What Is Pay-Per-Click Search Advertising?
by Mike Miller

Fact – It is well known from many Internet studies that 85% of Internet users use search engines to find products and services online.

Pay-per-click (PPC) search advertising is a simple and effective way for online merchants to increase sales by increasing targeted search engine traffic to their Web sites. PPC advertising allows the smallest of Web sites to compete directly with the largest and most recognizable brands for the same Web user traffic. How does it work? Advertisers provide listings and links to their Web pages, and PPC search engines distribute the listings in search results all over the Web. The order in which PPC listings appear within search results is dependent on what price advertisers are willing to pay for certain keywords. The higher you bid on your keywords, the higher up your PPC listings will appear in search engine results. You can control the amount of traffic you receive by placing a cap on the amount of money you’re willing to spend. Best of all, with PPC listings you only pay once the user actually visits your Web site!

Advertiser Tips
Follow these seven simple yet effective tips when working with your PPC advertiser to make sure your PPC campaign runs smoothly.

1. Keep your listings simple. Whet Web users’ appetite for information with short and direct listings. Your goal is not to close the deal but simply to get a Web user to click on your link. Concise listings can be more effective than wordy marketing babble.

2. Use keywords in your titles and descriptions. In any PPC campaign, listings with keywords used in the title and description get more clickthroughs than listings without keywords in the titles and descriptions. If the Web user sees exactly what he or she is looking for in the title and description he or she will be more likely to click to find out more.

3. Know the policy. Most PPC companies keep strict keyword requirements for their listings to preserve the relevancy of Web searchers’ results. Titles and descriptions should not contain spelling errors, unnecessary capitalization, excessive punctuation or irrelevant content.

4. Check your account often. Keeping current on your account status is important. Use your PPC provider’s online account management system to add, modify or delete listings, make payments or review your rankings.

5. Use the free services offered. Take advantage of any professional services that your PPC provider may offer for free. These services could include running keyword performance reports, building professional keyword lists or having titles and descriptions written for you.

6. Keep in touch. Get to know your personal account coordinator and read the company’s newsletter for the latest tips, tools and information regarding search marketing in general, along with other topics related to your personal campaign.

7. Evaluate your Web site often. Make sure your page navigation is clear, the text is neat and typo-free and that your prices are competitive. Since you’re paying for people to come to your Web site make sure they see a professional looking one.