Pay-Per-Click advertising, or PPC as it’s commonly referred to, is a way to get traffic to your site. You pay for each click on your ad. While there is no substitute for good SEO, which helps with organic traffic, PPC is a vital part of a good digital marketing plan. This month Digital Firefly Marketing will introduce you to PPC and take a look at what all small business owners should know in order to create the best possible marketing plan.

What is PPC?

Think of pay-per-click as an auction where you’re bidding on where your ads place on search engines when someone searches for keywords related to your business.

Pay-Per-Click Marketing Basics

While there are plenty of great PPC 101 articles out there, here are the top five things you need to know about PPC in order to understand how to maximize your budget as quickly as possible.

• First, Cost Per Click is great for businesses on a budget. Google Adwords, the king of Pay-Per-Click advertising, allows you to change your goals and budget as you grow.

• Adwords alone won’t grow your business. Think of it as a supplement. Google Adwords accepts bids on keywords. They select who gets the ads based on their bids and a quality score. That quality score? It is a composite based on click through rates, relevance and the quality of the landing page. This means you need quality content on your site.

• In addition, PPC is a great way to attract traffic. Let’s say you own a pet sitting company. When people search for a local pet sitter they will rarely scroll down the page. That means the prime real estate for your search is above the fold. If you’re located in a small town you might end up there through organic search. But if your target audience is in a major city, like Chicago, it’s going to be tough. Adwords places ads in the first few spots. If you place reasonable bits bids and have a site you’ve optimized you are more likely to win ads at the top of the page, bringing potential customers to your site.

• These ads aren’t just for search engines. Social media sites also have advertising. Check out the best platforms for your business and goals to decide how to divide funds for these ads.

• Data is your best friend when it comes to pay-per-click. Whether it’s targeting specific locations and demographics or analyzing conversions, understanding the full picture of your PPC success will set you apart from others with similar businesses.

Learn More

This month we’ll explore these basics as well as common mistakes made when setting up ads. Digital Firefly Marketing also provides experts in digital marketing who can cater a plan to your specifications. Contact us today to learn more.