PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is a model of digital advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Essentially, it’s a method of buying visits to your site, rather than organically gaining those visits. PPC is commonly associated with first-tier search engines like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads).

In PPC advertising, businesses run adverts and only pay when a user actually clicks on their advert. Advertisers can bid on keywords relevant to their business, and when users search for these keywords, the paid adverts may appear above organic search results. The highest bidders generally get top placement, but the quality of the advert and landing page also factor into ad placement.

PPC performance can be measured using various metrics such as Click-through Rate (CTR), Quality Score, Conversion Rate, and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). These metrics can give you a good understanding of how well your adverts are performing, how many users are engaging with them, and whether they’re leading to the desired actions like purchases or sign-ups.

CTR can vary significantly based on industry, keywords, and the quality of the advert, among other factors. However, across all industries, the average CTR for a Google Ads search advert is about 1.91%. For display adverts, it’s typically lower, around 0.35%. If your CTR is significantly higher or lower than these averages, it could indicate issues or opportunities with your keywords, ad copy, or targeting.

While PPC and SEO are separate strategies, they can complement each other. PPC can help you identify effective keywords that can be used to optimise your SEO efforts. Also, having both organic and paid search results appear for a keyword can increase overall visibility. However, PPC itself does not directly improve your site’s organic search rankings.

The cost of PPC advertising varies widely depending on factors like the competitiveness of your industry, the keywords you’re bidding on, and your Quality Score. On Google Ads, the average cost-per-click (CPC) across all industries varies greatly, speak to our team for a better idea of the costs.

To start with PPC advertising, you first need to choose a platform, typically Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising. Next, you’ll need to identify your target keywords, set a budget, and create your ad copy and landing pages. Finally, you’ll bid on your chosen keywords and launch your campaign.

Yes, PPC is not limited to search adverts alone. Other forms include display adverts, which appear on affiliated websites, and shopping adverts, which feature products directly in search results. There are also video adverts on platforms like YouTube, and social media platforms often offer PPC advertising options as well.

PPC campaigns should be reviewed and adjusted regularly to ensure optimal performance. This can mean daily checks for large, active campaigns, or weekly to monthly reviews for smaller ones. Regular adjustments help improve your Quality Score, ensure your adverts are relevant, and maintain or reduce your cost per click.

Improving conversion rates involves optimising your landing pages, creating compelling and relevant ad copy, using strong call-to-actions (CTAs), and testing different elements of your campaign. Additionally, utilising targeting options to reach the most relevant audience can improve the likelihood of conversions.