The Pros and Cons of PPC (Pay Per Click)

PPC stands for pay-per-click, a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Essentially, it’s a way of buying visits to your site, rather than attempting to “earn” those visits organically. In the best case scenario you should see an immediate increase of traffic to your site but, is it really worth it for your business?

Cons

1. Expensive Strategy.

The cost of gaining instant top visibility? A charge every single time someone clicks through the SERP (ad) to your website. The price tag depends on the keywords that you choose so be wary to choose words your consumers will search to find you! For PPC ads, the amount you pay (cost-per-click, or CPC) varies across industries.

2. Conversion Rates.

Another thing to consider is the people who are clicking through may not be genuine leads or customers. They could just be browsing adding even more to your campaign budget! PPC to be successful requires a combination of; keyword management, compelling ads and optimized landing pages that persuade visitors to submit their contact information or make a purchase.

The campaign itself has to be coordinated across platforms with a target set of keywords that people actually search for and that are a good match with your business. Then the ads have to be optimized to grab searchers’ attention and compel them to click.

3. Keyword Bidding War.

Keywords have another issue when two or more advertisers compete over the top spot and words! This can end with an expensive bidding with no benefit to anyone, if you lose focus on the goals of your strategy you could end with a huge bill with no rewards.

Think about the reach of the ads themselves with ad blockers and reportedly 85% of people claiming to ignore sponsored listings and content on Google.

 4. Instant results, Instant Loss.

Once you stop paying you lose all visibility. Unlike other strategies like SEO and content marketing (where you will still have presence online) if you rely solely on PPC and an issue with payment occurs you lose everything and perhaps a mass of leads and customers.

pros

1. Appear in the top searches immediately.

If you bid high enough for your keyword and your page is relevant then in theory, you can set up a campaign and start bringing in targeted traffic within 48 hours.

Depending on your marketing budget you could reach hundreds of thousands of potential customers that are specifically looking for what it is your selling via PPC, with the added bonus of appearing above organic listings.
 

2. Full Control.

You can completely tailor make this strategy to fit your business and goals. How much you spend on bidding, how long the campaign is run, the specific keywords targeted and retargeting. This allows you to control the budget though it can quickly add up so be prepared for the continuing costs!

Retargeting is another way to reach back to the same person who may have forgotten you or weren’t ready in that moment. It’s a process but can yield reward by creating new leads and eventual consumers.

3. Analytical Insights.

Collecting data from viewers like demographics and profiling data you can understand who is viewing your ads, what they are looking for and how you can turn viewers into consumers! Once you understand this data your ads and marketing will improve over time with new campaigns and results of targeting will be more beneficial to you, if you use the data correctly.

You can also reach your target consumer at the right time with the right ad. With tools available now you can deliver specific targeted messages at certain times or on certain devices like mobile. Of course this is an added cost that you would have to consider into your budget.
 

4. Ability to go Global.

Ads give you the opportunity to increase your reach to countries and places you would never be able to consider in the real world. If you want to expand there are few limitations in your way it is doable. (Language translations and price changes aside) If you want to develop your brand it is an ideal way to do so in a relatively fast way. The more your business is out there the better odds you have of getting more customers and repeat business. 

PPC is one strategy in the umbrella of internet marketing, with competition rife it is so crucial you pick the best strategy for your business. Remember, no two businesses are the same, you have to make judgement decisions based on the results you want to see which is easier if you make specific realistic goals.

PPC is a risky strategy on it’s own but if you have the budget think about using it alongside your SEO strategy with quality content in place you will see results sooner than you anticipate!

This is by no means an exhaustive list and analysis of PPC, if you would like me to go into more detail in later posts, please let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading, take care!