What is PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising and how to use it to drive targeted traffic to your website?

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is a digital marketing model where advertisers pay a fee to have their ads displayed on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when someone types in specific keywords or phrases. The advertiser pays a Cost Per Click (CPC) rate whenever a user clicks on the ad and gets directed to the advertisers website.

It's a way of buying instant website traffic rather than earning it organically over time through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or other methods.

PPC ads are typically displayed on search engines (like Google) and various other online platforms such as social media networks and websites. The ads are shown to a user when they search for specific keywords or phrases, or through retargeting methods when they visit sites with PPC display ads.

Common Google Ads Formats

“Google Ads (Former Google AdWords) is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, and videos to web users. It can place ads in the results of search engines like Google Search, mobile apps, videos, and on non-search websites.” Wikipedia

Search Ads: Search ads are text-based advertisements that appear on search engine results pages when users search for specific keywords or phrases. They typically consist of a headline, a description, a call to action and a URL. Search ads are displayed at the top and bottom of a search results page.

Shopping Ads: Shopping ads are visually rich advertisements that display product images, titles, prices and other relevant information. These ads also appear on search engine results pages but are more visually engaging than search ads. Shopping ads often appear in a grid format with multiple products showcased together.

How does Google determine the Cost Per Click (CPC) rate?

In simple terms the CPC rate is the amount an advertiser is willing to pay for each click on their ad when it appears on Google's search engine results pages or on websites and apps within the Google Display Network. This is based on a live bidding format with other advertisers bidding for the same keywords.

Other factors which impact the CPC rate are: Quality Score of the Ads, Ads Extensions, time of day, Maximum Bid an advertiser is willing to pay, competitor bids and more.

Benefits of PPC Ads

PPC ads offer numerous benefits for businesses looking to promote their products or services.

Immediate Visibility and Results: PPC ads provide instant visibility on search engine results pages or other online platforms. As soon as you set up your campaign and launch your ads, they start showing to users who search for your keywords or browse content related to your offerings.

Cost Control: With PPC ads, you have full control over your advertising budget. You can set a daily budget, the maximum amount you're willing to pay for each click and allocate your budget to different campaigns or keywords based on their performance.

Measurable Results: PPC advertising provides detailed performance metrics and analytics. You can track various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as Click-Through Rates (CTR), conversion rates, Return On Investment (ROI), and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). These insights help you measure the success of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions to assist your optimisation very easy.

Complement to SEO: PPC advertising can complement your organic optimisation efforts. While organic SEO takes time to rank well, PPC ads can put your business at the top of the search results immediately, providing immediate exposure and traffic. Learnings from PPC data, especially data about keywords users have been searching for can really help optimise your organic SEO.

Brand Exposure and Awareness: Even if users don't click on your ads, PPC ads still contribute to brand exposure and awareness. The visibility of your brand in search results or on relevant websites can leave an impression on users, making them more likely to remember your brand when they're ready to make a purchase.

How PPC advertising can drive targeted traffic to your website

First of all you need to sign up for a PPC advertising platform, such as Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising. Once the account setup has been completed you can create PPC campaigns, set your budgets targeting options and ad preferences.

Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is likely to use when searching for products or services similar to yours. Use keyword research tools to discover high-value keywords with reasonable search volume and competition.

Create Compelling Ad Copy: Write persuasive and engaging ad copy that includes your targeted keywords. Highlight the unique selling points of your products or services and include a clear Call To Action (CTA) that encourages users to click on your ad.

Use Ad Extensions: Ad extensions are extra bits of information that you can show alongside your ads. They can contain links to specific subpages on your webpage, a call button, product pricing information, location extensions and more. Such extensions make your ad more appealing and provide users with more options to interact with your business.

Target Specific Audiences: Set targeting options to narrow down and reach your specific audience. You can target users based on demographics, location, interests, behaviours and more.

Landing Page Optimisation: Create dedicated landing pages that align with the content on offer in your PPC ads. Ensure that your landing pages are optimised for a good user experience, load quickly and have a clear and relevant CTA. This also helps increase the Quality Score of your ads.

Monitor and Analyse Performance: Regularly monitor the performance of your PPC campaign. Pay attention to click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment. Use the data to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven optimizations.

Adjust and Optimise: Continuously optimise your PPC campaign based on the insights and data gathered. Adjust bids, ad placements and targeting options to improve the effectiveness of your PPC advertising.

Conclusion

Pay-Per-Click advertising is a powerful and effective advertising tool in the digital marketing landscape. With several advantages it most certainly helps businesses promote their products or services in a cost effective way.

All the campaigns we run for our valued clients perform with a positive return on investment.

Want to know more? Feel free to set up a meeting with one of our PPC specialists.