What Is PPC Advertising? The Complete Guide

what is ppc advertising pay per click ads guide

Would you like targeted traffic to visit your website as soon as it goes live? 

Over 81% of Internet users search for a product and service. Yet many businesses struggle to gain visitors to their site. 

They rely on search engines like Google to send them potential customers which takes time and hard work. So what's the fastest and most cost-effective way to drive people to your site who want to buy? 

Pay Per Click Advertising 

This article looks at what is PPC advertising and how it can help you. We break down the different ad platforms, pay per click advert types, and how much they cost. 

You'll learn how the PPC marketing bidding works and how it stacks against SEO in the long run. 

So read this complete guide to PPC advertising to find out how to bring in more visitors and turn them into paying customers. 

What Is PPC advertising? 

Pay per click adverting provides an easy way for your customers to link to your website or app. 

They appear above normal or organic search results when someone searches for a related phrase or keyword. And unlike an organic result, advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their advert. 

PPC Campaigns And Keywords 

When you sign-up to a PPC platform, you create a campaign. 

Campaigns help you segment your ads into groups for easier management. You could have a campaign for a product range or seasonal services, for example. 

Campaigns can contain multiple ads and each ad must target one or more keywords. 

Keywords are the search phrases your visitors enter to find your product or service. They could be product-specific, like make and model. Or more general, like a brand. 

The great news is each advert platform provides free tools to help you find the best keywords. 

Google's Keyword Planner tool tells you how many people searched for your proposed keywords. It also gives suggestions, so you can target better phrases for more traffic. 

Pay Per Click Advertising Platforms 

There are three main PPC marketing platforms that host your ads: Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. 

Google is the most-used search engine in the world, having over 91% market share. Its Google Ads advertising platform lets you place your adverts throughout its extensive network. That includes Search, Maps, Android apps, and third-party vendors. 

Unsurprisingly, Google makes most of its money from advertising. But the reason is simple: it's very effective. 

Google claims that for every dollar you spend on their ad network you'll receive $8 in profit! 

However, Google's success also means it's the most expensive platform. That's why Microsoft reduced its prices. 

Microsoft Advertising offers a similar service to Google but your ads appear in Bing results. As Bing powers the likes of Yahoo!, that's quite a catchment area for a lower cost. 

And don't forget about Amazon. 

The retail giant is the fastest-growing ad platform for eCommerce websites. If you sell on their store then this is the place to spend your marketing budget. 

Types Of PPC Ads 

The main type of advert is the text ad

In Google, these appear above organic listings and look almost identical to those results. There's a small AD symbol to signify they're ads but otherwise, they don't stand out. 

Display ads reflect the more traditional image or banner advertisement. 

They are great if you want to promote using pictures of your products. Animated Gifs allow for multimedia too so you can grab people's attention. But they only appear on third-party sites or in Android apps. 

Shopping ads provide the best of both worlds. 

They appear above organic listings as an image and text. Mobile users can swipe across the screen to view more results. And they integrate with the likes of Google Shopping. 

How Much Will It Cost? 

PPC sounds good so far but let's talk money. How much does pay per click advertising cost? 

PPC is unlike traditional online ads where you pay for the time your ad appears. Instead, you're given an estimate on the cost per click or CPC based on your chosen keywords. 

Prices vary per keyword/phrase and also on the competition. 

The more businesses compete for a keyphrase, the higher the price. It's termed bidding and costs vary. 

For example, the keyword & 'business services' could set you back a whopping $58.64 per click! And if you own a casino and want to advertise on Google that word alone fetches $55.48. 

That's why PPC strategies are so important when advertising online. 

Pay Per Click Campaign Management 

Choosing the right keywords, targeting the right traffic, and setting your daily budget need expertise. So many businesses hire campaign managers to run things for them. 

You can actually save money by hiring an expert than getting it wrong by doing it yourself. 

A campaign manager considers your budget and target audience then adjusts ad spend accordingly. You're able to track results through a dashboard and see the ROI on your investment. 

Campaign managers also offer: 

 Keyword Analysis and Research 
 AdGroup builds 
 Keyword Bid Adjustments 
 Banner Ad Creation and Install 

And a lot more to help your business succeed online. 

SEO Versus PPC 

Search engine optimization means ensuring Google likes your website and ranks you high on their organic results. But by using PPC, does that mean you should stop or ignore SEO? 

The short answer is no! 

PPC can bring targeted traffic in the short term but SEO can generate similar results over time. Some users ignore ads and go straight for the free listings. And if you are on the first page you will see a huge spike in traffic. 

SEO techniques like creating high-quality content will also reap rewards outside of search. 

Visitors will bookmark your pages if you provide great copy like blog articles. They will also share your site on social media. And that will generate a new stream of traffic outside the confines of Google. 

PPC Marketing And More At Frugal Finance 

Now you have learned what is PPC advertising it is time to broaden your online marketing and business knowledge. 

We have over twenty categories to choose from. Each has a wealth of information on how to promote yourself and live a productive life. All while being a cost-efficient as possible! 

So click on our articles and remember to sign-up for the finance feed subscription.

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