PPC management: The Basics

PPC (or pay per click) advertising is a unique online method of marketing or advertising between a website and a search engine like Google. PPC management is the method of managing your PPC ads, usually the role of your web developer or SEO expert, in order to hone in the effectiveness of your ads, to save money, and a range of other invaluable services. But first of all, let’s take a better look at pay per click ads.

A pay per click advert is one hosted by a search engine on the behalf of a client’s website. The adverts are displayed as a “sponsored ad” or “suggestion” depending on the search engine used. By this point hopefully the jargon effect is melting away and you know exactly what we’re talking about when we say PPC adverts, it’s those sponsored links that appear usually on the right hand margin or at the top of search results, immediately attracting your attention.

PPC ads are a fantastic method of advertising, unique to the web. The benefits of a PPC ad includes that – as the name suggests – you will only pay for a PPC ad for each click you receive, this being one visitor entering your site. Other perks include the credit users will give your website, knowing that Google wouldn’t have recommended it if it wasn’t relevant.

Onto PPC management, then. Your PPC manager, whether that is yourself or a hired expert, will be responsible for setting up your adverts, and editing them in order to maximise returns, in other words to get the most bang for your buck! A PPC advert will be focussed around a particular keyword, whether this is Down-town LA Pizza, or budget lawnmowers, this will be the main hook of your advert, and so you have to choose the perfect one (or many when placing adverts using multiple keywords.)  

You will initially determine your keywords based on research for relevant keywords, under demographics relevant to you. From this point on your PPC management will largely be a matter of educated trial and error. Keeping those keywords that are working well, and changing those which are not performing until you reach results that you’re happy with.