You’ve heard the adage, “Content is king.” This is particularly true in today’s e-commerce marketplace driven by search engine marketing. In an online marketplace, brick-and-mortar facades are being replaced with company websites, and marketers rely on effective digital marketing campaigns to drive traffic.

For organic search engine optimization, an increase in traffic means marketers are doing something right, as higher search results rankings are equating to more traffic. But for paid search campaigns, an increase in traffic is not necessarily the end goal. Sure, more traffic means consumers are becoming aware of your brand, or shoppers are visiting your site to learn more about your products and services. But unlike SEO, each paid search click is costly if it isn’t resulting in a desired conversion. Because marketers spend large portions of their budgets on PPC advertising, high conversion rates are more appealing than traffic.

What some marketers may not realize is that highly relevant content orchestrates more qualified leads and conversions. In other words, quality of clicks is more important than quantity of clicks. According to iMedia Connection, “Because paid search marketers pay for each click, it is essential to focus efforts on the highest converting keywords, while building a strategy to increase conversion rates on lower performing keyword development.”

It’s apparent that content is a key ingredient in paid search campaigns, from strategic keyword selection to corresponding ad copy that appears below PPC links. Since consumers are more apt to click on organic search results than PPC ads, more pressure is placed on your paid search campaign to perform. To capture qualified leads and convert these leads, effective copywriting must also be carried over to your website and/or landing pages as well. The idea is to develop a positive user experience with your company, from start to finish. After all, your campaigns, website and copy represent your business and acts as the first impression of your brand. If consumers choose your ad in their PPC search results and do not click through to a relevant online destination, they will likely return to the search engine and click on competitor links or ads.

Consumers must see a constant flow of relevance throughout the paid search process. If they click on your PPC search result because they were looking for a particular service, then the click-through page should address that service as well. Marketers and Web writers must work together to ensure no gaps exist between the PPC ad and the landings pages/websites. If consumers do not find relevance in where they’re redirected, they will likely exit your space, which can affect your conversion and bounce rates and lower your quality score index.

While content is critical to capturing the attention of potential customers (keywords and ad copy), the key is to have landing pages in place (or develop landing pages) that correspond to your keywords. Don’t just drive traffic. If a consumer sees your ad after searching for “basketball shoes,” think about where you will send the shopper so he/she sees results that meet demand. Meeting demand raises the potential for conversion. Consider including in your PPC ad copy a more specific, relevant call to action such as, “Order your basketball shoes today!” This type of direct call to action helps sift from your incoming traffic unqualified sales leads so that your conversion rates stand to improve.

More clicks may help build brand awareness or provide background for searching consumers, but an increase in click-through rates doesn’t always equate to more sales or even qualified leads. Optimize your clicks and conversions with relevant keywords, ad copy and landing page content. Content is king, from careful keyword selection and ad copy implementation to effective websites that retain consumer interest and maintain search relevance for optimal results.