What is Pay-Per-Click Marketing?

Pay-Per-Click marketing is pretty much what it sounds like - you pay a marketing service each time a visitor clicks on a link to your website. The biggest player is Google's Adwords program, but there are others, with Facebook paid ads running a close second. You set up a campaign, select some initial keywords, and write one or more ads that tell potential customers what you offer. Other than a few high-dollar categories like legal services, real estate, and some home improvement categories, most clicks will cost you very little.

Why Should You Use Pay-Per-Click Marketing?

There are three big reasons. First, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) gets your ads in front of potential customers while you're still building your web presence. If your website is new and isn't yet showing up in the first page or two of Google results, then PPC ads can help you promote your business until you do show up. Second, you can supplement your organic listings with PPC ads. The data shows that a combination of a page one listing and a PPC ad on page one of Google triggers more visits than either one alone. And third, the data you get from running PPC ads is very valuable. You can see which keywords are actually getting people to come to your site, what ad copy is working, and what behavior you get from visitors once they do click through. That data can help inform all your marketing efforts.

How Do You Get Started?

Google Adwords and Facebook paid ads are both easy to start. You just visit their signup pages and follow the instructions. Their systems guide you through the process and prompt you to create your first ad or ads, select your target audience, and input payment information. Don't worry if you don't understand how to manage your campaign over the long term ... a lot of the learning process can be done by trial and error. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't work, try something else. Remember to keep most of your keywords and ads within the "sweet spot" of what you do very, very well, and what the world wants!

Big Data for Small Companies

One reason we like pay-per-click marketing is because even very small companies can get access to big data about how people search. Like all aspects of internet marketing, you can get very complex and detailed with PPC campaigns, but the good news is that you can start simple. If you decide that a professional should be running your campaign, we're happy to help!

Want to learn more about PPC and successful internet marketing? Check out our next episode with advice about how to narrow down what you do very, very well!