In this article you will learn what PPC campaigns are and how they work. We'll introduce you to the benefits, individual components and best practices for successful implementation.
Key Components of PPC Campaigns
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns are now almost an essential tool for companies that want to attract targeted traffic to their websites but more importantly scale their business. But what exactly are PPC campaigns and how do they work?
PPC is an online advertising model in which advertisers pay for each click on an ad.This approach is essentially an alternative to organic traffic acquisition through SEO and can significantly increase the number of visits to your website. In this article, we'll reveal the mechanics of how PPC works, explore all of its components, and provide recommendations for setting up and then optimizing successful PPC campaigns. The goal is for you to get a clear understanding of not only how this model can help your business, but also the best practices that can ensure your campaigns actually work.
PPC works on a simple but very effective principle: advertisers bid on specific keywords that are relevant to their business, and once the target user searches for those keywords, an ad appears in the search results.
PPC is based on the auction model, which is used by platforms such as Google Ads or Microsoft Ads. When a user enters a query into a search engine, an auction takes place which determines what ads are displayed but also in what order. This auction is not just based on the highest bid, but is influenced by several factors:
Keywords are the cornerstone of PPC campaigns. Advertisers target keywords that they believe their target audience will use when searching for their products or services. It is also important to mention that keywords should not be selected based on gut feeling alone, but it is almost necessary to use modern online tools such as SE Ranking, Marketing Miner or Google Keyword Planner to find the most relevant keywords. The first two tools mentioned are chargeable, but Google Keyword Planner is directly included in Google Ads, so you can use it for free. However, keep in mind that it will only help you find search queries that users are using on Google, not on Microsoft Ads.
The bidding process involves setting a maximum bid for each keyword. When a user initiates a search, the platform you are advertising on will compare the bids of all advertisers targeting that keyword. This platform will then also determine which ads to display based on the bid amount and quality score.
Let's say you are the owner of a project management software solutions company and you decide to run a PPC campaign targeting the keyword "project management software". Here's a simplified example of how the whole process works:
A successful PPC campaign consists of several important components that work together to attract the right audience and achieve the desired results. Here you will find a detailed description of each of them:
The foundation of any PPC campaign is a careful keyword analysis to identify quality keywords that align with your business goals. You can use the tools mentioned above to do this.
Key points:
Tips for Choosing the Right Keywords:
Ad copy is the text that appears in ads. It's very important to create compelling and relevant ad copy that gets users to click on your ad. This includes the headline, description and display URL. Creative is the key to grabbing attention and getting clicks.
Key points:
How to Write Quality Ad copy:
A landing page is a page that users go to when they click on your ad. A quality landing page is one of the most important factors that play a role in converting clicks into conversions (purchase, registration...). Make sure your landing page is relevant to the ad, delivers value and has a clear CTA.
Key points:
How to properly optimize a landing page:
Organizing your ads into ad groups and campaigns helps you manage and optimize your PPC efforts. Each campaign can have multiple ad reports, each targeting a specific set of keywords. This structure allows for better budget allocation and performance tracking.
Example of a campaign structure:
Campaign: Project Management Software
Also use ad extensions for better performance:
Quality Score is a metric used by Google to evaluate the relevance and quality of keywords, ads and landing pages. Higher quality scores can lead to lower cost-per-click and better ad positions.
Key points:
How to achieve the highest possible quality score:
| Component | Description | Importance |
| Keywords | Terms user search for | Drive targeted traffic |
| Ad Copy | Text in your ads | Attracts clicks and conveys your message |
| Landing Pages | Destination after clicking the ad | Converts clicks into actions |
| Ad Groups | Sets of related keywords and ads | Allows for organized and focused campaigns |
| Quality Score | Metric for ad and keyword relevance and quality | Influences ad rank cost |
PPC campaigns can be very varied, offering different ways of displaying ads to suit different marketing objectives and target audiences. Here are the most common types of PPC advertising:
Search ads are the most common type of PPC advertising. These ads appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) when users type in specific keywords. Search ads are some of the most effective because they target users who are actively searching for information or solutions related to your products or services.
Key Features:
Example:
A user enters the phrase "the best project management software". Your ad will appear at the top of the search results.
Display ads appear on websites within the Google Display Network, which includes millions of sites on the internet. These ads can be in the form of text, images or videos and are designed to attract attention and drive traffic to your site.
Key features:
Example:
A visual banner ad promoting your new project management software appears on a popular business blog.
Shopping ads, also known as Product Listing Ads (PLAs), are used by e-commerce businesses to display their products directly in the search results. These ads include product images, prices, and merchant information, making them highly effective for driving sales.
Key Features:
Example:
A user searches for "buy running shoes," and your product listings with images and prices appear at the top of the search results.
Video ads appear on platforms like YouTube and across the Google Display Network. These ads can be in-stream (played before or during a video) or discovery ads (appear in search results and related videos).
Key Features:
Example:
A video ad introducing your latest project management software features will play before a popular YouTube business tutorial.
Performance Max campaigns are a newer type of PPC campaign that allow advertisers to access all of Google's advertising platforms mentioned above in a single campaign. These campaigns use machine learning to optimize performance across multiple channels, including YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.
Key Features:
Example:
The only campaign promoting project management software that automatically splits ads across YouTube, search, display and more, optimizing them for best performance and conversions.
| Ad Type | Description | Best for | Example Platform |
| Search Ads | Text ads on SERPs | Targeting specific searches | Google Search |
| Shopping Ads | Product listings with images and prices | E-commerce sales | Google Shopping |
| Display Ads | Visual ads on websites | Brand awareness, retargeting | Google Display Network |
| Video Ads | Video content ads | Brand engagement, storytelling | YouTube |
| Performance Max | Unified campaigns across Google properties | Simplified management, optimization | All |
CTR = (clicks / impressions) * 100
CPC = total cost / clicks
Conversion rate = (conversions / clicks) * 100
CPA = total costconversions
ROAS = revenue from ad campaign / total ad spend
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a powerful and versatile tool that can significantly improve your digital marketing efforts. It offers a number of benefits, such as instant visibility, high ROI or precise targeting. However, implementing strategic keyword analysis, creating compelling ad copy and optimizing landing pages are essential to maximizing these benefits. In addition, regular monitoring and adjustment of campaigns based on key performance indicators is essential to maintain and improve results.
In conclusion, PPC advertising is an indispensable part of modern marketing strategies and offers the opportunity to reach potential customers at the right time with the right message. Start implementing these insights today to unlock the full potential of your PPC campaigns and drive your business forward.
However, if you're not getting the results you want or simply don't have the time to manage your PPC campaigns, don't hesitate to contact us to arrange a free consultation with our specialists.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is an online advertising model where advertisers pay each time their ad is clicked.
Advertisers bid on keywords; ads appear in search results when those keywords are searched for. Advertisers pay for each click.
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner. Focus on relevant, valuable and long-tail keywords.
Emphasize the USP, include a strong CTA and use relevant keywords.
Ad extensions add additional information and links to improve ad visibility and CTR.
Monitor weekly; adjust bids, test ad text, refine keywords and improve landing pages based on performance.