What is PPC advertising and how does it work

PPC (pay-per-click) advertising means ads that people see exactly when they are looking for your product or service. They appear in response to a Google search or next to related content, so your ad reaches people at the moment they are already interested.

How PPC advertising works

The advertiser chooses keywords — the searches customers use to find their services — and writes ads for them. When someone types such a search, Google runs an auction among advertisers and decides whose ad to show and in which position.

The bid is not the only thing that counts. Google also weighs the quality of the ad, how well it matches the search and how useful the page it leads to is. That is why a relevant ad with a good landing page can beat a competitor with a higher bid.

Where the ads appear

• Google Search. Text ads above and below the search results — for people who are already looking for a solution.
• Google Display Network. Banners on Google’s partner websites related to your offer.
• YouTube. Video ads before, during or after videos.

What you pay for

The most common model is pay per click: you are charged when someone clicks through to your website, not for the ad being shown. The cost per click is not fixed — the auction sets it, so it depends on competition in your niche, the searches you target and the quality of your ads. We explain what the final amount is made of in our article on how much Google advertising costs.

Why PPC advertising works

• Your ads are seen by people who are already looking for your product or service.
• The first visits to your website can come right after the ads are approved.
• The budget stays under control: you set a daily limit and can change it at any time.
• Results are measurable: you can see the cost of every enquiry or call.
• You can show ads only in your region and during the hours you take enquiries.

What an effective campaign needs

• Precise keywords and negative keywords, so ads don’t show for irrelevant searches.
• Clear ads with a specific offer.
• A good landing page — for example, a landing page for a single service.
• Tracking of enquiries and calls, so you judge ads by enquiries rather than clicks.
• Regular optimisation: reviewing search terms and moving budget to what works.

Launching ads with Orlyk Marketing

We take care of Google Ads setup and management: we create the account, research keywords, write the ads, set up analytics and run the campaigns. We launch ads 3 days after work starts, work under a contract and send a report every month. Our work costs from $250, and you pay the ad budget to Google directly.

Already running ads that don’t bring enquiries? Order a free Google Ads audit — we’ll show where your budget goes and what is worth changing.