What is Pay Per click (PPC)? 

In this method, advertisers pay for each click on their ads. The most typical way of using PPC is through search engines like Google Ads. Advertisers compete by offering on specific keywords, and their ads show up at the top of search engine results when those keywords are searched for.

Additionally, PPC advertising is also used on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and it can be displayed on various websites too.

What’s the difference between PPC, SEM and SEO? 

PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click and is a form of online advertising. SEM, which stands for Search Engine Marketing, includes PPC but also covers other methods to improve the visibility 0f website on search engines. SEM can involve both paid advertising like PPC and unpaid methods like SEO.

PPC specifically refers to online ads that appear on search engines and other platforms, like video ads on YouTube or image ads on Instagram and Facebook.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is about optimizing content of website and structure to make it more easily discoverable by search engines. This involves using relevant keywords, optimizing meta data, creating high-quality content, and earning links from other websites. The main goal of SEO is to boost a website's organic (non-paid) search engine rankings and attract more traffic through organic search results.

How does PPC work? 

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is a way for advertisers to show their ads when people search for specific words or phrases on search engines. Advertisers offer on these keywords, and if their offer is successful, their ad will appear at the top of the search results. 

To run a PPC campaign, advertisers choose the audience they want to target based on demographics, interests, and locations. They also set a maximum offer for the keywords they want to show their ads for.

The search engine then uses a complicated formula to decide which ads to display and in what order. This formula considers factors like the amount of the bid, how relevant the ad is to the keyword, and the ad's overall quality. 

PPC advertising can also be used on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. If you want to learn more about PPC, you can explore various resources and courses available.

Why is PPC important?

PPC, which stands for Pay-Per-Click, is a valuable benefit for businesses and should be seen as an investment rather than a marketing expense. In 2022, PPC proved to be highly effective, bringing in an average of $2 for every $1 spent, with a typical cost per click (CPC) of $1.16. While social media remains popular for advertising, a significant portion of ad spending in 2020, about 40%, was allocated to search ads, with the majority going to Google.

PPC offers several advantages that are not found in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or social media advertising:

• Quick Results: PPC advertising can drive traffic to your website almost instantly. The approval process for ads on various platforms is usually fast, leading to maximum exposure in a short time. Whether it's a text ad on Google, an image ad on Instagram, or a video on YouTube, using multiple platforms and formats can boost your brand's visibility.

• Targeted Audience: PPC allows marketers to reach specific demographics, interests, locations, and even individuals based on their behaviors and interests. Platforms like Facebook enable you to target the right audience, increasing the likelihood of converting leads into sales.

• Measurable Results: PPC provides measurable results, allowing marketers to track conversions, return on investment (ROI), and other key performance indicators (KPIs). This data helps in optimizing campaigns for better outcomes. 

• Cost-Effectiveness: PPC can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods like TV or print ads. Marketers only pay when a user clicks on their ad, and they can set a budget for their campaign, ensuring efficient spending.

• Branding: PPC contributes to increasing brand awareness. Even if users do not click on the ad, they still see it, which helps them remember the brand. 

• Complements SEO: PPC can complement SEO efforts by driving immediate traffic to a website while SEO strategies are still being implemented to increase organic traffic.

• Goal Tracking: Tools like Google Analytics help track the performance of PPC ads in real-time, enabling marketers to adjust and optimize their campaigns to achieve their goals more effectively.

• Reputation Management: PPC can be utilized to bid on keywords related to reputation events, directing users to a landing page that addresses the matter directly. This allows businesses to control the narrative in a timely and professional manner.

In summary, PPC advertising offers a cost-effective and measurable way to target the right audience, generate leads and sales, and enhance brand awareness for businesses. It is a crucial component of modern marketing strategies.

When planning a PPC campaign, there are important steps to follow:

• Know your audience: Understand who you want to reach with your ads, like their age, gender, location, and interests.

• Set clear goals: Decide what you want to achieve with your campaign, whether it is more website visitors, online sales, or leads.

• Research keywords: Use tools to find the words and phrases your audience is searching for and use them in your ads and website content. 

• Create attractive ad copy: Write catchy headlines and descriptions to attract people to click on your ads. 

• Choose the right ad platforms: Decide where you want to advertise, such as Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, or Meta Ads (for Facebook and Instagram).

• Monitor and optimize: Keep track of your ad performance and make adjustments to improve your  effectiveness of campaign.

• Test different ad formats and targeting options: Experiment with various ad types and audience targeting to find what works best.

• Set a budget: Decide how much you are glad to spend on your campaign and stick to it.

Which platforms are best for PPC advertising?

There are several popular platforms that offer PPC advertising solutions, such as Google, Microsoft Bing, and Facebook. These platforms can display different types of ads, including search, display, remarketing, and video ads on platforms like YouTube or Facebook/Instagram Reels.

Among all these platforms, Google and Facebook stand out the most due to their comprehensive coverage of all ad types. 

Google Ads:

Google is the most widely used search engine globally, making it the top choice for PPC advertising. As a result, the fees for Google Ads' paid advertisements tend to be higher. Advertisers offer to have their ads displayed on Google, whether it is for their services, products, or videos. Additionally, there is an option to show ads on mobile apps, videos, and non-search websites (search partners). Google Ads is the largest pay-per-click platform, handling an incredible number of search inquiries per second, giving your ad a great chance of reaching your target audience and driving customer engagement and profits. It serve to both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike. 

YouTube 

YouTube ads are a way for businesses and people to promote their stuff on YouTube. There are different types of ads:

• Skippable video ads: These can be skipped after a few seconds and can be up to one minute long.

• Non-skippable video ads: You have to watch these fully before the main video starts, and they can be up to 15 seconds long. 

• Bumper ads: Short, non-skippable ads that are six seconds or less.

• Sponsored cards: Small cards that appear during the video with extra info about the product or service being advertised. 

• Overlay ads: Semi-transparent ads that show up at the bottom of the video.

Advertisers can target specific groups based on things like age, interests, and behaviors. They can buy YouTube ads on a cost-per-view or cost-per-click basis, which means they pay when people watch or click on their ads.

Facebook Ads 

Facebook Ads are a way for businesses and organizations to promote what they offer on Facebook. These ads show up in the news feed, the right-hand side of the desktop site, and in the Stories section on mobile. 

There are different types of Facebook ads: 

• Image and video ads: These ads have a single picture or video with a short headline and a button to take action.

• Carousel ads: They let businesses display multiple images or videos in one ad. People can scroll through them to learn more about the products or services. 

• Slideshow ads: These ads create a video-like experience using several pictures.

• Instant Experience ads: They allow businesses to make enveloping full-screen experiences right within the Facebook app.

• Collection ads: These ads showcase multiple products in one ad and link to a full screen view of the products.

 Advertisers can target specific groups of people based on their age, interests, and location. Facebook's algorithm uses this information to show the ads to users who are most likely to be interested in what is being advertised.

Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads are a way for businesses and individuals to promote their products or services on Instagram. These ads show up as sponsored posts that blend in with the regular posts in users' feeds.

• Photo ads: These use a single image to promote something. 

• Video ads: They use short videos to showcase a product or service. 

• Carousel ads: These ads let businesses display multiple images or videos in one ad, allowing users to swipe through them.

• Stories ads: Ads that appear in the Stories section of Instagram and disappear after 24 hours.

• IGTV ads: Ads that show up before an IGTV video starts playing.

Advertisers can choose who sees their ads based on factors like age, interests, and behaviors. The cost of Instagram ads can be based on the number of views (CPM) or the number of clicks (CPC), with the advertiser being charged accordingly.

Microsoft 

Microsoft Advertising is a tool that lets businesses and people make ads on Microsoft Bing search engine and its partner websites and apps. There are various types of ads like search, product, shopping, display, and video ads. Advertisers can target specific groups based on their interests and behavior, and they can pay either when someone clicks on the ad or when it's viewed.

TikTok 

TikTok ads let businesses and individuals promote their products or services on the TikTok app. These ads are fun and creative, often using music and popular TikTok trends. 

There are different types of TikTok ads: 

• In-feed ads: These full-screen ads show up in the main feed as videos or images. 

• Brand takeover ads: They take over the screen when users open the app and can be videos or images. 

• Hashtag challenge ads: These ads encourage users to join a challenge with a specific hashtag and make their own videos using it.

• Branded effects: Special effects created by brands that users can use in their videos. 

Advertisers can target specific groups based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. TikTok ads can be paid for based on the number of impressions (how many times it's seen) or clicks.

TikTok offers a platform for small and medium-sized businesses to run their ads themselves and a service for larger businesses to manage their campaigns. 

Twitter 

Twitter ads let businesses and individuals promote their products or services on Twitter. These ads help reach a large audience and are useful for generating leads, making people aware of brands, and getting more visitors to websites. 

• Promoted tweets: These tweets are labeled as "promoted" and appear at the top of users' timelines or search results. They can have text, images, or videos.

• Promoted accounts: These ads promote a Twitter account and show up in the "who to follow" section. 

• Promoted trends: These ads highlight a specific hashtag and appear at the top of the trending topics list.

• Website cards: These ads promote a website or landing page and include an image, title, and description.

• App install cards: These ads encourage mobile apps and include an image, title, and description.

 Advertisers can target specific groups based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Twitter ads can be bought on a cost-per-engagement (CPE) or cost-per-click (CPC) basis, meaning the advertiser pays whenever the ad is engaged with (like, retweet, reply, etc.) or clicked on. 

 Example

 If we place a bid on the keyword 'Google Shopping Management,' our ad has a higher chance of appearing at the very top of the Google results page. Google Shopping is one of our strengths, and it demonstrates how PPC advertising can significantly enhance visibility and profitability.