Defintion of Pay Per Click
Pay Per Click or PPC (sometimes referred to as ‘paid search’) is where you are essentially paying for an ad to be displayed on different networks (e.g. Google or Facebook).
For example, you will see ads on Google search results pages or on Facebook when scrolling.
A business is paying for the ad to be displayed and if a visitor clicks on it (which takes them through to their website) then they pay a fee, hence the name ‘pay per click’.
It is a form of Web Marketing or Digital Marketing
It is a method of ‘buying visitors to your website’, which if targeted correctly will convert into paying customers.
The most popular PPC programmes are Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
Both these companies dominate the online ad market.
What are the Benefits of Pay Per Click?
- Pay Per click can be up and running quickly. (In comparison to SEO which can take time).
- Your adscan be seen by customers when they search for a specific product or service that you supply.
- You can see exactly where your money went.
- It can help generate business and sales in a very targeted way.
- If you own a shop or business you can target local customers, who are more likely to visit.
- You can set your own budget (e.g. £20.00 or £30.00 per day)
- No visit, no Fee. You only pay if someone clicks through to your website or calls you.
- You will get very specific reports that allow you to monitor which ads perform better than others.
- You can start and stop a campaign whenever you like e.g. in the run-up to an event or a sales promotion.
- It works on multiple devices. You can reach your customers whether they are on Smartphone, Tablet or PC
- The market research tools available offer great insight into your target market.
Are there downsides to using Pay Per Click?
- There is a lot of competition – a lot!
This can drive up the costs of placing ads. Essentially you are in an auction and bidding for keywords. - If your product is in a competitive market then it can be expensive. We recommend that you calculate your profit margins carefully.
- You can pay for ads to drive customers to your website but as with all forms of advertising, there is no guarantee that a paid visitor to your websites will purchase a product from your website.
- Most users of search engines still click, on what is known as the ‘natural listings’ or ‘organic’ listing and so it is a good idea to also run an SEO campaign to target those users.
- When your campaign stops, visitors to your website stop.
- In the current climate (Covid 19) with lockdown, more people are buying online than ever before and costs for ads have increased.
If you have any questions about PPC, please get in touch.