Definition

Pay per click (PPC) is an online advertising model in which advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked by a user. 

What is pay per click?

Pay per click is a method of buying visits to a website rather than earning those visits organically through search engine optimisation (SEO) or other forms of digital marketing. PPC is commonly used in search engine advertising, social media advertising, and display advertising to drive traffic to websites and generate leads or sales.

PPC ads are typically displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs), social media platforms, websites, and other digital channels where users are likely to encounter them. Advertisers select relevant keywords related to their products or services and bid on them to have their ads displayed when users search for those keywords.

With PPC advertising, advertisers only pay when their ads are clicked by users, hence the name “pay per click.” The cost per click (CPC) is determined by the bidding process and can vary based on factors such as keyword competitiveness, ad relevance, and ad position.

PPC offers several benefits for advertisers, including immediate visibility and traffic generation, precise targeting options, measurable results, and the ability to control ad spend and budgets in real-time. It is a highly scalable and cost-effective advertising channel for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Example of pay per click

Let’s say you own a small online shoe store and want to increase traffic to your website. You decide to launch a PPC campaign on Google Ads.

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