As a full-stack digital marketer, I can safely assure you that a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign can do wonders for your business. From generating leads to bringing sales or driving traffic to your website from search engines, a PPC campaign can benefit your business like no other digital marketing strategy.
However, I’ve experienced that most clients, especially small businesses, have several misconceptions and reservations about PPC campaigns. For starters, they may consider them as an unaffordable option to market themselves on search engines.
Besides this, I believe there are countless unanswered questions about PPC campaigns that I’m going to address in this article. So, if you’re looking for clarity, read on, as this article is going to answer all your questions.
What is PPC?
PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click, and it is a major type of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) strategy. PPC is an inorganic way to market your business on the internet and enables you to display paid ads on search engines and websites.
How Does PPC Work?
PPC works under a bidding system where advertisers bid for the ads. The ads with the highest price are displayed on top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Advertisers are bound to pay a “click fee” every time a person clicks on their ad.
What Is a PPC Ad Network?
A PPC ad network is the platform or search engine, like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc., where you want to display your ads. For instance, if you want to display ads to Google’s audience, then you may set up a PPC campaign on Google AdWords.
What Is PPC Ad Spend?
PPC ad spend is the amount or budget you allocate for PPC campaigns. Usually, most businesses allocate a monthly ad spend for PPC campaigns and increase or decrease the allocated budget based on their performance.
What Is CPC in PPC Campaigns?
CPC stands for Cost-Per-Click, and it is the amount advertisers pay each time users click on their ads. This helps advertisers estimate how much of their budget they should allocate for a certain ad.
How Can We Find the Best Keyword to Use in Your Ad?
You can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to find high-volume keywords or phrases relevant to your business and target them with PPC campaigns.
What Are the Prerequisites for Setting up a PPC Campaign?
To set up a PPC campaign on any search engine, you will need to create an account with the ad network first. Then, you can identify your target audience, conduct keyword research, and analyze competitors’ strategies to set up your PPC campaign.
What Are the Most Commonly Used PPC Tools?
Google Ads Editor, SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Ahrefs are some of the most widely used PPC tools. Besides tools, it’s important to know about graphic design using tools like Canva. You should also have powerful hardware that can support the usage of performance-heavy tools and a high-speed connection like Spectrum Internet, which allows you to easily monitor and manage campaigns.
Is Running a PPC Campaign Expensive?
Generally, PPC campaigns are inorganic, and investment depends on the number of keywords you target to display your ads on. It is generally more expensive than other strategies like Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
What Factors Affect My PPC Campaign Cost?
Besides the number of keywords you target, other factors that can affect the cost of your PPC campaign include bid amount, ad quality, business competitiveness, platforms where the ad is displayed, and keyword relevance and volume.
Where Can I Display PPC Ads?
You can display PPC ads across the search engine, including your website and the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Are Paid Ads Shown Above Organic Results on the SERP?
Yes, paid ads are shown above organic results on SERP, and it is a major reason why PPC campaigns offer higher visibility than organic marketing techniques like Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
How Long Does It Take for PPC Campaigns to Generate Results?
PPC campaigns often generate results in days, as paid ads are ranked higher on SERP, and search engines promote them as well.
Why Are Most PPC Campaigns Set Up on Google Adwords?
According to reports, more than 94% of internet users prefer Google as their primary search engine. This is why it makes more sense to set up PPC campaigns on Google AdWords, as it has the highest traffic among all ad networks.
What Are the Advantages of PPC Campaigns?
Here are some of the major benefits of PPC campaigns:
- PPC campaigns offer instant results.
- You can target customers according to their demographics with PPC campaigns.
- PPC campaigns are measurable as you can track clicks, impressions, conversions, and more with any ad network.
What Are the Disadvantages of PPC Campaigns?
Here are some of the major downsides of PPC campaigns:
- Small businesses may not be able to afford PPC campaigns in the long term.
- PPC campaign results are often short-lived.
- Some users may not click on ads on a website with a “sponsored” tag.