As competition for organic search results continues to grow fiercer, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a way for you to ensure search visibility in Google, Facebook, etc. Used alongside search engine optimization (SEO), PPC can expand your real estate in search engine results — and if you’re not there, your competition certainly will be.
Here are some reasons why PPC advertising is worth the investment:
1. You control the costs.
Determining a PPC budget isn’t always easy to master, but thankfully it's easy to adjust your ad spend. You can put a cap on what is spent daily and change that amount at any time. However, depending on your industry and how competitive your keywords are, having a limited budget may not yield much of a return.
2. You only pay for clicks.
One of the most enticing things about PPC is the fact that you’re only paying when someone clicks on your ad. Traditional advertising (e.g. radio, print, billboard) is less transparent because you're not 100% sure if you're reaching and engaging your target audience.
3. It’s closer to real-time marketing.
With location targeting and delivery options, paired with device-specific preferences, you can hit your target consumer with specific messages at a time when they're near your local business and show interest in your type of product or service.
4. PPC ads show up quickly.
While SEO is still very important for long-term digital marketing, PPC gives businesses the option for a quicker ROI. PPC results can start sending visitors as soon as the ads are approved. No waiting for indexing or slowly moving up the rankings.
5. PPC provides valuable insights.
Because of PPC’s ability to show results fast, you're able to discover keywords that could possibly help your SEO. It’s also a great way to test new offers or get the word out about upcoming events or sales.
Boost Your Marketing System with PPC
While it may be smart to incorporate PPC into your marketing system, it's not as simple as it looks. It does take a moderate amount of skill and knowledge of the advertising platform, the rules and guidelines, and marketing best practices.
That’s why you should identify a credible, trustworthy marketing agency, consultant, or in-house marketer to help with your campaigns. It will save you money and get you better results by using a professional from the start.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.