The recent changes in GoTo.com's pricing policy have left many feeling frustrated and in need of a new game plan. However, venting your frustrations won't change the situation. Instead, it's time to outsmart the system and optimize your Pay-Per-Click (PPC) efficiency. This article provides a range of resources and strategies to help you navigate the world of PPC and make the most of your bids.
A handy tool to help you navigate the world of PPC is the keyword prospector tool. This tool allows you to input keywords and a maximum bid for each. You'll then receive an email detailing where your proposed maximum bid would place you in the bidding hierarchy. This tool makes it easy to find the most cost-effective PPC deals. You can find this tool at Did-it.
Put your creative thinking to work and come up with relevant two and three-word phrases. These phrases are more efficient as they have fewer total searches, cost less for top spots, and usually result in better click-through rates. If you're stuck, the keyword wizard at Jim Tools is a great resource for generating search phrase possibilities.
Understanding your Return On Investment (ROI) is crucial in determining how much you can afford to bid. The Pay Per Click Calculator is a useful tool designed to help you calculate your profitable bid amount. Once you have this information, you can use the Goto.com Keyword Interrogator to enter a keyword and receive a list of search terms along with the number of searches and the top 10 bids for each.
Ensure every click is worthwhile. If a visitor doesn't make a purchase, consider using a pop-up box to encourage them to sign up for your newsletter or a mini-course. This way, you can still gain something from the click.
It's important to know which keywords drive the most traffic to your site and to protect these keywords. The Position Guardian tool can help you save money by identifying bid gaps, allowing you to lower your bid without losing your position. Alternatively, you can automate this task using PPCBidTracker or Keyword Bid Optimizer (KBO), available at PPCBidTracker and Paid Search Engine Tools.
Consider optimizing your site for GoTo's default search engine, Inktomi. If a search term at GoTo.com doesn't have enough bids, it pulls in results from Inktomi. Achieving top positions here could mean free traffic from GoTo. If you're unfamiliar with Inktomi, you can find help at this Search Engine Forum.
Lastly, the Good Keywords software is a must-have tool for PPC. It's particularly useful when GoTo's suggestion tool is down and can greatly assist in maximizing your PPC results. You can download it for free at Softnik.
These strategies should help you save time and money, and make the recent pricing changes at GoTo.com more manageable.
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