Search engine optimization can take a long time to show results. The Google sandbox alone can delay optimization results by 6 to 8 months. So, what can you do to get traffic while you wait? Pay-per-click [“PPC”] campaigns fill time gap. This article discusses basics of PPC advertising.What Is A PPC?
A PPC search engine allows you to bid for placement in search results. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and most others bolster their organic search results with sponsor advertisements. If you search on Google, links in blue across top and little ads down right side of search results are PPC listings. In one form or another, similar listings appear on every major search engine.
How Does It Work?
When you use a PPC, you will bid for placement in search results under particular keywords. Instead of optimizing your site to appear high in listings, you simple pay for position. While this may sound great, keep in mind you are paying for listing and have to watch return on investment closely.
To get started, you must open an account with PPC in question. The two biggest PPCs are Google Adwords and Overture. You will need to register with PPC, provide a credit card number and, depending on PPC, deposit money into account. Next, create ads with a title, body text and link to landing page of your site. The title of each ad should correspond to a particular keyword you want to promote. If at all possible, include keyword in actual title. Finally, you will be asked to bid on placement in search results.
Bidding for placement is not as simple as it my sound. Ideally, your ad should be in top 3, but never below 10th position. This has to be balanced, however, by return on investment of campaign. If you sell a product that produces a $10 dollar profit per sale, you probably can’t afford to pay $.90 per click. If your site converts 1 visitor out of every 100 into a sale, you will spend $90 for every sale. Obviously, that is going to work out very well. The one caveat to this situation is a business with reoccurring revenue.