If you are running a PPC Campaign that is not resulting in conversions to sales, then it is time to face reality: it is not working.
There is really only one reason to spend your marketing and advertising budget with Google or another search engine company, and that is to increase your sales. When that isn’t happening, it’s time to take a look at your options to reverse this disaster.
Take A Look At Your Content/Landing Pages
Are visitors coming to your site, and then promptly leaving? There could be two main reasons for this. The first is that your content is either uninteresting or irrelevant to them. The second one is that they are not being directed to the appropriate page.
For instance, if you are receiving website traffic from the keyword “about silver bracelets”, where are you sending them when they click the link? Perhaps your website sells a broad range of jewellery. Then you will want to ensure that the potential customer searching for silver bracelets lands on a page with good, relevant information about this particular item.
Make sure that if visitors are being directed to the appropriate page that they are finding what they need. If someone is searching for silver bracelets to purchase, then ensure that your page is filled with photos and measurements and a detailed description.
Examine Your Keywords
You are paying for every keyword phrase you specify in your pay per click marketing campaign, so be diligent about examining the results from each and every one. If some of them are not performing, then get rid of them.
Consider doing subsequent research to find new keywords that will offer a better return on investment. A keyword is like anything else, it is subject to change due to many factors such as popular movies, cultural trends, new technology, etc. Make sure yours are current.
Consider Alternate Search Engines
Just because MSN is the #3 most popular search engine doesn’t mean it’s the right one for your PPC Campaign. You should have thoroughly researched the demographics of your target market before you started your campaign. Delve a little deeper and find out if the search engine you’ve chosen to partner with can claim users who match your clientele.
You may want to start a marketing campaign with a second tier search engine company, perhaps one that caters to a niche market where potential customers for your products may frequent. Sometimes, simply changing companies can result in a better conversion rate.
Your Final Option – Stop the Madness
If you’ve tried everything else, from changing your content and redirecting the landing pages, to switching companies and cleaning up keywords – and it simply isn’t making money, then stop it.
Do not continue to throw good money after bad. If it isn’t working and nothing seems to help, then stop the campaign while you step back and re-evaluate. Perhaps it is the product or service itself. Maybe you need to do further research. It could be that your pricing is not competitive, or the market is oversaturated.
Whatever the reason, cut your losses. But consider revisiting the option of once again instituting a powerful PPC Campaign when you’ve figured out what went wrong.


I just came on this post and I am pretty pleased after read this article. It looks much informative and effective same time.
Do you know how much someone would charge for building a landing page?
I don’t feel confident enough
Hi Sean,
Is three months a long enough time to see some kind of success? How long do you suggest persisting with a campaign that isn’t working?
In my opinion, if you have a PPC campaign that has not been producing results for 3 months, it is definitely time to change. In saying that, have you been split testing with different ads, keywords etc?
Hi Sean
I appreciate this education in PPC and yet I would not do it until I had a handle on keyword research and SEO.
I can see that it will be profitable if you know what you are doing. I will have more insight and be better equipped after getting a few blogs up and running successfully. Thankyou.
Good advice here Sean, especially about if the campaign isn’t producing results then stop it. I have chewed through quite a bit of money when I first began simply because of a lack of understanding. Its no point having a ppc campaign if its not profitable.