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Digital marketing has made such great leaps forward that it is hard to imagine what it would be like without Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for B2B companies. According to recent estimates, the global search advertising expenditure alone will amount to $190.5 billion by 2024. PPC can deliver measurable, highly qualified leads and website traffic for B2B brands by targeting relevant audiences and tracking ROI.

PPC results in an average return on investment (ROI) of two dollars for each dollar spent, which is a 200% return. Hence, it is not surprising that more budget is being allocated by B2B firms on platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads, with 16% recording an annual increase of ad spend totaling up to $2bn. It will be important for B2B marketers who want to maximize campaign performance and boost their lead generation rates as we head into tomorrow’s year-round.

This blog outlines the most essential PPC trends, targeting tactics, and optimization best practices that B2B companies should focus on next year. By making these strategic moves, they can get ahead of their rivals while maximizing their PPC budgets.

Video Ads

Video ads are becoming an increasingly important part of PPC campaigns. According to LinkedIn, adding video ads to PPC can improve click-through rates by 20-40% (LinkedIn). There are several key benefits of using video in pay-per-click advertising:

• Video ads boost engagement. Videos stand out in the ad auction and command viewer attention for longer, which can translate into higher click-through and conversion rates.
• Improved storytelling—Video allows you to demonstrate your product or service while connecting emotionally with viewers. It can also tell a compelling brand story.
• Better conversions - Videos help prospects understand your offering faster. Viewers retain 95% of a message when delivered through video compared to 10% when reading text (Vital Design).
• Lower CPAs - Video ads tend to have lower cost-per-acquisition than static image ads. The enhanced visibility and engagement make video a cost-efficient format.

YouTube and Facebook are ideal platforms for PPC video campaigns. Best practices include keeping videos short (under 30 seconds), highlighting key brand differentiators, optimizing for sound-off viewing, and testing ad variations.

Automation

One of the biggest PPC trends for 2024 is the increasing use of automation and AI tools to optimize campaigns. Marketers can leverage automation in several ways to improve campaign performance and save time on manual optimization.

AI tools like AdCreative, Madgicx, and Albert use machine learning algorithms to analyze performance data and make optimization recommendations. These tools can automatically adjust bids and budgets to maximize conversions, generate new high-performing ad copy, identify high-value keyword opportunities, and refine targeting.

The major benefits of using AI for PPC include:

• Freeing up time spent on manual campaign management
• Quickly testing and iterating on ad creative
• Optimizing campaigns based on historical performance data
• Continuously optimizing campaigns without manual oversight

With increasingly sophisticated AI capabilities, automation can greatly enhance PPC results while giving marketers time to focus on strategy and test new initiatives. Utilizing AI tools will become a necessity for advanced PPC marketers in 2024 and beyond.

Localization

Location targeting has become increasingly important for PPC campaigns. With more searches happening on mobile devices, advertisers can laser target ads based on a user's geographic location. According to research, over 50% of searches have local intent, so localization can help connect with high-intent audiences.

There are several benefits of geographic targeting for PPC campaigns:

• Improved ad relevance - Users are more likely to click on ads for businesses near them.
• Higher conversion rates - Users searching locally are ready to buy or convert.
• Better Quality Score - Factoring location improves your ads' relevancy.
• More localized ad copy - You can tailor ad text with location names.

When implementing location targeting, here are some tips:

• Research key geographic terms and bid on those.
• Analyze location performance to optimize bids.
• Use radius targeting city/region options.
• Add location extensions to ads.

The takeaway is that hyper-local PPC helps connect with high-intent users who are ready to convert. Utilize geographic targeting options and tailor creative assets for significant locations.

Optimizing B2B Targeting Strategies

When implementing a PPC strategy for B2B, honing your targeting is crucial for maximizing ROI. Several types of targeting can help you reach your ideal B2B customers.

• Focusing on intent-based keywords that indicate a user is actively researching or looking to make a purchase is an important targeting tactic. For example, using keywords like "enterprise software reviews" or "best CRM platforms for large companies" allows you to target people with that intent.
• Another effective strategy is leveraging similar and custom affinity audiences on platforms like Google Ads. You can target people who have previously visited your site or engage with similar content. It allows you to hone in on users that match your customer profiles. Affinity groups also give you access to anonymous users based on their interests and characteristics.
• Additionally, demographic and firmographic targeting can be highly effective. Targeting by job title, seniority, company size, industry, and other attributes ensures you reach the decision-makers most likely to buy your offering.

By implementing a mix of intent-based, similar audience and demographic targeting, B2B companies can maximize the relevance of their PPC ads and improve campaign performance.

Landing Pages

Perfecting landing pages is crucial for PPC success. Dedicated landing pages tailored to your PPC ads can increase conversion rates by up to 50%. Some best practices for optimizing PPC landing pages include:

• Creating dedicated landing pages for each ad campaign relevant to the offer
• Matching page content and messaging to your PPC ad copy
• Using clear, focused CTAs that encourage conversions
• Minimizing distractions and keeping pages simple
• A/B testing page elements like copy, headlines, and layouts

The goal is to engage visitors when they land on your site and guide them toward converting. Optimized landing pages can increase conversion rates by as much as 300%. Invest time into perfecting landing page copy, CTAs, and design for each ad and campaign.

Metrics & Optimization

The most important metrics for PPC campaigns include click-through rate (CTR), conversions, and cost per lead. WordStream explains that CTR is the ratio of clicks to impressions - this helps determine how relevant your ads are to the target audience. Conversions show how many users take your desired action, like filling out a contact form or purchasing. Cost per lead then indicates the average amount you pay to acquire a conversion. Tracking these metrics allows you to determine the overall effectiveness of campaigns.

Using analytics tools to keep refining PPC strategies is essential. You can review metrics such as share of impressions and ranking for opportunities to increase quality scores and improve discoverability. In addition, analyzing A/B tests enables you to determine the most effective copy, landing pages, or forms that deliver higher conversion rates.

Tracking performance data regularly and conducting A/B tests will give you insights into optimizing bids, targeting the right keywords/audiences, finetuning ad copies, and improving landing pages. This continuous optimization process is a primary factor for enhancing PPC results over time.

Video Ad Platforms

Video ads are becoming an increasingly important part of PPC campaigns. Here are some of the top platforms for video ads that B2B companies should consider:

YouTube

YouTube is the #1 site for hosting and sharing videos online. YouTube ads allow you to target viewers by demographics, interests, keywords, placements, topics, and more. Best practices for YouTube PPC include:

• Using attention-grabbing thumbnails and titles
• Keeping videos short and engaging (under 2 minutes)
• Placing your strongest call-to-action in the first 5-10 seconds

YouTube has over 2 billion monthly users, making it a prime platform for video ads.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn now allows sponsored video ads on its platform. LinkedIn video ads are ideal for targeting professional decision-makers and leaders. Tips for success include:

• Using employee testimonials or case study videos
• Promoting webinars, events, and gated content
• Retargeting viewers who have watched at least 50% of your video

Over 50% of B2B marketers plan to increase their use of LinkedIn video ads this year.

Automation Tools

There are a variety of AI tools that can automate and optimize PPC campaigns in 2024. Using automation can improve efficiency and performance. Here are some of the top AI tools for PPC automation:

• ai: This tool uses AI to generate high-performing ad creative and copy variations. It can optimize ads based on historical data and iteratively test new variants. AdCreative can save time spent on manual ad creation and optimization.
• Madgicx: It specializes in ecommerce PPC advertising. It uses machine learning to set bid strategies, create targeted product groups, and optimize campaigns. Automated workflows improve productivity.
• Analysis: It has automation capabilities for both Google Ads and Bing Ads. It can identify new opportunities, manage bids, generate reports, and more. The tool aims to optimize ROI from PPC campaigns.

Automation tools like these leverage AI to handle repetitive, time-consuming PPC tasks. Marketers can focus their efforts on strategy and innovation while algorithms fine-tune campaigns. The right automation software can boost performance and free up valuable time.

Conclusion

In 2024, PPC will still be vital to any B2B marketing program. Using the strategies in this blog, B2B companies can enhance their PPC ROI and surpass their rivals. It is high time for B2B businesses to apply these tried-and-true PPC strategies to give them a leg up in 2024. Consider progressively testing and optimizing campaigns according to performance data.