Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click ads operate under a simple principle—yet they are one of the most misused forms of internet
promotion. Read on to learn why ignoring this promotion
technique may be jeopardizing your online future!
 Pay-Per-Click
FAQ
Where do your search engine ads
appear?
Top billing: A limited number of ads, usually
2 or 3, appear just prior to the “organic” or “natural”
search listings. So, you can purchase the top spot in
the search results!
On the side: Additional ads appear on the right
margin of the search results for the major search engines.
Interspersed in pages on other sites: The major
search engines also have enlisted “content networks”
that agree to show ads interspersed with their web page
content.
What triggers particular ads
to display?
Ads are designed to respond to searches containing
particular keywords or keyword groups. So keyword development,
as mentioned in the SEO article, is a critical activity
for pay-per-click as well.
What determines their display
position?
The position the ad is displayed on the search engine
result page is based on your bid amount. But systems
such as Google AdWords may also take into account other
factors, such as the ad’s click-through-rate. So, a
well designed ad can appear in a more favorable position
than its bid alone would justify.
How often are they displayed?
Your allocated ad budget is the main determinant in
ad frequency. Some options will display your ad until
your budget is exhausted. Others will display your ad
based on an allocated daily spend.
Who are the major players in
Pay-Per-Click?
Google is the biggest with its ads appearing on Google
Search, AOL Search, and its content network. Yahoo Search
Marketing (formerly Overture) is the other major player
with ads appearing on Yahoo and the Yahoo content network. MSN has released
its own pay-per-click engine. There
are dozens of smaller players.
How much is a click worth?
The market will dictate the competitive landscape.
But you should consider a number of factors before bidding.
Does the keyword imply a buying decision? Or is it an
informational term? Is your product or service conducive
to building a long term relationship? I.e., are you
buying a sale or a customer? Finally, do you have the
infrastructure and content in place to maximize ad conversion?
You should have specially developed ad landing pages
that contain products and services relevant to the search
keywords. It is rarely a good idea to have ads target
the home page, since it is usually general in nature.
Why should every e-commerce site
explore Pay-Per-Click ads?
First, ads can be set up quickly. Google ads have same
day turnaround. Yahoo Search
Marketing and MSN AdCenter have released new, modern ad mangement applications.
Ads also allow specific
pages to be triggered when clicked. So, you have the
opportunity to present the user with the most relevant
content. Rapid setup and contextual matching make ads
an ideal tool to get rapid feed back on new ideas and
products before your organization has made huge commitments.
New sites can especially benefit. Often, it may take
a number of months before adequate organic or natural
search engine positions are obtained. It is difficult
fiscally and emotionally to open a brand new site to
a trickle of interest. Even if your long term strategy
is to rely on natural search results, you will find
Pay-Per-Click invaluable in start-up and proof of concept
scenarios.
|
