Pixelrage.net

Through my years in using AdWords both for my at-home affiliate marketing ventures and at work, I’ve learned a lot about the crazy things people type in search engines to get to their ultimate goal. Here’s a list of the ‘low hanging fruit’ that can be found as a pay-per-click advertiser, from what I’ve seen.

1. Competitor keywords: At this point, it seems elementary to say that appearing for a keyword search of your competitor is a must these days. However, it’s ridiculously expensive as your quality score will always be low. A good way to refine it is to go for “better than Product XYZ” fashioned long-tail terms.People tend to already know brand names; what they really want to know is a good alternative that might make them change their mind about a purchasing decision. I’ve found that “review” keywords can be good, too…such as, “Product XYZ reviews” or “product ABC comparison.” (Just make sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s trademark – read your PPC program’s terms of service to make sure). Create a landing page with a review matrix or something to that effect that caters to those kinds of searches and you might be on to something.
2. Product Model Numbers: Many people (especially myself) will not bother to type in 46” Sony HDTV. We’ll just find the model number and search for deals on that…so, a search for “KDL-46XBR9” it is.Use that knowledge in affiliate marketing PPC: perhaps it makes more sense to gear your ads toward model numbers, product codes or anything else alpha-numerical beyond the actual product name?
3. “Call to action” queries: If you’ve ever dabbled with Google Keyword Tool or played with Google or Yahoo’s “auto-fill” feature within the search bar, you might have noticed that many people type in bizarre terms like “where to buy product XYZ” or “best price on product XYZ.” I don’t think I’ve ever typed such a thing, even during my first year of using the internet. Still, it’s a great long-tail term that might yield clicking customers who are on the verge of typing in their credit card info, if only you could present them with a helpful, BS-free landing page!
4. Seasonal or holiday-based keywords: It’s almost Memorial Day…are you advertising Memorial Day sales on your affiliate sites via AdWords? Consider it – many people search for deals online based on traditional holiday sales periods, mostly because the economy sucks, and they’ve been waiting all year to save $50 on a new refrigerator.Perhaps your lawn & garden store gets traffic spikes during early Spring: why not gear your PPC campaign toward an “early spring” push for gardening tools? Research “spring,” “4^th of July” and “Mother’s Day” keywords for your niches and see what you come up with.
5. Free shipping keywords: It’s one of the hottest topics for anyone who owns an online retail business. Perhaps your affiliate or dropshipping store is running a program that honors this: by all means, go for “product ABC free shipping” keywords and note it directly in your PPC ad itself!There were many times where I’ve bought an item from a store that charged slightly more for a product but gave free shipping, rather than one with a better price plus shipping fees. Customers will do the math and see what the more economical choice is, even if they have to wait longer for it to arrive. Be sure to lasso these customers.

Psychology is a part of PPC – if you know what people are typing as casual internet users rather than marketers, then you’ll be able to give them what they’re looking for. The rest of your newb-ish marketing competition will continue going for generic long-tail terms, and complaining about they spend more on advertising than they actually make ;)