What is PPC – Pay-Per-Click Ads? Why it is Important in 2023

Marketing Hacky April 11, 2023

What is PPC – Pay-Per-Click Ads?

In today's digital world, paid advertising has become an essential component of any successful marketing strategy. With the rise of online business and e-commerce, it's no longer enough to rely solely on organic traffic to drive sales and revenue. Paid advertising in digital marketing can help businesses of all sizes reach their target audience and drive more conversions.

One of the most popular forms of paid advertising is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which allows advertisers to bid on specific keywords and pay each time a user clicks on their ad. This approach is highly targeted and cost-effective, allowing businesses to reach users who are actively searching for products or services similar to theirs.

In this blog post, we'll explore what paid advertising is, how it works, and the different types of pay-per-click ads available to advertisers. Whether you're a small business owner or a digital marketer looking to improve your online advertising strategy, this guide will provide you with the foundational knowledge you need to succeed in the world of paid advertising.



What is PPC Ads


Paid advertising, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is a form of digital marketing that involves placing ads on search engines, social media platforms, and other websites. Advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad, with the cost per click (CPC) varying depending on factors such as the keywords used and the competition for them.


The main advantage of paid advertising is that it allows businesses to quickly and effectively reach their target audience. Unlike organic search results, which can take months or even years to achieve, paid advertising provides almost immediate results. This can be especially important for businesses looking to launch a new product or service, or to quickly boost sales and revenue.


Paid advertising can also be highly targeted, allowing businesses to reach specific demographics, interests, and locations. This targeting ensures that ads are only shown to users who are likely to be interested in the product or service being advertised, increasing the chances of conversion. Advertisers can also adjust their targeting and messaging based on the performance of their ads, ensuring that they are always optimizing their campaigns for maximum ROI.

To get started with paid advertising, businesses first need to identify their target audience and the keywords that they are searching for. Advertisers then create ads that are tailored to these specific keywords and audiences, ensuring that they are highly relevant and engaging. Once the ads are created, they are placed on the chosen advertising platform, and the advertiser sets a budget for the campaign.


What’s the difference between PPC, SEM and SEO?


PPC, SEM, and SEO are all digital marketing strategies used to drive traffic to websites and increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). While they all aim to achieve similar goals, there are key differences between them.


PPC (pay-per-click)


PPC, or pay-per-click, is a type of digital advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time a user clicks on one of their ads. These ads are typically displayed at the top or bottom of search engine results pages, or on social media platforms, and are targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behavior. PPC is a fast and effective way to drive traffic to a website, but it can be expensive and requires ongoing optimization to ensure maximum ROI.


SEM (Search engine marketing)


SEM, or search engine marketing, is a broader term that encompasses both SEO and PPC. It refers to any strategy used to increase visibility and traffic from search engines, including both paid and organic methods. SEM aims to improve a website's ranking in search engine results pages through both paid and organic tactics, with the goal of driving more traffic to the website and increasing conversions.


SEO (search engine optimization)


SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages. This is done through various tactics such as optimizing content and keywords, improving website speed and performance, and building high-quality backlinks. SEO is a long-term strategy that aims to increase organic traffic to a website, without paying for clicks or impressions.


PPC, or pay-per-click, advertising is a type of digital marketing strategy where advertisers pay a fee each time a user clicks on one of their ads. These ads are typically displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs), social media platforms, and other websites that participate in ad networks.

How PPC ads work:

Advertisers create an ad campaign: Advertisers start by creating an ad campaign on a chosen advertising platform, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. They select their target audience based on demographics, interests, and behavior, and set a budget for the campaign.


Advertisers create ad groups: Within the campaign, advertisers create ad groups that contain specific keywords and ad copy. The keywords are the terms that users search for on search engines or social media platforms, and the ad copy is the text and images that appear in the ad.

Users search for keywords: When a user searches for a keyword on a search engine, the search engine algorithm analyzes the user's search and matches it to relevant ads.

Ads appear on SERPs or social media platforms: If the ad is relevant to the user's search, it will appear at the top or bottom of the search engine results page, or on social media platforms, alongside organic search results or other ads.

Users click on the ad: If a user is interested in the ad, they can click on it to visit the advertiser's website or landing page.

Advertisers pay for clicks: Advertisers pay a fee each time a user clicks on their ad, with the cost per click (CPC) varying depending on factors such as the keywords used and the competition for them.

Advertisers analyze the results: Advertisers monitor the performance of their ads and adjust their targeting and ad copy as needed to improve their ROI.



PPC advertising is a fast and effective way for businesses to reach their target audience and drive traffic to their website. By creating relevant ad campaigns and ad groups, and analyzing the performance of their ads, advertisers can maximize their ROI and achieve their marketing goals.

Why PPC Ads is important?

PPC marketing



PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is important for several reasons:

  • Targeted Advertising

PPC allows advertisers to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behavior. This means that businesses can ensure that their ads are reaching the right people who are more likely to be interested in their products or services.

  • Quick Results

Unlike other marketing strategies, such as SEO, which can take time to see results, PPC can provide quick results. Ads can be launched and start generating traffic and leads within hours.

  • Measurable Results

PPC provides clear and measurable results. Advertisers can track the performance of their campaigns and see how many clicks, conversions, and impressions they are receiving. This allows businesses to adjust their campaigns to improve their ROI.

  • Cost-Effective

PPC can be a cost-effective marketing strategy. Advertisers only pay for clicks on their ads, and they can set a budget for their campaigns. This means that businesses can control their ad spend and ensure that they are getting the most out of their marketing budget.

  • Brand Awareness

PPC can also help to increase brand awareness. Even if users don't click on an ad, they will still see the ad and the brand name. This can help to increase brand recognition and familiarity, which can lead to future conversions.

PPC is an important marketing strategy for businesses looking to reach their target audience, generate leads, and increase brand awareness. By providing quick, measurable, and cost-effective results, PPC can help businesses to achieve their marketing goals and improve their ROI.


What are the top PPC advertising platforms?

PPC advertising is offered by many popular platforms, including Google, Microsoft Bing, and Facebook. Each platform offers different types of advertising, including search, display, remarketing, and video (such as on YouTube or Facebook/Instagram Reels).

Out of these platforms, Google and Facebook are the most popular and comprehensive, offering all types of advertising.

  • Google Ads:
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is one of the most popular PPC advertising platforms available. It allows businesses to create and display ads on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) and millions of websites across the web. Google Ads offers a wide range of ad formats, including text ads, display ads, video ads, and shopping ads. Additionally, advertisers can target specific keywords, demographics, locations, and devices to reach their desired audience.

More Resources: Google Ads Guide 2023 

  • Facebook Ads:
Facebook Ads is another popular PPC advertising platform that enables businesses to create and display ads on Facebook and Instagram. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook Ads provide a massive potential audience for businesses to reach. Facebook Ads offers a range of ad formats, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and sponsored posts. Moreover, advertisers can target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and locations to reach their desired audience.


  • Instagram Ads:
Instagram ads are a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach a highly engaged audience. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers a wide range of ad formats, including photo, video, carousel, and Stories ads. These ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, and can drive traffic to a website, increase brand awareness, and even boost sales. Instagram's advertising platform also offers a range of features, such as call-to-action buttons, shopping tags, and interactive elements like polls and quizzes. With its visually-driven platform and massive user base, Instagram is a top choice for businesses looking to amplify their reach and connect with potential customers.


  • Youtube Ads:
YouTube Ads is a powerful advertising platform that enables businesses to reach their target audience through video content. With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube offers advertisers the ability to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors through its ad targeting options. Advertisers can create different types of video ads, including skippable and non-skippable ads, bumper ads, and sponsored content. Additionally, YouTube provides detailed performance metrics to help advertisers measure the success of their campaigns. Overall, YouTube Ads are an effective way for businesses to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads or sales through engaging video content.


  • TikTok Ads:
TikTok is a popular social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. With its massive user base and engagement rates, it has become an attractive platform for advertisers. TikTok ads offer several options, including in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and sponsored lenses. In-feed ads appear in users' feeds and can be up to 60 seconds long. Branded hashtags allow advertisers to create a branded challenge or campaign in that users can participate in. Sponsored lenses are AR filters that can be used in videos. TikTok's ad targeting options are also extensive, allowing advertisers to target users based on interests, behaviors, and demographics. Overall, TikTok ads can be an effective way for businesses to reach younger audiences and increase brand awareness.


  • Twitter Ads:
Twitter ads offer businesses an opportunity to connect with their target audience through various ad formats. Promoted tweets, promoted accounts, and promoted trends are the most common types of Twitter ads. Promoted tweets appear in users' feeds and can include text, images, videos, and hashtags. Promoted accounts are used to increase the number of followers by displaying them to users who might be interested. Promoted trends showcase a hashtag at the top of the trending topics list, increasing its visibility. Twitter ads are effective for raising brand awareness, increasing engagement, and driving website traffic. Advertisers can target specific keywords, interests, demographics, and even followers of specific accounts.


  • Microsoft Advertising:
Microsoft Advertising, formerly known as Bing Ads, is a PPC advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Microsoft's Bing search engine, as well as Yahoo and AOL. Although Microsoft Advertising has a smaller audience than Google Ads and Facebook Ads, it can still be a useful platform for businesses to reach their target audience. Microsoft Advertising offers a range of ad formats, including text ads, shopping ads, and app ads. Additionally, advertisers can target specific demographics, locations, and devices to reach their desired audience.

  • LinkedIn Ads:
LinkedIn Ads is a PPC advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking site. LinkedIn Ads offers a range of ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads. Moreover, advertisers can target specific demographics, job titles, industries, and locations to reach their desired audience.


  • Pinterest Ads:
Pinterest Ads allow businesses to reach their target audience by promoting their products or services on the platform. With over 400 million monthly active users, Pinterest offers a unique opportunity to connect with customers who are actively searching for inspiration and ideas.

Advertisers can choose from various ad formats such as Promoted Pins, Promoted Video Pins, and Promoted Carousel Pins to showcase their products. These ads can be targeted based on interests, keywords, demographics, and behaviors. Additionally, Pinterest offers conversion tracking and analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

Overall, Pinterest Ads can be an effective way to drive traffic and sales for businesses that cater to a visually-oriented audience.


What are the types of PPC ads?


There are several types of PPC ads, including:

  • Search Ads: These are text-based ads that appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when users search for specific keywords.

  • Display Ads: These are visual ads that appear on websites within the Google Display Network and other ad networks. They can be in the form of images, videos, or interactive media.

  • Video Ads: These are ads that appear before, during, or after video content on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

  • Shopping Ads: These are product-based ads that appear on Google Shopping and other shopping comparison sites.

  • Social Media Ads: These are ads that appear on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

  • Remarketing Ads: These are ads that target users who have previously interacted with a business's website or social media profiles, encouraging them to revisit the site and complete a conversion.

In addition to the main categories of PPC ads there are other types that have unique characteristics and specific requirements.

  1. Search Ads (RLSAs)
  2. Performance Max
  3. and Local Search Ads (LSAs)

RLSAs allow advertisers to show search ads to people who have previously visited their website. Performance Max is a newer type of ad that uses machine learning to automatically place ads across multiple Google ad networks. LSAs are designed specifically for local businesses, allowing them to target users who are searching for products or services in their area. Each of these ad types has its own unique features and advantages, making them suitable for different types of businesses and advertising goals.

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