Online Marketing Education Center

What is Pay Per Click Search Engine Marketing?

Pay Per Click, or PPC, Search Engine Marketing is exactly as it sounds. Companies advertise on search engines, like Google, Yahoo! or MSN, and pay per click to your site. The ads are shown on search engine results pages under the sponsored ad listings. Pay Per Click can also be called PPC, but there are other names, like Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Cost Per Click (CPC).

Although the explanation of Pay Per Click Marketing is simple, Pay Per Click Marketing is not. It encompasses more than just placing your ad next to targeted keywords. It's made up of a number of complex variables where only the right mix and structure will lead to success. Every Pay Per Click campaign on search engines needs to be optimized for better perforamnce, quality traffic, and conversion rates.

Does my company need Search Engine Optimization?

In a word, yes! If you want to receive high quality visitors that are looking for your products and/or services. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is one of the most effective forms of online marketing as it delivers visitors who want to find a specific site. But, if your site is not properly optimized for search engines then no one will find it.

Successful SEO requires changes to your site and reviews the off-site factors involved to improve your search engine rankings. Also, selecting targeted keywords where optimization can be acheived and results delivered is a key ingredient to success. Remember, only a select few websites can appear on the home page of search engines for a given keyword result, so choosing your target keywords requires skill and knowledge.

How does Social Media Marketing work?

Social Media Marketing is a broad term that is used to describe a number of different types of word of mouth and social online marketing. Types of Social Media Marketing include Blogging, Twitter, Social Networks, Social News and even Mobile Marketing.

But, to answer the question, yes, Social Media Marketing does work. It's an effective way to create a recognizable brand and share your business with people who like your company. However, since it involves a number of different types of marketing it's difficult to know what your business needs, we can help advise you on the right fit.

Glossary of Online Marketing Terms

CPC (Cost Per Click) - The cost paid by the advertiser when an ad is clicked.

PPC (Pay Per Click) - see CPC.

CTR (Click Through Rate) - The rate at which an ad is clicked. Clicks/Impressions = CTR

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition or Cost Per Action) - The ad cost required to generate a lead or have users perform an action.

CPS (Cost Per Sale) - The ad cost required to generate a sale.

CPM (Cost Per Mille 'Thousand') - The cost paid per 1000 impressions.

eCPM (Effective Cost Per Mille 'Thousand') - The effective cost per 1000 impressions. (Earnings/Impressions) * 1000 = eCPM

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - The optimizing of a website to improve rankings for chosen keywords on a search engine.

SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) - The results pages on a search engine for a given keyword search.

Impression - An ad's appearance on a web site. For example, if an ad shows once for a given keyword, an impression is registered.