PPC stands for Pay Per Click and means you are paying for traffic. On Google, which is currently the main provider of this medium (Facebook is hot on their tail), they are also called Sponsored ads and are managed on the platform referred to as ‘Google AdWords’
When to use PPC
Why would you need this? Well, say you have a new website and you don’t think anyone is visiting it. You have an idea about SEO but know that takes time. You want traffic now! Well in an era of instant gratification you can have it.
Where are these PPC ads? Well, there are two places you will find them – very broadly speaking. We can talk about Search first. I’m writing this, it’s my decision. Go to Google and search for…. ‘cheap mortgage rates’
Where you see PPC
Bang. PPC. Top three results in the yellow under Sponsored Ads and to the right in the more obvious ‘I’m an advert’ format.
These companies have an AdWords account and are bidding on these keywords with these adverts. When you search on a keyword they think is relevant to their services you adverts appear. When or if they click on it, you get charged.
What do you get from PPC
You get 25 letters available in the ‘Headline’ and then 35 on line one and another 35 on line two. You also get 35 letters for the display url. This is the URL your user will see and you get the chance here to advertise a bit more. The URL must match the destination, if the ad sends users to www.yell.co.uk then you cant have the display url as facebook.com, but you can have something like yell.co.uk/Sale or www,yell.co.uk/Free_Trial
Ads need to compel the user to click on them. If you have a decent promotion, advertise it. Use call to actions, use prices. If you’re the cheapest shout it (without saying anything like ‘we are well cheaper then blah blah’. This is your chance to say why that person should click on your advert. If you’re not the cheapest then write your advert accordingly.
Why use PPC?
The top three positions generally get more traffic as not everyone realizes these are adverts. Make sure you consider though, where the traffic is going to. The ad can be as great / pretty / enticing as anything but if your website is awful, it may be pointless.
Also, have a look at what your competitors are writing. You need your advert to stand out, not read just like all the others but with a different display URL.
Make sure they all read well and you have run a spell check on them, these ads are representing your brand and need to be decent. If you are outsourcing your PPC may be worth asking when they build the account for a download so you can approve everything. Make sure you are happy.
Next week, top tips for display!
