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If you choose to use Looksmart, it is essential for your website to be properly optimized. The one main downside to Looksmart is that your payment of 15 cents per click is just to get you listed, and does not guarantee any positioning.
Overture The ranking of your Overture listings is determined by one thing and one thing only. How much you are willing to pay. If your ad position drops, increase your bid and within seconds you are back to where you left off. Now remember, being number one is not everything. If people see no interest in your listing they will simply click on number two. Of course this doesn't cost you anything directly, but indirectly you may be losing
all so important sales. This is why it's important to have carefully written copy for your listing.
In case of Overture, Looksmart and Google ads, copy you choose does not affect your position, so you don't need to worry about ad being 'search engine friendly,' but you do need to ensure it is searcher friendly. Carefully select wording to use in your ad copy and be sure to include keyword phrase in either title or beginning of text. Say something that will jump out at reader. You want them to see your ad as being highly relevant to their search, as well as being interesting and inviting. Remember; just because you dominate top spot, does not mean you will necessarily draw all traffic (although it does help!)
Before you get started with any PPC Campaign be sure to understand billing practices of search engine before you starting using it. Google AdWords charges a one time, $5.00 setup fee, and after that you pay only for delivered traffic. Overture does not have a setup fee, but they do require a minimum charge of $25/month regardless of weather or not your click through's have accumulated to that total. Looksmart bills 15 cents per click flat rate, and a minimum usage of Each Search engine has different billing plans, and its important to understand them so that you don't get burned.
Once you have selected what search engine, or engines, you wish to use start off by reading through their FAQ page, guidelines, tips pages, and absorb as much information as you can to get a good grasp on how their PPC system operates. If you are new all this, at first glance AdWords and Overture will seem extremely overwhelming, but you will find more you explore, better understanding you will develop. It doesn't take long to get a firm grasp of various systems.
Coming Soon: Scott Van Achte writes on how to choose your max bids and wording for your PPC campaign.
