PPC

 What Is PPC?

Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing is a type of digital advertising that involves paying a fee each time someone clicks on your ads. 

This means PPC is typically more cost-effective compared to advertising models that involve paying based on views or impressions that might not lead to any interactions.

Depending on your advertising platform, PPC ads can appear in the following places:

  • Search engines like Google and Bing

  • Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok

  • Banners on websites

  • Videos on YouTube

  • Marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy

Why Is PPC Important?

The main benefits of PPC ads are that they:

  • Offer specific targeting: PPC lets you reach highly specific audiences through targeting based on demographics, keywords (usually), and behavior. You can even target users who previously visited your site or interacted with you on social media.

  • Can deliver fast results: With PPC, you can start driving traffic soon after you start your campaign

  • Are generally cost-effective: With PPC, you only pay for interested users who take action by clicking. You can also control your budget and determine your cost per click (CPC) in advance.

  • Are easy to measure and track: Ad platforms allow you to easily track PPC metrics. Like how many people clicked on your ads and what they did from there.

  • Allow for easy management: Changing your CPC, strategy, and other elements is simple when you manage a PPC campaign through an ad platform. For example, you can boost the budget of ads that are performing well.

  • Can boost brand awareness: Even when users don’t click on your ads, they can still see your brand and message. And they may be more likely to engage with you later on.

  • Often complement SEO: Search engine PPC ads work well alongside SEO by letting you occupy more screen space in search engine results. Which is likely to drive more traffic and sales overall. 

How Does PPC Work?

Pay-per-click advertising uses a pretty straightforward process:

  1. Sign up for an advertising account with a platform you want to run ads on. Like Google Ads or Meta Ads Manager.

  2. Set your overall budget and how much you’re willing to pay for each click

  3. Create your ad copy and include visual assets like images/videos as applicable

  4. Send your ad into an auction with other advertisers who are bidding on the same keywords or targeting criteria

  5. Wait for the auction to determine whose ads will be shown—and where

  6. Pay whenever someone clicks your ad

The exact process depends on your platform and ad format. But the main principles remain.

5 Types of PPC Ads

When you run a PPC campaign, you have a wide choice of different ad formats that can vary by platform, including:

Search Ads

Search ads are text-based ads that appear in search engines like Google and Bing when users enter a query. 

These ads usually show at the top or bottom of the SERP and are labeled as “Sponsored” or “Ad.” 

Display Ads

Display ads are most commonly run through Google Ads and are banner- or image-based ads that appear across a wide range of websites within the Google Display Network (GDN) and other partner sites/apps. 

They’re shown based on users’ browsing behavior, interests, and other targeting criteria the advertiser selected.

Video Ads

Video ads appear across the web and platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads (Google calls them remarketing ads) are delivered to users who previously visited your website or interacted with your content but didn’t complete a desired action (like making a purchase). 

If someone visited your online store, added a pair of shoes to their cart, but left without completing the purchase, you can use remarketing ads to show those same shoes to them via a PPC ad.

Shopping Ads

Shopping ads are visually rich product ads that appear in search results and Google’s Shopping tab. 

Shopping ads are particularly effective for ecommerce businesses because they target people who are actively looking for specific products.

5 PPC Advertising Platforms 

Here are some of the most well-known PPC platforms:

Google Ads

Google Ads is the largest PPC platform (their market share is 39%) and allows you to run ads across the entire Google Network, which includes:

There are six types of Google Ads campaigns you can choose from, including search, display, shopping, and video.

Google Ads lets you reach those most likely to convert by bidding on specific keywords, ensuring your ads appear in relevant search results. 

Additionally, you can target audience segments—groups of people with specific characteristics or behaviors in common—to further refine who sees your ads.

Meta Ads

Meta Ads Manager allows you to run PPC ads on both Facebook and Instagram.

TikTok Ads 

TikTok allows you to run short-form video advertisements on the platform. 

Microsoft Ads

Microsoft Ads enables you to extend your search engine reach beyond Google by displaying ads across the Microsoft Advertising Network, which includes:

  • Bing, Yahoo, and MSN search engine results 

  • Microsoft-owned properties like Outlook and Microsoft 365

  • Bing and Yahoo search partners like Ask.com and Forbes 

LinkedIn Ads

With LinkedIn Ads, you can reach over 1 billion active professionals on the largest social media platform for professional networking. 

Track Your PPC Campaign’s Performance

You now know the basics of running PPC ads, so you’re ready to start your first campaign. 

If you’re running search ads on Google, Semrush can help you gather the insights you need for more effective ads. From the best keywords to the most engaged audience and even your competitors’ strategies.

Conclusion

From increased traffic to increased conversions, PPC marketing is a flexible and efficient way to achieve your company's goals. You can increase your return on investment and stay ahead of the competition by spending time researching, creating effective ads, and continually optimizing campaigns. PPC marketing has the potential to transform your digital marketing efforts if you have the right plan and resources.

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