What is PPC advertising?

What is pay-per-click advertising?

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) allows a business to display their advertising within search engine results or on other websites by bidding on one or more search terms and then to only pay for this when a user clicks the advert and visits their website.

Here are some answers to some of the most common questions we are asked about this form of advertising:

How do I control where my adverts appear?

Each pay-per-click provider allows a business to advertise on their network on the specific keywords or phrases that they choose. Most providers also offer a range of matching options

How are adverts positioned?

In most cases an advertiser’s position within the search results is determined by how much they are prepared to bid for each clickthrough to their site. Google Ads (AdWords) and Microsoft Advertising, in addition, consider the relevance of an advertiser’s advert text and website when ranking sites.

How much does it cost?

This will vary depending on how much an advertiser is prepared to pay for each click and the number of clicks they receive. In some markets with high value orders, (such as legal, property or financial services) advertisers will be prepared to invest more than in lower cost markets.

Will it cost me a lot of money if competitors keep clicking on my advert?

Click fraud, which describes any activity that generates visits and spend through your PPC adverts from either competitors or other users who are not likely to be potential customers, is a serious issue that the main PPC providers are keen to combat. It does happen and there is no failsafe method of identifying all ‘fraudulent’ traffic through your PPC advert, but all the main providers do have software in place to identify repeat usage or unusual behaviour and they will credit spend that results from such activity. However, a certain percentage of irrelevant traffic does have to be built into your spend and it is more important that the overall campaign remains cost-effective.