Introduction
Pay per click, or PPC, is a popular search engine marketing (SEM) technique that companies use to drive targeted traffic to their website via search engines. It’s one of the most cost-effective methods of online advertising because you only pay when someone clicks on your ad and goes to your website, rather than paying each time your ad is displayed or clicked on within the search results page. There are two major types of PPC ads: text-based ads and display ads with images or videos that appear next to the search results page.
What is Pay Per Click ( PPC )
PPC – or pay-per-click – allows website owners to show their ads when people search for certain keywords. These ads then appear near, above, or below other search results on a web page (or sometimes in a column on a separate part of a site) based on how much you’re willing to pay per click. You might have seen these types of ads while searching online:
The cost per click (CPC) varies depending on what keyword you choose, but if your ad shows up enough times and someone clicks on it, your campaign will be profitable. If not, you can always adjust your budget until you find an amount that works best for your business. PPC campaigns are a great way to reach new customers who are already searching for your product or service online. And unlike other forms of advertising, PPC allows you to track how much each individual ad costs and how many people clicked on it. This makes optimizing your PPC campaign relatively easy once you’ve got a few weeks under your belt.
The advantages of PPC
The biggest advantage of PPC advertising is that you only pay when a specific action you’ve selected takes place. For example, if you want to promote a particular product on your website but want to minimize your financial risk, you can use PPC to only pay when a visitor adds that product to their shopping cart or check-out page. This allows you to determine how much money you are willing to spend for each sale generated from your ad campaign. This also allows you to track ROI more accurately since you know exactly how much each click costs and how much revenue each click generates.
You can also test different keywords and ads until finding one that works best for your business model. In addition, PPC campaigns are great because they allow businesses to target customers based on search terms that they actually use when looking for products or services like yours online. This way, businesses don’t have to waste time or money showing ads to people who aren’t interested in what they have available. It’s important to note that PPC campaigns will not work for every type of business. If you sell something expensive, such as custom furniture or automobiles, it might be hard to justify paying per click without knowing how many sales will result from those clicks. It may be better to run an SEO campaign with cheaper keyword bids instead so that you can get traffic without having to worry about paying per click.
The disadvantages of PPC
With PPC, you’re forced to pay for every single click that ends up on your website. Whether these clicks convert or not (and they rarely do), you still have to pay for them. With PPC, there are no guarantees. Sure, if you take some time to do your research and create compelling ads, Google AdWords can be a pretty lucrative platform. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, bad things can happen quickly—in terms of time wasted and money spent—and fast. Although it doesn’t cost anything upfront (except for your time), PPC marketing tends to generate more work than revenue, especially in certain niches like health supplements or weight loss services. In other words, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars per month with little to show for it. If you want guaranteed traffic and conversions, then PPC isn’t for you. In fact, when done incorrectly, PPC can actually hurt your business rather than help it. So before jumping into a campaign without any prior experience or expertise, consider taking an alternative approach such as SEO instead.
You’ll likely see better results over time. It’s worth noting that many PPC companies offer free trial periods. However, these offers typically require a credit card number which means you’re essentially paying for their service through your monthly statement whether you use it or not. Steer clear of free trials unless you feel confident enough to cancel within 14 days without incurring additional charges! It’s also important to note that many paid advertising platforms automatically renew at regular intervals—typically every 30 days or so—unless canceled by the user beforehand. By default, most companies will bill your credit card automatically each month until explicitly notified otherwise by email. When signing up for a paid service, always check to make sure there aren’t any hidden fees lurking around somewhere!
Google Adwords – the most popular form of PPC
Google Adwords is basically PPC in its most recognizable form. It’s what comes to mind when you think of pay-per-click. In essence, a Google Adwords account allows you to bid on relevant keywords that trigger your ads whenever someone searches for those terms online. You only pay when your ad gets clicked on and you can set a daily budget for your campaigns as well as adjust bids at any time. It’s also important to note that you can also run text ads through Bing Ads, Yahoo Ads, Facebook Ads, or any other search engine (which essentially functions as an advertising network) so Google Adwords isn’t your only option if you want to get started with PPC marketing! However, it does have one distinct advantage over other platforms: its massive traffic volume.
If you’re just getting started, Google Adwords may be a good place to start. But don’t rule out other networks completely. With Google’s large market share in search advertising (over 65% in 2017), advertisers are often looking exclusively at their platform first because they already have a lot of history with them. That said, there are many advertisers who use multiple networks together depending on where their target audience is spending more time online – and how much they’re willing to spend.
How does it work?
When someone clicks on an ad, they’re directed to a website where they can either make a purchase or learn more about a particular product. In order for an advertiser to pay, there needs to be a click on the ad. This can be more cost-effective than traditional forms of advertising because you only pay when someone responds to your message. There are two main types of PPC: Search engine marketing (SEM) and display advertising. SEM includes paid search results on Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc., while display ads show up in email newsletters or banner ads online. Both are effective ways to reach potential customers—it just depends on what kind of business you have and how much money you want to spend. If budget is no object, then go for both! But if you’re looking to test out a new campaign before investing too much, start with one type of PPC before expanding into another.
To figure out which type will work best for you, look at competitors in your industry. What are they doing that works? What isn’t working so well? Can you use any of their tactics to build your own strategy? It’s always good to know what other companies are doing well before trying something new yourself. You never know—you might find that same strategy works really well for you! To get started with PPC, set aside some cash and try creating an AdWords account through Google or running a Facebook Ads campaign through Facebook. These platforms give small businesses a chance to create affordable campaigns without getting lost in their bigger corporate structure.
