Does anyone else think pay-per-click ads are kind of weird?

[laleeloyu]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but am I the only one who thinks PPC advertising is strange?

You’re basically paying money just so people will click on something, and then you’re hoping those people actually buy whatever you’re selling. I understand the idea, but it still feels crazy to me.

I was reading about people spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on ads every month, and apparently that’s normal. Meanwhile, I’d probably panic after spending ten dollars.

Also, how do people even know which keywords to choose? Do they just guess and hope for the best?

I’d love to hear from people who actually do this because I’m genuinely curious. Has anyone here ever made money from PPC, or is it mostly just trial and error?

 

[rosemariegrace]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but am I the only one who thinks PPC advertising is strange?

You’re basically paying money just so people will click on something, and then you’re hoping those people actually buy whatever you’re selling. I understand the idea, but it still feels crazy to me.

I was reading about people spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on ads every month, and apparently that’s normal. Meanwhile, I’d probably panic after spending ten dollars.

Also, how do people even know which keywords to choose? Do they just guess and hope for the best?

I’d love to hear from people who actually do this because I’m genuinely curious. Has anyone here ever made money from PPC, or is it mostly just trial and error?

OMG yes, it’s so weird! I actually tried running one once for my handmade candle shop and I literally had no idea what was happening the whole time lol.

 

[laleeloyu]

OMG yes, it’s so weird! I actually tried running one once for my handmade candle shop and I literally had no idea what was happening the whole time lol.

Wait, really? How did it go? Did you actually make any sales from it or just lose money?

 

[rosemariegrace]

Wait, really? How did it go? Did you actually make any sales from it or just lose money?

Honestly? I think I spent like $80 in three days and got zero sales I kept seeing the dollar amount go up and I was panicking so hard I just deleted the app.

 

[rosemariegrace]

See, that is EXACTLY what I’m afraid of! You just spend money and pray! How do people even pick the keywords in the first place?

I think people mostly just guess? Like I typed in "smells good" and "nice candle" because that’s what I would search, but then Google asked me if I wanted "exact match" or "broad match" and I was like... what is the difference??

 

[laleeloyu]

I think people mostly just guess? Like I typed in "smells good" and "nice candle" because that’s what I would search, but then Google asked me if I wanted "exact match" or "broad match" and I was like... what is the difference??

Broad match? That sounds like it just shows your ad to literally anyone on the internet who types the word "candle."

 

[rosemariegrace]

Broad match? That sounds like it just shows your ad to literally anyone on the internet who types the word "candle."

Right?! I picked broad match because it sounded bigger and better, but I think that was a mistake because I got a click from someone searching "how to make a candle out of butter" like... WHY WOULD MY AD SHOW UP FOR THAT?!

 

[laleeloyu]

Right?! I picked broad match because it sounded bigger and better, but I think that was a mistake because I got a click from someone searching "how to make a candle out of butter" like... WHY WOULD MY AD SHOW UP FOR THAT?!

Hahaha wait, you paid money because someone wanted to turn butter into a candle?! That’s hilarious but also horrifying.

 

[rosemariegrace]

Hahaha wait, you paid money because someone wanted to turn butter into a candle?! That’s hilarious but also horrifying.

YES! Google charged me like $1.50 for that butter person! I was so mad! Like why did Google take my money for that?!

 

[laleeloyu]

YES! Google charged me like $1.50 for that butter person! I was so mad! Like why did Google take my money for that?!

That’s what blows my mind! You’re paying for clicks, not buyers. So if a hundred bored people click your link by accident, you just lose $150?

 

[rosemariegrace]

That’s what blows my mind! You’re paying for clicks, not buyers. So if a hundred bored people click your link by accident, you just lose $150?

Yep, pretty much. I think there’s a way to block certain words, but I couldn't figure out where the button was. The whole dashboard looks like a spaceship cockpit.

 

[laleeloyu]

Yep, pretty much. I think there’s a way to block certain words, but I couldn't figure out where the button was. The whole dashboard looks like a spaceship cockpit.

So how do big companies do it then? They must be spending thousands. Are they just richer so they don't care if they waste money on butter-candle people?

 

[rosemariegrace]

So how do big companies do it then? They must be spending thousands. Are they just richer so they don't care if they waste money on butter-candle people?

Honestly I think they just throw heaps of money at the wall until something sticks? Or maybe they hire some 20-year-old tech genius who understands all the charts and graphs.

 

[laleeloyu]

Honestly I think they just throw heaps of money at the wall until something sticks? Or maybe they hire some 20-year-old tech genius who understands all the charts and graphs.

That sounds exhausting. So it really is just trial and error?

 

[rosemariegrace]

That sounds exhausting. So it really is just trial and error?

Total trial and error! My cousin said his friend made $10,000 using Google ads for his lawnmowing business, but when I asked him how, he just said "you gotta optimize the algorithms" which sounds like fake words to me.

 

[laleeloyu]

Total trial and error! My cousin said his friend made $10,000 using Google ads for his lawnmowing business, but when I asked him how, he just said "you gotta optimize the algorithms" which sounds like fake words to me.

"Optimize the algorithms" literally means nothing haha! That’s what people say when they don't actually know how something works.

 

[rosemariegrace]

"Optimize the algorithms" literally means nothing haha! That’s what people say when they don't actually know how something works.

EXACTLY! Like okay mister smarty pants, what button do I press so people actually buy my candles instead of just looking at them?!

 

[laleeloyu]

EXACTLY! Like okay mister smarty pants, what button do I press so people actually buy my candles instead of just looking at them?!

Right! Because a click doesn't mean a sale. What if someone clicks, reads your site for two seconds, gets distracted by a text message, and leaves? You still paid for that click!

 

[rosemariegrace]

Right! Because a click doesn't mean a sale. What if someone clicks, reads your site for two seconds, gets distracted by a text message, and leaves? You still paid for that click!

Yep! And what's worse is my mom clicked on my ad three times from her iPad to "support me" and I had to tell her "Mom stop, you're literally charging my credit card every time you do that!"

 

[laleeloyu]

Yep! And what's worse is my mom clicked on my ad three times from her iPad to "support me" and I had to tell her "Mom stop, you're literally charging my credit card every time you do that!"

NO WAY Your own mom was draining your budget?! That is incredible