What is Pay Per Click? Marketing experts - WDMG

What is Pay Per Click?

Pay Per Click

As you traverse the digital marketing landscape, you’ve likely heard the term Pay Per Click reverberating across boardrooms and buzzing through online forums. But what exactly is Pay Per Click, or PPC as it’s commonly abbreviated? It’s not a new form of cryptic online language nor is it an obscure secret society. Brace yourself to dive into this game-changing concept that has single-handedly revolutionized the world of digital advertising.

When business owners often think about pay per click, they often see ads that appear at the top of Google. Obviously, this is how Google got its start and what propelled it to become a $700 billion company. In recent years, Pay Per Click has evolved tremendously and encompasses display ads from Google, YouTube, Facebook, Bing and Yahoo. Each of these media falls under the Pay Per Click category. Understanding exactly what Pay Per Click (aka PPC) is is important for any business that wants to grow. This article answers the question: “What is pay per click?”

Table of Contents

  • Google Search Network
  • Google Display Network
  • Advertising on YouTube
  • Advertising on Facebook
  • Bing
  • Yahoo Gemini
  • What is Pay Per Click?

Google Search Network

Google’s search network is responsible for about 3.5 billion searches daily ( Smart Insights, Search Engine Statistics 2018 ). People look for pretty much anything they can think of on Google. From “sushi restaurant near me”, “how much does a website cost” . The Google Search Network basically works in the following way. When someone goes to Google and searches for a keyword like “Best Restaurants”, Google displays up to four paid ads at the top, three map listings, ten organic search results, and then up to four paid ads at the top. bottom of the page. Those paid ads at the top and bottom of the page are pay-per-click ads.

Given its prominence at the top of the page (although some are also at the bottom), the Google Search Network can help businesses acquire leads quickly. This is especially true due to the fact that it can take a company many months to get to the first page of Google organically. And, given the limited number of companies that can appear on the front page, it remains a dream for many.

Statistics show that 92% of people who search on Google do not navigate past the first page (Search Engine Watch, the #1 position on Google gets 33% of search traffic). In contrast, Pay Per Click (as the name implies) displays companies that are willing to pay whenever someone clicks on their ad. The Google Search Network determines cost-per-click based on keyword relevancy, Pay Per Click ad, underlying site, and more.

Google Display Network

The Google Display Network complements the Search Network, but it works very differently. About two million websites. These ads appear as a banner and target people based on demographics (ie age and gender), location and interests. The advertising business only pays when someone clicks on the ad (hence the term Pay Per Click). Unlike the Search Network, where someone is actually researching a product or service, the Display Network targets people much more broadly.

The Google Display Network is great for building brand awareness. It gives advertisers the ability to display colorful ads and generally has a much cheaper cost per click than the Google Search Network. In addition, the Google Display Network allows companies the opportunity to “redirect” those who have already visited a company’s website. Due to its broad reach and lower cost-per-click, the Google Display Ad Network can be a valuable addition to any pay-per-click strategy.

Advertising on YouTube

YouTube is another search engine operated by Google. It has more than a billion users, almost a third of the companies on the Internet. These users watch billions of hours of content each day (YouTube in numbers). YouTube advertising generally falls under the Pay Per Click category, although it does not operate on a Pay Per Click basis. Like the Google Display Network, YouTube allows advertisers to target users based on demographics, location and interests. There are two types of ads on YouTube: True View and Bumpers.

True View ads are ads that play before or between another video. Viewers watch five seconds of your video and can decide if they want to keep watching or skip it. The advertiser only pays when the viewer watches for at least 30 seconds. There is a second type of TrueView video called TrueView video discovery. These ads appear in search results and advertisers only pay when the viewer chooses to watch the ad.

Preceding ads are six seconds of ads that the viewer must watch. They cannot be ignored. The advertiser only pays when someone watches the ad.

Advertising on Facebook

No discussion of “what is pay per click” would be complete without a discussion of Facebook Advertising. Facebook presents great opportunities for business. Like the Google Display Network and YouTube, advertisers can use Facebook for very broad targeting. Facebook can be used to create brand awareness. It can also be used to advertise a product or service to a specific demographic group, in specific locations and with specific interests.

Facebook ads appear on the user’s timeline on Facebook, Instagram and/or Facebook Messenger. Facebook has over 2 billion active daily users ( Social Sprout, 28 Powerful Facebook stats your brand can’t ignore in 2018 ). It is estimated that Americans spend an average of 35 minutes a day on Facebook ( Mediakix, how much time is spent on social media? )

Bing

engine operated by Microsoft. It has approximately 10% market share and accounts for about 5 billion searches worldwide. Bing ads work very similarly to Google Search ads. They only appear when someone performs a search on the Bing search engine. Ads on Bing are generally cheaper (sometimes drastically cheaper) than ads on Google. Notably, some computers come with Bing set as the default browser.

Yahoo Gemini

Yahoo is the third largest search engine. Yahoo’s search engine has approximately 11% of the market and works similarly to Google Search and Bing Ads. Paid ads on Yahoo are better suited to organic results than on Google or Bing. Similar to Bing, Yahoo’s ads are generally cheaper than Google’s. Some computers also have Yahoo set as their default search engine.

What is Pay Per Click?

The term pay per click covers Google Ads, YouTube, Facebook, Bing and Yahoo. Pay Per Click is a fast and effective way for companies to acquire new leads or increase their revenue through digital advertising, pay per click.

FAQ

1. What is Pay Per Click (PPC)?
PPC is an online advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked.

2. How does Pay Per Click work?
Advertisers bid on specific keywords, and their ads are displayed when users search for those keywords. They only pay when their ad is clicked.

3. What are the benefits of using Pay Per Click advertising?
PPC allows for precise targeting, immediate results, and the ability to track and measure the effectiveness of campaigns.

4. Are there different types of Pay Per Click advertising platforms?
Yes, popular PPC platforms include Google Ads, Bing Ads, and social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn.

5. Can anyone use Pay Per Click advertising?
Yes, PPC is accessible to businesses of all sizes, from small local businesses to large corporations.

6. How do I know if my Pay Per Click campaign is successful?
Success in PPC can be measured by analyzing metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend.

7. Is it worth investing in Pay Per Click advertising for my business?
The value of PPC depends on your business goals and target audience; many businesses find it to be a highly profitable marketing channel.

8. What should I consider before starting a Pay Per Click campaign?
Before starting a PPC campaign, consider your budget, target audience, competition, keyword selection, ad copy quality, and landing page experience.