The Best Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Agencies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PPC in marketing?

PPC stands for pay-per-click. It's a form of online advertising where the advertiser only pays when people click on the ad. PPC ads are targeted by keywords and other factors, so they show up in search engines and on websites for people who might be interested in specific products. For example, PPC ads for makeup might show up on women's clothing sites.

What is a PPC agency?

A PPC agency provides services to create, launch, and manage PPC ad campaigns. Since the best results with these ads require constant monitoring and tweaking, many businesses choose to outsource the process to experts or services that offer automation tools.

Some common services provided by PPC agencies include:

• Keyword research to ensure ads are properly targeted
• Creation of PPC ad copy
• Creation of ad bidding rule sets
• Monitoring of ad campaigns
• Tweaking bidding and other parameters to maximize results

How much do PPC agencies charge?

The cost of PPC advertising through an agency depends on its fee schedule, including how much exposure a company wants and what it's willing to pay for that exposure. Costs can average between $500 and $5,000 a month for management fees alone. Some common fee structures include:

• Percentage of ad spend: The client pays the PPC agency a percentage of what it spends on advertising—typically 15% to 30%. This structure tends to be better for smaller accounts.
• Management fee: The client pays a flat management fee on top of advertising costs. Good for companies running the same type of campaigns monthly.
• Management fee plus a percentage of ad spend:  A good option for larger clients with many administrative requirements.

What is a PPC marketing campaign?

A PPC marketing campaign is a group of ads meant to drive specific results. A company might launch an ad campaign to draw attention to a new product, for example, with ads leading to various types of landing pages for the product. Another option is a government agency paying for ads to inform people about health insurance options or requirements for new housing programs.

Is PPC paid search?

Yes, PPC can be a form of paid search, which means that a company is paying to show up for relevant searches. For example, a new HVAC business that doesn't want to wait six months for SEO to pick up might pay for PPC search ads, so it starts showing up when people look for HVAC service providers in the area.

Is AdWords the same as PPC?

No, Google Ads or AdWords is not the same thing as PPC. PPC is an overarching term for any pay-per-click advertising campaign. Google Ads or AdWords is a type of PPC offering.

When someone pays for ads through this network, the PPC ads are placed on pages within Google's ad network. That can include search ads, which are text ads or sponsored links that appear at the top or side of search results on Google, Bing, or Yahoo. It can also include PPC display ads, which show up on websites within the Google ad network. According to Google, its network covers 90% of the internet.

What does CPC mean?

CPC stands for cost per click. This is how much an advertiser pays every time an ad is clicked. It helps determine the total cost of a campaign, but advertisers can also set a budget. For example, if the budget is $100 and the average cost per click is 25 cents, the campaign supports 400 clicks.

How much is Google pay per click?

The cost of a click depends on several factors, including how much was bid for the keyword and the level of competition. On average, cost per click via the Google Ads network is between $1 and $2, though companies can pay much less than that for less competitive keywords. CPC for Google Search Network ads averages less than $1.

Does Google AdWords help organic search?

Some people believe paying for ads supports organic search, but this isn't typically true. The belief is that more exposure drives more clicks, which leads Google to believe a page is the right answer for a specific search. But the search engine is much smarter than that, and the best way to increase SEO is through strong optimization efforts.

Why use PPC marketing?

PPC marketing is a flexible, potentially fast-paced option for getting the word out about products, services, events, or other offerings online. Some benefits include:

• Rapid exposure to targeted audiences. PPC ads can launch within minutes, and website traffic can be impacted from day one.
• Ability to tweak on the fly. Advertisers can run AB testing and change ads in real-time for improved results.
• Ads may increase brand awareness. PPC ads put the website, company name, or product in front of users more often than other forms of online marketing.
• Chance to hypertarget. Companies can target very specific demographics with different offers to increase engagement.