PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising. Pay-per-click is a pricing model for online marketing where an advertiser pays each time an ad is clicked on. The best-known platform for pay-per-click ads is Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords). Some of the other platforms include Microsoft Advertising (formerly known as Bing Ads), Facebook Ads, Outbrain, and Taboola. However, because of Google’s dominance in search engine traffic, when you hear people talk about PPC advertising, they are generally talking about Google Ads.
What are Google Ads?
Google Ads is online advertising platform. These ads appear at the top and bottom of Google’s organic search results. While these ads look similar to the organic search results, they are delineated by a small label that reads “ad.” Your ads may also appear on Google properties such as YouTube and Google Maps and third-party websites such as blogs and mobile apps.
How do Google Ads work?
When you use Google Ads, you become what we will refer to as an advertiser. Every advertiser bids on a set of keywords. Basically, keywords are terms you think your potential customers might use when searching for your products or services. For example, if an advertiser is the owner of Amritsaria Blogs, then he or she might bid on a keyword such as Amritsaria Blogs nearby.
Whenever a user visits Google to search for something, he or she may enter a query that matches your keyword. Google automatically runs an auction for all the advertisers targeting that keyword. Google judges an auction based on how relevant the ads are to the search query and a number of other factors. Google awards the “winners” higher ad placement on the SERPs, or Search Engine Result Pages.
Cost-per-click
The advertiser or person is charged only when a user clicks on the ad. The cost-per-click (CPC) varies with each auction based on a number of factors, such as relevance to the search query and competition. Due to these variations, you will generally look at your average cost per click across a certain time frame. CPCs vary widely across different verticals, so you will need to do some research so as to get an idea of how much paid clicks on Google may cost you.
What are the benefits of using Google ads?
Some of the benefits of using Google Ads are:
. Targeted Customers
If you are old enough to remember, it used to be vital for businesses to have an ad in their phone book. Anyone going to the phone book may look up the number for Amritsaria Blogs; for example, they are likely motivated to see Amritsaria Blogs. You wanted your business to be considered at that critical moment when they were looking.
Similarly, Google is the internet age’s phone book. It is where people go for information, and these people are the most qualified customers to target because they are looking for what you are offering and are the most likely to buy it. As an advertiser, you can control the geographic regions (down to the ZIP code) where your ads show, adding another dimension to customer targeting.
. Budgeting Controls
Another benefit of using Google is the spending flexibility built into the system. This may enable your business to advertise on Google, even on a tight budget. Using the various settings, you can control how much you want to spend. For instance, you might only want your ads to run during business hours or only advertise to people using certain devices, such as smartphones. You can also set a maximum CPC bid that, in essence, tells Google that this is the most you are willing to pay for a click to your website. You can also set the daily campaign budget so as to make your ad spend predictable.
. Advanced Reporting
Online advertising such as Google Ads offers you many valuable metrics to help you evaluate the success of your ad campaign. Conversion tracking is especially powerful to see whether your ads are driving online sales, phone calls, file downloads, email subscriptions, or other goals. Google Ads may also be integrated with the Google Analytics feature for more detailed reporting.
Why use Google PPC ads?
Investing in Google PPC ads can offer your business multiple advantages, such as:
. Prime real estate in search results
Ads from the Google Search Network get the best spot in the search results on Google. That is why more than 45% of clicks go to the first three Google PPC ads in the search results. With this prime real estate, your business can reach and convert your target audience, which can translate to more sales and revenue for your business.
. Access to millions of users
Google dominates the search market. It is the preferred choice for millions of users worldwide, which is why companies like to use Google PPC for online advertising. Whether your business uses the Google Search Network or the Google Display Network, you can reach a vast part of your target market or audience.
. Advanced targeting technology
The targeting capabilities of Google PPC ads are unreal. Whether you are looking to reach users with a specific interest, such as fly fishing, or within a specific demographic, like 65 or older, you can do it with the help of Google Ads. Some of the few additional targeting options available with Google PPC are:
. Location
. Topics
. Parental status
. Habits
With these targeting options, your business can reach out to your ideal client with ease.
. Cost-effective advertising option
Google Ads is also profitable for many companies. It can offer an impressive return on investment (ROI) of $8 for every $1 invested. In comparison with the other platforms for PPC advertising, it can provide you with an average ROI of $2 for every $1 invested.
. Companion to SEO
If you are investing in Google PPC, then your company should also consider search engine optimization (SEO). With SEO, you can improve your organic ranking in the search results by optimizing your website for not only search engines but also for users. For example, a landscaping company may create a webpage on its website for its residential services. They want this webpage to appear in the search results for residential landscaping, so they can optimize that webpage for keywords and user expectations related to that search.
SEO is the perfect companion to PPC for a few more reasons, such as:
. Apply your PPC data, such as keywords, to your SEO strategy.
. Lower your PPC advertising cost by dominating the organic search results.
. Maximize your online presence by appearing in paid and organic search results.
