You probably are trying to get started with PPC or figure out how it works if you are reading this. You have come to the right place. I will give all the PPC basics so you can walk away knowing what the heck PPC is all about.

What is PPC?

PPC, aka pay-per-click, is when you pay for visits to your website or landing page, instead of earning those visitors organically. Yup, basically paying to play.

Advertising on search engines is the most popular form of PPC. In an auction-style format, you can get your ad placed in the sponsor link section when someone searches with a related keyword. As the term pay-per-click denotes, you pay for each time your ad is clicked, and a visitor is sent to your site.

There is a lot that goes into a successful ad. You have to research and choose the best keywords, ensure they are organized into ad groups in your campaign and have optimized landing pages (yeah, you just can't send them to your homepage - sorry). And if you do all this and do it well, you will be rewarded. What is the reward you ask? Well, you will pay less per click….who doesn't want that?

So if you are going to get into the PPC game, and let me tell you it is not right for every business depending on their goals and current results; you need to make sure you do it right.

PPC on Google Ads

Google provides a platform to do PPC advertising, which is a must in your arsenal if you are doing PPC. With the Google Ads platform, you can create ads that will appear on Google’s search engine and other properties.

Google Ads also operates in an auction format. To win your bid, there are various factors taken into accounts, such as your CPC (Cost Per Click) and Quality Score, otherwise known as Ad Rank.

Google is the most popular search engine, so you want to make sure you are doing PPC marketing on this platform.

PPC Keyword Research

When it comes to PPC, keyword research can be daunting, and let’s not forget time-consuming. But it is vital to your PPC campaign success. Also, keyword research is not a one-time thing. It is essential to refine your campaign keywords and add relevant ones continually.

PPC Campaigns

So you go through the process of researching keywords and building your campaign. You launch it, and what next? Well, it doesn’t stop there. You have to manage your campaign and ensure that it maintains its success. Analyze and optimize is the name of the PPC game.

Now that you know all the PPC basic, happy bidding!