PPCs (Pay Per Clicks) are ads designed where the advertiser pays only when a web user clicks on the ad and is taken to the advertised website. A CPC is the cost per click to the advertiser when someone clicks on the ad. A CPA (cost per acquisition), sometimes referred to as the cost per sale or conversion, is the expense to the advertiser when a desired action (signing up for a newsletter or purchasing something) is taken.
The goal of PPC advertising is to generate traffic to your site.
If it’s done right, PPCs can really help your business. They’re attractive because they let you control precisely how your advertising dollar is spent. It does help to understand some of the terms because they can be confusing:
- Google AdWords: This program enables you to create advertisements which will appear on relevant Google search results pages and on their network of partner sites.
- Google AdSense: This program delivers Google AdWords ads to websites. Google then pays these web publishers for the ads displayed on their sites based on user clicks or ad impressions.
- Google Affiliate Network: This cost-effective sales channel enables access to affiliate publishers who specialize in reaching consumers who have a high tendency to convert.
- The Google Display Network: This includes Google properties like Blogger, Gmail, YouTube and over 2 million other participating sites.
Some other points to remember regarding Google advertising include:
- You can create ads using text, image, rich media and video.
- The ads appear on PCs, laptops, mobile phones with full browsers and tablets.
- You can opt for automatic and/or managed placement. Automatic means placement in sites that Google thinks are relevant. Managed placements are URLs you choose. This could be a specific forum or blog that you know potential customers read.
- Use content and keywords that are relevant to where your prospect is even if they don’t always describe your product.
- Google has built in a significant amount of flexibility to their program as well as strong support for it. Information about AdWords is easy to find on the internet.