pitfalls related to the listings themselves, or in the business arrangements with our partners. These elements are dynamic and can be influenced.
Another critical aspect is bidding, and in this case, it’s based on projections of one to many – each click has a certain income expectancy from each of the listed brands. You’ll learn and develop methods to calculate these metrics, normalize for different events and conversion cycles and bid for maximum exposure and ROAS.
Conclusion
PPC for comparison sites goes beyond standard PPC practices. It requires a nuanced understanding of the multi-brand landscape, and a strategic approach to campaign segmentation and optimization. By mastering these unique challenges, you can turn your comparison site into a powerful decision-making machine, benefiting both users and the brands you showcase. Moreover, you can turn yourself into a true user acquisition master, able to compete and thrive in this complex environment.