Basically Put:

Pay per click (PPC) is an advertising technique used on websites, advertising networks, and search engines. You bid on "keywords" that your target market may type in the search bar, when they are looking for your product or service. For example, if you sell red widgets, you could bid on the keyword "red widgets", hoping a potential customer will type those words in the search bar.  If they do, an ad will be displayed next to or above the natural listings on the search engine page. These ads are called "sponsored links" or "sponsored ads". You only get charged when the customer clicks on the ad. The search engines take into account whether your site is relevant to the keywords you are targeting, how long customers stay on your website after clicking on your ad and use many other techniques to make sure you are offering  on your website, what you are advertising through them. There are thousands of techniques to make sure your company is found by your potential customers, and by using A Click Ahead to manage your PPC account, you will be able to reach them in the most cost effective way.

PPC advertising is big. Incredibly big. The industry will surpass $10,000,000,000,000 in revenue this year. Over the past five years a number of companies have risen to the top of this highly successful advertising genre, including Google and Yahoo. Google adwords is one of the best Known PPC programs online and as the companies main revenue source, accounts for Google’s spectacular growth rate. The most common example of adwords in action, are the ads that appear on the right hand side of the goggle results page, but the banners can also appear on any personal or business website.

 

An Overview of Search Engines:

 

When we hear the phrase “I Googled it”, we can’t have much doubt as to who the market leader is. However, for some campaigns other Search Engines may work better, and often a combination can yield the best results.

 

 

Google

Google’s philosophy is to ensure that their clients read useful, truthful and up to date information. As the market leader, with a lion’s share of 80%, there are many factors which influence your position and the effectiveness of your campaign.

For example, it is not the case that if you bid the most for your Adwords (keywords) you will be ensured the highest ranking. Google have introduced quality scoring and loyalty, so that their users get a better experience.

 

Quality scoring incorporates numerous aspects, which our expertise can help your business to manoeuvre and manipulate, resulting in the best outcome. By doing this we are helping you pay less per click, whilst increasing your conversion rate (amount of clicks on your ad versus amount of product/service sold) Google is a constantly moving target and that’s why its so important to use experts to manage your campaign.  It is continuously releasing new software and acquiring software companies.

 

A Click Ahead also offer you Google Analytics free of charge,. This provides you with vital information about the customers who visit your site. Please ask one of our consultants for more information on this.

 

 

Froogle

Part of Google. At the moment it is free for businesses to offer their goods and services on this site, however, it is likely that in the near future they will start to charge.

 

 

Yahoo

Yahoo holds second place in the market. They “own” the original PPC, called Overture, which they bought in 2005 and re-named Yahoo Search Marketing Services, but most people still know it as Overture. It is based on the concept of Yahoo as a portal, where the users are brought in by different types of free services, and they see your ad.  You can buy your position on the page, unlike Google, and they don’t mind how you write your ad.  Once you pay, you’re in.

 

 

MSN

Owned by Microsoft, this search engine is well used in the American market place, although sits in third place of overall market share.

 

 

MIVA

MIVA is in fourth position of the bigger Search Engines and tends to be used most in France and other EU countries.

 

The reality is that if you use both Google and Overture, you will get overlap and cover almost the entire market.