Pay-per-click or PPC is a form of online advertising where an advertiser pays a certain amount each time a user clicks an ad. This advertising model is found in search engines, blogs and other content websites. Ads relevant to the user are placed on a page where they search for specific articles, products and services.

Google Adsense Ads

Flat-rate PPC and Bid-based PPC are two of the most popular arrangements to determine the cost per click. Flat-rate PPC allows you to negotiate a fixed rate for each click a user makes. The Bid-based PPC however lets you bid on keywords that you think are relevant to your target market.

If you have a company selling antique furniture for example, you can bid on keywords like “antique” or “furniture” and keyphrases like “antique furniture” or “old furniture”. These are words that users type to search for antique furniture on the net. The auction is typically hosted by a publisher or by advertising networks such as Google Adsense, Bidvertiser and Adbrite.

Keywords or Search Terms

Pay-per-click advertising is a very effective way of driving customers to your website without paying a monthly fee for ad spaces. When using PPC, there is an estimated 1%-10% chance for users to click on your ads and eventually go to your website because they will be presented with ads that are related to their searches.

Geographic limitations are not a problem with PPC ads. If your business is based here in St. Louis, you actually have the option to choose locations that are near or within the St. Louis area only. This feature enables you to control the amount of money you want to spend on your advertising campaign without sacrificing the results.

The pay-per-click scheme, given its advantages, also has its weakness. Scammers can impair its integrity by committing an internet crime popularly known as click fraud. They are able to do this by clicking ads over and over again without being detected.

Due to this rampant abuse, Google and other advertising networks commit themselves to developing advanced tracking systems that would prevent click fraud from happening. This solution has garnered its own share of controversy but its ultimate goal is to assure advertisers that they are not paying for void clicks. On top of all these, advertising networks address transparency by providing advertisers with detailed PPC reports. This allows advertisers to see where the clicks are coming from.

Straightline Technology Group Website Services

The possibility of converting user clicks into sales is endless if you have a good product to back it up. Your product also needs an attractive and easy-to-navigate website to appeal to its buyers. Straightline Technology Group offers you a wide variety of services on web development and planning. We can assist you from conceptualizing the website, creating it and all the way to marketing it online. Contact us now!