What is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising & how it works

Paid Advertising

Online advertising has become a vital part of any business strategy in recent years, and few tactics have become more effective than pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. 

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a popular form of online advertising that lets businesses drive traffic to their website by situating their ads on search engine results pages (SERPs) and other websites. 

Let’s dive into this valuable digital marketing strategy, see how to create a functional, successful PPC campaign, and how to interpret and measure the results of these campaigns.

What is pay per click advertising?

PPC is a model of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time a user clicks on their ad. PPC ads are displayed in various places, such as SERPs, social media platforms, and other websites. The most popular PPC platform is Google Ads, which lets advertisers bid on keywords that are related to their business or industry. If a user searches for one of these keywords related to an advertiser’s business, that business’ ad will appear at the top of the search results page.

One of the main benefits of PPC advertising is that it is very cost-effective. This is because advertisers only pay when someone actually clicks on their ad. On top of this, PPC can be highly targeted, allowing advertisers to engage their desired audience based on any number of factors, including their location, demographics, interests, or intent.

Creating pay per click campaigns that actually work

Simply understanding PPC is not enough to create a solid campaign, however. There are several steps to take that will lead to you crafting a successful campaign. Here are a few tips that have proven to actually work in this department.

Set clear goals

Knowing what you want to achieve is step number one in any PPC campaign. Whether you want to increase web traffic, generate leads, or boost sales, identify these goals, note them down, and make sure each step you take is done with these goals in mind. 

Conduct keyword research

Identifying relevant keywords and phrases related to your business that users are searching for is a vital step. Without these, potential customers will never be able to find your business, or your products or services that they are interested in.

Write compelling ad copy

Create ads that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Such copy must include a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Use targeted landing pages

Make sure you create landing pages that are specific to each ad and provide visitors with a seamless user experience. 

Optimize your campaigns

Be sure to continuously monitor and optimize your campaigns to improve their performance. Adjusting bids, testing different ad copy, and targeting specific groups are all changes that can be implemented throughout campaigns.

How to measure the success of your pay per click ads

After successfully running a PPC campaign, the next step is to interpret and measure the results. Here are some key metrics to consider tracking when measuring the success of your PPC ads.

Click-through rate (CTR)

This measures the number of clicks on your ad received, divided by the number of impressions – also known as views – it received.

Cost per click (CPC)

This metric tells us the average cost per click for your ads.

Conversion rate

This measures the percentage of users who click on your ad and then completed one of the desired actions, such as filling out a form or completing a purchase.

Return on investment (ROI)

ROI tells us the amount of revenue generated from your PPC campaigns compared to the amount spent on them.

Quality score

Finally, the quality score measures the relevance and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. All of these can impact both the position and cost of your ad.

inSegment is a pay per click company that will skyrocket the effectiveness of your paid ads

Conceiving, running, and analyzing PPC campaigns can be a complex and time-consuming process, but it’s key for anyone looking to drive more traffic to their site, generate more leads, and close more sales. If you’re unsure about where to start or you want to improve the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns, consider working with a PPC company like inSegment.

inSegment is a full-service paid marketing agency that specializes in PPC advertising. With a team of experienced PPC experts who can help you create and manage effective PPC campaigns that drive results, we utilize data-driven strategies to optimize your campaigns and improve their performance over time. 

Contact inSegment today to learn more about how we can help you succeed with your PPC advertising efforts.

What is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising & how it works

Paid Advertising