Pay Per Click 101

Pay Per Click 101
Creating an online presence has gained greater importance in this day and age. With most people now shopping
online and hiring services through the internet, going digital with your business and reaching out to your target
audience is of paramount importance. Pay Per Click can play a major role in establishing and monetizing your
online business.
What is PPC?
Have you ever seen the sponsored listings at the top of Google search when you type a search phrase? These are
the coveted spots on the Google search page as users normally click the first or second search result. Pay per
Click is an advertising campaign in which you pay Google to put your website’s ad at the top of its search
results whenever the given keyword is searched by an internet user. On every ‘click’ by the user on the ad, the
advertiser pays Google a certain fee.
How does it help?
You must be wondering as to how it may help to pay for reaching the top of Google search results for a specific
search query? Well, it’s basically all about how you can ensure that every user who is directed to your website
through the ad would end up buying your product or service. This is because the audience that will reach your
website via the search query would normally be interested in whatever you are offering and therefore, with the
right conversion strategy at your landing page, you can easily gain a profit out of the campaign.
How it Works?
The working of PPC is simple. You select a keyword or a certain group of keywords which you think would be
searched by people most likely on the web to buy your marketed product or service. Then, you bid for the
particular keyword against your competitors. A scorecard is compiled which takes into account the bid amount
for pay per click, the relevance of the website with the keyword and the ad itself. The spots are decided based
on this score. If the ad isn’t clicked, you won’t need to pay anything.
What Platforms you Need?
There are a number of platforms where PPC campaigns can prove successful. Google AdWords is the most
popular platform in this regard. However, the cost per click with Google is higher and you should only go for it
if your profit margin allows for extravagant spending. Bing and Yahoo are other credible platforms which offer
PPC and where you can target the audience which normally doesn’t use Google. Facebook has also emerged as
a strong candidate and the PPC push can help you not just drive traffic but can also help in becoming viral.
Who Can Help You with Your Business?
Gaining basic knowledge about PPC is great as it can help you understand why you need to opt for PPC to gain
success online. However, developing ad strategies, selecting the right keywords which wouldn’t just create
clicks but also drive people interested in spending money to the website and bidding the right amount at each
platform requires years of experience and expertise. Digital marketing agencies which have proven their worth
are normally your best bet for running a successful PPC campaign.
How is it Different to Other Methods?
PPC is different to other online marketing strategies like SEO because it offers instant traffic and potential for
sales. SEO is a slow-burn strategy as it takes months of hard work to drive organic traffic to the website. With
PPC, you can generate quick results and get a jump-start for your business online.