Comments on: Why Can’t I Make My First PPC Attempt Pay? – Ask Kirsty

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:51:42 +0000

Hey Kristy,

Good advice as always!

I’ve a question on your forumla that came to mind.

Avg Basket Size x Avg Conversion rate = Avg Sales Per Hundred Clicks x
Affiliate Commission = Avg Earnings Per Hundred Clicks

I’m guessin’ that this is for direct to merchant PPC. Do you have a similar formula for if you’re making a landing page?

Cheers!

Tom

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:26:16 +0000

Hey Chuck, Well I am delighted that you got a sale soon after making some alterations. It’s always a great motivator when you see something you have done working immediately.

The main thing is to just keep on trying… don’t let any minor setbacks make you think that you can’t make this work!

Good luck in Iraq, I hope you continue to keep your head down. My Cousin is off to sunny Afghanistan next week, so I hope it is a skill he employs effectively as well.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:13:11 +0000

Hi Kirsty,

Thanks for publishing my “story”.

I will next add Google analytics code so I can start tracking my site stats. Right now I don’t know anything about my site activity.

What I have done is improve my landing pages. I added a sexy graphic. Maybe a coincidence but I got a sale within 12 hours of changing the landing page. My landing page is specific to my keyword and to my Google text add. I intend to create a total of 30 landing pages one for each of my long tail keywords.

This is an experiment. I need to learn the business and this has been a fun and exciting exercise.

I am also in the process of setting up an affiliate sales site that will provide profit on organic search results alone.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Kirsty you are tops!
Thanks again,

Chuck

By: jackbravo

jackbravo — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:20:02 +0000

Yea…..though I haven’t started with it, and I don’t think I probably will (it’s not something I would buy myself). So….I don’t know, I’m looking for something else I guess.

But now I know I don’t need a landing page

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:34:54 +0000

No worries Jack. Well, if you’re already on the same gig as chuck that means you’ve also gotten a little advice about how to promote your current target product.

I just didn’t want 100 other people jumping on the same thing and ruining his research time!

By: jackbravo

jackbravo — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:39:33 +0000

oops…didn’t read teh comments. sorry.

By: jackbravo

jackbravo — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:38:55 +0000

Wow. Great response. I think I might be trying to promote the same thing as “Chuck”. hehehe…

Quick question though — I don’t understand one comment you made about “direct to merchant” advertising. The google adwords guidelines mentions something like you can’t use an affiliate or redirect url to the parent site. You need your own site (i.e. landing page, i.e. lot-of-work).

What’s the solution for that? Am I misreading something?

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:58:02 +0000

Perhaps it’s the sector you’re looking at? Some sectors (like UK Contact Lens Merchants) just don’t like it at all. Drop me a line if you want to share what area you are in, I might be able to help you find a merchant who’ll let you send traffic direct.

By: Super Newbie

Super Newbie — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:30:53 +0000

Oh ok, I must just be picking all those that do!

Thanks so much! Time to do some digging

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:32:41 +0000

Hi guys, Frank is right… there’s no prohibition from Google about display URL usage. Nor do affiliate networks stop this. It’s only some merchants that do not allow this. As Frank says, check their programme terms.

If your intended merchant doesn’t allow it. Simply try to find a merchant you think is comparable. If that’s not possible, well, it’s time to move on and that merchant missed out!