Pay per click (PPC) marketing is an effective technique used by website owners to advertise directly to their target audience. A PPC management service will usually maintain the advertising account. The effects of PPC marketing campaigns become visible immediately, unlike other business advertising tactics that often take weeks or months to work. PPC campaigns let owners place their advertisements before the eyes of their target audience within a few days, or even the same day.
Pay per click management works differently than other advertising methods. Instead of paying a single flat rate for advertisement placement, or paying for advertisements based on impressions, PPC costs accumulate on a cost per click basis. The rate for PPC is mostly based on the bid price of the advertiser as well as the popularity of the keyword and the industry it is a part of. For example, keywords targeting the food industry will tend to cost more per click than keywords that target drummers or gardeners.
However, popularity is not the only determinant in PPC rates. There is also a "Quality Score," which measures the relevancy of the keyword to the ad to the Landing Page. The more relevant the ad and Landing Page to the keyword, the lower the relative PPC cost. Therefore, two advertisers can use the same bid price for the same keyword, yet pay different prices per click based on which advertising experience provides more relevancy to the searcher.
Costs per click for PPC advertising can range from $ 0.01 per click to $10.00 or more per click.
Advantages of using pay per click
- Exceptional targeting ability – Popular PPC networks, such as Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and MSN, display associated advertisements when keywords are searched on. Place your ad in front of your target audience by choosing related keywords to the specific industry.
- Fast exposure – A majority of PPC campaigns can be established in a few days, or even a day. In most cases, advertisements are live instantly after approval.
- Full Control – A PPC program can be changed and even shut down completely with the push of a single button. A majority of PPC networks offer geo-targeting and can even allow ads to run at specific times of the day.
- Determine profitable keywords – If you run a PPC campaign before you embark on a major online marketing campaign, you can determine keywords that offer a positive ROI vs. keywords that are not helpful, which will make your overarching online marketing efforts more efficient.
Things to consider when running a PPC campaign
Keep in mind that if you are considering utilizing PPC advertising, the costs of a marketing campaign can accumulate very quickly depending on the settings, keywords and search engine marketing services you use. Define the business objectives and success metrics of your PPC campaign, and then seek out a PPC management firm to help you maximize your potential, so that you spend your money wisely (in line with your business objectives and success metrics).