How Does PPC Work on Google?

Google processes more than 40,000 queries every second. That translates to more than 3.5 billion searches daily. It is therefore no wonder that the search engine drives trends when it comes to search engines and online marketing.

While other search engines offer PPC platforms, Google still remains one of the most competitive search platforms to advertise on.

Paying for attention

Anyone familiar with online marketing knows that getting your name at the top of the list of a relevant search results page is one of the best ways to generate leads. This requires a lot of effort in terms of search engine optimization (SEO).

However, Google now provides another way to get to the top: Adwords. Adwords is Google’s paid search platform that allows you to bid for keywords and get your website listed on relevant search pages.

Unlike those annoying banner ads, Adwords lists ads in a way that makes them look like the organic results. Ads have a small yellow ‘ad’ label before t hem. Two ads are listed above the organic results and others are listed on the right hand side of the page.

How it works

Advertisers choose a keyword that is relevant to the products or services they offer. These keywords are used to create ads that when listed look a lot like organic search results.
However, it is important to remember that you are not the only one who wants to use a specific keyword for your ad. There are many other advertisers seeking to use the same keywords at any given time. The demand for the keyword influences its competitiveness.

Advertisers are required to bid on keywords. This will determine how much you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. The more you’re willing to pay the more likely your ad will appear in search results pages. The highest bidders are placed at the top of search results page listings.

Much more than money

Like with many other things Google, there is always a twist. Paying more for a keyword doesn’t always ensure that your ad will appear at the top of search results pages. The search engine also considers your quality score. Google considers the relevance of your ad to the user and the search terms used. It also considers the click through rate of your ad as well as the relevance of your landing page. A high quality score will improve your listings even if you bid less than your rival.