PPC marketing is on the rise during this internet age. It is the preferred choice for driving leads and improving sales. PPC is managed by search engines such as Google. But what is it? How can it benefit your business?
In this post, we will answer all your questions as we introduce digital marketing through PPC. It has been successful in different industries, and we believe it can also work for you.
What is PPC Marketing?
PPC (pay-per-click) marketing or search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of online marketing that allows you to run ads that appear at the top of organic search results on search engine pages. You only pay when your ad appears, and someone clicks on it, hence the name.
PPC marketing allows people to bid on ads to display at the top of the page for a specific keyword. It is not charged per impression, but only when a target audience clicks on the ad. The ad redirects to a landing page. The more clicks you have, the more you pay.
What are the Benefits of PPC Marketing?
PPC marketing is advantageous over other online advertising strategies in the following ways:
- PPC advertising is cost-effective – you only pay per click
- The results are almost instant with PPC marketing
- It is easy to manage PPC ads through regular testing and performance analytics
- PPC ads do not change much if algorithms are altered
- PPC ads can help you achieve better SEO ranking even when your domain does not rank better
- Data collected from PPC adverts can be used to enhance SEO strategy.
- Free training resources are available online.
- Easy to target audience based on demographic data
PPC marketing looks very lucrative, but not with the downside. If you want to promote your brand awareness, increase leads, and improve sales through PPC ads, you should be aware of the following disadvantages:
- Takes time to continuously monitor and optimize to get results.
- Cost can quickly escalate if the ads are not well targeted.
- Increased leads do not equate to sales
How PPC Marketing Works
With PPC marketing, you are only required to create the ad, bid for the relevant search terms, and let it go live. Search engines allow you to optimize your ad to reach the intended target by setting parameters that best match your business or service. The process of creating a PPC ad includes the following:
- Choose a PPC provider according to your business model
- Optimize the ad by targeting a particular population
- Define your search terms, also known as keywords
- Place your bid amount on each search term that will put you above the competition
- Create an ad according to the specifications of your PPC provider and submit
- Pay for the services the amount billed on your ad when internet users click on it.
Settings on PPC Ads
As mentioned, PPC marketing is target-specific. The service providers allow you to adjust parameters to narrow down your audience. You can set the following:
Campaign type:
You have the option of choosing a search network, display network, and shopping or product listing ads. For brand listing ads, specify the brand, category, condition, item ID, product type, and custom attributes.
Device targeting:
PPC ads can be displayed on desktops and laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Search engines usually have mobile devices modifiers that allow you to pay less for the ads appearing on mobile devices.
Location setting:
You can set the ad to display for searches within a particular area using zip codes or street names.
Display time:
Ads can run 24/7, but you have the option to schedule the ads. Modifiers are applied at different times of the day.
Budget:
You can set a daily budget according to your marketing goals.
Ad delivery:
You can choose optimized or rotate indefinitely. Optimized one allows only the display of ads with high click volume.
Concluding Remarks
PPC marketing is effective but can be expensive if you are not experienced. You can refer to the online training materials to learn more or choose a professional service provider to help you out. If done correctly, PPC ads can create brand awareness, increase leads, and boost sales.