What is pay-per-click (PPC) marketing
PPC (pay-per-click) marketing is an online advertising model where advertisers pay publishers when users click their ads. Advertisers bid on the value of clicks based on keywords, platforms, and target audiences.PPC (pay-per-click) marketing is an online advertising model where advertisers pay publishers when users click their ads. Advertisers bid on the value of clicks based on keywords, platforms, and target audiences.
Also known as cost-per-click (CPC), PPC is most commonly used by search engines, such as Google Ads, and on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. Bloggers and affiliate marketers also commonly use PPC to run display advertising on their websites.
What you’ll learn in this guide:
The difference between PPC, SEM and SEO
How PPC works
Why PPC is important
PPC strategy and campaign planning
Top PPC platforms
Types of PPC ads
How to learn more about PPC
What’s the difference between PPC, SEM and SEO?
Though these three terms get used interchangeably, there is a difference between PPC, SEM (search engine marketing), and SEO (search engine optimization).
SEM is an umbrella term that encompasses PPC but is not limited to only this form of advertising. It references activity that intends to improve how easy it is to find a website through a search engine. SEM is both paid and unpaid, PPC, or organic traffic (SEO).
PPC is online advertising that works with search engines and other channels such as video ads (YouTube) and image ads (Instagram/Facebook).
Search engine optimization (SEO), is a method of optimizing a website’s content and structure to make it more visible to search engines. This is done by researching and using relevant keywords, optimizing meta data, creating quality content, and earning links from other websites. The goal of SEO is to improve a website’s organic (non-paid) search engine rankings and drive traffic to the website through organic search results.
How does PPC work?
PPC advertising works by allowing advertisers to bid on specific keywords or phrases that they want their ads to appear for in search engine results. When a user searches for one of those keywords or phrases, the advertiser’s ad will appear among the top results. The advertiser is then charged a fee each time a user clicks on their ad.
Advertisers create campaigns that target specific demographics, interests, locations, etc. They will set a maximum bid for the keywords they want to target.
The search engine will then use a complex algorithm to determine which ads to show and in what order. The algorithm takes into account factors such as the:
Advertiser’s bid amount
Relevance of the ad to the keyword
Quality of the ad
PPC strategy and campaign planning
Top PPC platforms
How to learn PPC
This form of advertising can also be done through social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram.
Why is PPC important?
PPC should be considered an asset, not a marketing expense.
In 2022, PPC brought in an average of $2 for every $1 spent, with an average cost per click (CPC) of $1.16. And while social media is still a popular place to advertise, 40% of ad spend in 2020 was spent on search (73% of that going to Google).
PPC offers several benefits not found with SEO or social media, including:
Quick results: PPC advertising can drive traffic to a website almost immediately, whereas SEO can take time to show results. Platforms usually approve ads the same day, providing maximum exposure almost immediately. This could be a text ad via Google search, an image ad through Instagram, or even a video featured on YouTube. Using multiple platforms in different formats can increase your brand’s visibility.
Reach your targeted audience: PPC advertising allows marketers to target specific demographics, interests, and location, which helps to reach the right audience. You can even target individuals based on their behaviors and interests; social media sites like Facebook can help you get your ad to the group that’s likely to convert into a sale.
Measurable: PPC advertising provides measurable results. It allows marketers to track conversions, return on investment (ROI), and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
Cost-effective: PPC advertising can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods, such as television or print ads, since marketers only pay when a user clicks on their ad, and they can set a budget for their campaign.
Branding: PPC advertising can help to increase brand awareness. Even if users don’t click on the ad, they may still see it and remember the brand.
Complementing SEO: PPC can be used to supplement SEO efforts. While SEO focuses on increasing organic traffic, PPC can be used to drive immediate traffic to a website while SEO efforts are still ongoing.
Track your goals: Tools such as Google Analytics can help you track your goals. See how your ads are performing in real-time, and decide what needs to get done to reach your goals more efficiently.
Reputation management: PPC can be used to bid on keywords matching a reputation event and directed to a landing page directly addressing the matter so you can control the narrative, instantly and professionally.
Overall, PPC advertising offers a cost-effective and measurable way to reach a targeted audience, generate leads and sales, and ultimately increase brand awareness.
What is important for PPC strategy and campaign planning?
When planning a PPC campaign, there are several key steps you should take:
Define your target audience: Identify the demographics of the people you want to reach with your ads, including their age, gender, location, interests, and more.
Set clear goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your PPC campaign, such as increasing website traffic, driving online sales, or generating leads.
Research keywords: Use keyword research tools to identify the terms and phrases your target audience is searching for, and include them in your ad copy and website content.
Create compelling ad copy: Write attention-grabbing headlines and descriptions for your ads that will entice people to click through to your website.
Choose the right ad platforms: Decide which platforms you want to advertise on, such as Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Meta Ads (for Facebook and Instagram), and so on.
Monitor and optimize your campaign: Track the performance of your ads and make adjustments as needed to optimize your campaign and achieve your goals.
Test different ad formats and targeting options: Try different ad formats (like text, image and video) and experiment with different targeting options to see what works best for your campaign.
Set a budget: Decide how much you want to spend on your campaign and make sure you stick to your budget.
What are the top PPC advertising platforms?
Several popular platforms offer PPC advertising solutions. Google, Microsoft Bing and Facebook are among the most popular.
Different types of ad platforms can show various results in the form of search, display, remarketing, and video (on YouTube or Facebook/Instagram Reels).
For the sake of brevity, we’ll focus on the two programs that stand out the most and cover all ad types: Google and Facebook.
Google Ads
Google reigns supreme among search engines. Its global popularity is unmatched. That’s why the fees are higher for Google Ads’ paid advertisements.
Advertisers bid to have their ad displayed, their services offered, a product listed, or a video featured on Google. There is an option to display ads on mobile apps, videos, and non-search websites (search partners).
Google Ads is the largest pay-per-click platform. With Google processing 99,000+ search inquiries per second, there’s a great chance that your ad will get seen by your intended audience, resulting in a customer/profit. Google Ads is perfect for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike.
Other helpful resources from Google Ads:
Google Ads Help
Your guide to Google Ads
YouTube
YouTube ads are a form of online advertising that allows businesses and individuals to promote their products or services on the YouTube platform. These ads can take several different forms, including:
Skippable video ads: These ads can be skipped after a certain amount of time, typically five seconds. They can be up to 60 seconds long.
Non-skippable video ads: These ads must be watched in full before the main video can be viewed. They can be up to 15 seconds long.
Bumper ads: These are short, non-skippable ads that are six seconds or shorter in duration.
Sponsored cards: These are small cards that appear on the video screen during the video and contain extra information about the product or service being advertised.
Overlay ads: These are semi-transparent ads that appear on the lower portion of the video.
Advertisers can target specific audiences based on factors such as demographics, interests, and behaviors. YouTube ads can be purchased on a cost-per-view (CPV) or cost-per-click (CPC) basis, and the advertiser is charged each time the ad is viewed or clicked on.
Facebook Ads
Facebook ads allow businesses and organizations to promote their products or services on the Facebook platform. The ads appear in the news feed of Facebook users, the right-hand column of the desktop site and the Stories section on mobile.
Types of Facebook ads include:
Image and video ads: These ads consist of a single image or video, along with a short headline and a call-to-action button.
Carousel ads: These ads allow businesses to showcase multiple images or videos in a single ad. Users can scroll through the images or videos to learn more about the products or services being advertised.
Slideshow ads: These ads allow businesses to create a video-like experience using multiple still images.
Instant Experience ads: These ads allow businesses to create immersive, full-screen experiences within the Facebook app.
Collection ads: These ads allow businesses to showcase multiple products within a single ad, with a link to a full-screen view of the products.
Advertisers can create campaigns that target specific demographics, interests, and locations. Facebook’s algorithm uses this information to show the ads to the users who are most likely to be interested in the products or services being advertised.
Instagram Ads
Instagram Ads allow businesses and individuals to promote their products or services on the Instagram platform. These ads are displayed in the form of sponsored posts, which are seamlessly integrated into users’ newsfeeds and look similar to regular posts.
Instagram offers several different types of ads, including:
Photo ads: These ads use a single image to promote a product or service.
Video ads: These ads use a short video to promote a product or service.
Carousel ads: These ads allow businesses to feature multiple images or videos in a single ad, allowing users to swipe through them.
Stories ads: These are ads that appear in the Stories section of Instagram and disappear after 24 hours.
IGTV ads: These are ads that appear before an IGTV video starts playing.
Advertisers can target specific audiences based on factors such as demographics, interests, and behaviors. Instagram ads can be purchased on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) or cost-per-click (CPC) basis, and the advertiser is charged each time the ad is viewed or clicked on.
