PPC Search Engines

PPC, or "pay per click" advertising, is an old form of online advertising that has been given new life in today's Internet marketing industry.

For almost as long as the Internet has existed, so has PPC advertising. It is a popular form of online advertising since advertisers only have to pay when users actually click on the links to visit the websites being advertised; hence, "pay per click". Many smaller websites are completely supported via providing such advertising spaces. From the advertiser's perspective, it is a great way to reach as many users as possible and at the same time give them the choice of visiting the advertised websites. With the advance of the Internet and the Internet marketing industry, a new form of PPC advertising is now gaining popularity. These PPC ads are associated with search engines including, but not limited to, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft adCenter, and Ask; they rely on the search of certain keywords, and will therefore be more likely to reach the targeted audience.

This new form of PPC advertising is more efficient, as well as more effective, for several reasons. Since they are connected to the keywords being entered into the search engine, the users performing the search are already looking for relevant information. Therefore, they will be more likely to visit websites linked via the advertisements even though the sites are not listed within the "normal" search results. There are many firms that offer software packages or consulting services that help better refine these keywords, so that an advertisement can generate the most numbers of clicks.

PPC advertising also has the advantage of being more cost-effective than traditional forms of advertisement. The pay per click system ensures that advertisers only have to pay when the advertisement is serving its function, that is, generating clicks that direct web users to the advertised website. Furthermore, since number of clicks are easily tracked, the effects of PPC advertisements are easily quantifiable, which provides a definite plus when planning out future marketing budget and strategies. Since more and more search engines are offering such advertising options, this form of online marketing is no doubt a fertile ground for research and development.