You’ve probably heard of pay-per-click, but how much do you really know about? It can seem rather confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are a beginner to PPC advertising looking for the basic facts on what it is, how it works, and what its advantages are, then read on.
What is Pay-Per-Click?
With Pay-Per-Click marketing, typically abbreviated PPC, you pay an advertising platform such as a search engine to display content you have created to relevant users. The amount you pay is usually per click (hence the name), but depending on the platform it may be for video views or impressions.
How Does Pay-Per-Click Work?
PPC is mainly associated with search engines like Google or Bing and whether your content shows up or not depends on what keywords you have selected. In a bidding system, which is what you will see with PPC on major search engines, you essentially bid on how much you are willing to pay for a click associated with a certain keyword.
When someone performs a search on that keyword, the winning bids will appear as advertisements on the search engine results page above the organic results. You then pay a certain amount for each click.
This is a simplified explanation (page rank and other factors may come into play, there may be a flat charge per click, etc.) but it gives you an overall idea of how PPC works.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Pay-Per-Click?
One of the best aspects of PCC is that it puts a link to your content directly in front of people who are interested in the products or services you offer. Remember that your content will not show up as an advertisement unless someone is searching for that particular keyword. Depending on what advertising platform you are running a PCC campaign on, you can tailor the demographics to target your prospective customers.
Another key factor of PPC is that you don’t have to pay unless someone clicks on your advertisement, making it extremely cost effective. If you are concerned about your ROI for PPC, it is very easy to measure the effectiveness of a PCC campaign.
In addition, you can see your PPC results almost immediately, compared to SEO tactics which may take several months in order to see a measurable impact.
And remember that your PPC advertisements will show up before the organic search results, giving you an distinct advantage when someone is searching on the keywords you have selected. That, combined with the fact that there are an average of 40,000 Google searches per second, can give you a distinct advantage over your competition when you leverage PPC wisely.
Is PPC Right For You?
PPC is an excellent method of targeted advertising that gives places your ads in front of people who are interested in what you have to offer and only requires payment if someone clicks on your ad. The results of PPC are almost immediate (much faster than traditional SEO) and easy to measure so you can track your ROI.
If you are wondering if PPC is right for you, call Gauge Digital Media. We can answer your questions about PPC, help you determine if it is right for you, and assist you with a PPC campaign if it is a good fit. In fact, we can help with all your digital needs, including email marketing, SEO, web design, graphic design, and search marketing. We can be reached at (410) 376-7709.
