| Pay Per Click
by Inge Jones
What is Pay Per Click?
Pay per click, or PPC, is an advertising technique used on
websites, especially search engines. Pay per click advertisements
are usually text ads placed near search results; when a site
visitor clicks on the advertisement, the advertiser is charged
a small amount. Variants include pay for placement and pay
for ranking. Pay per click is also sometimes known as Cost
Per Click (CPC).
The most popular pay-per-click search engine is Google,
followed by Yahoo!
Overture and Findwhat.com.
How does it work?
Signing up for pay per click is an easy to follow step by
step process. You set your pricing according to your available
budget. It is much like bidding for the best position. Depending
on the search engine, minimum prices per click start at anything
between US$0.05 and S$0.50. Very popular search terms can
cost much more on popular engines.
Selecting the right keywords you want to be ranked for is
of utmost importance. It is no use being listed for keywords
that won't bring you valid visitors. It's a good idea to research
keywords that are the most popular. Most PPC programs provide
a tool like Overture's
Keyword Selection Tool that helps you find out which keywords
are worthwhile using.
The advert's message is your window of opportunity to hook
potential customers. Use it wisely by writing a concise copy
that descibes your business accurately. An attractive description
will immediately draw attention. There is no point in luring
users to the site that have no real interest in your products
and services. Their clicks could mean money in your pocket
should they become buying customers. Your aim should be to
draw the right visitors, the first time.
There are real benefits regarding PPC, you don't have to
pay anything (except a small administration fee) in some cases,
unless someone clicks on your link.
With PPC, be as direct as possible. One's company website
strategy should be tailor-made to inform clients about your
exact products and services. For example, if you sell a range
of coloured tablecloths in Johannesburg, don't just advertise
“Tablecloths”. This is too general and will most
probably not result in sales. Rather advertise “Colourful
Tablecloths in Johannesburg” or “Green Tablecloths
- Johannesburg”. It's important to add the area and
region to specify search results.
Short, catchy and descriptive website content will entice
the customer to explore the website and hopefully convince
them to purchase your products or services.
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