Search engines are used for practically everything, from shopping to finding “how to” articles. Most websites are found through using a search engine, however, not all websites get the traffic they need to survive because they do not have the necessary visibility to thrive. One method of creating visibility is through online promotion and marketing. The use of pay-per-click advertising campaigns, coupled with savvy social media maneuvers will drive traffic to your website. Pay-per-click allows you to select a list of keywords that can be used to “find” your website by search engines. PPCs are not free, however, and you will pay with every single click that someone allocates your way, but they are an effective jump starter. Most search engines and ad sellers offer flexibility in terms of payment, allowing you to decide the cost that you wish to pay each time a user clicks on the link within your advertisement.

Costs are relative to the number of times your ad appears in the result page of the search engine. You have control over the keywords, the ad itself, and the time of day that your ad is posted. By selecting a PPC service you are creating the necessary visibility for your services or products that is necessary and vital to the success of any business. All search engines have this option. Google, YouTube, and Yahoo are the top three, but there are other providers such as Facebook. Google has been the leader for several years now, allowing PPCs on their site for close to a decade now. Facebook is a multi-million strong community and PPC has been introduced to Facebook, but the results are mixed. A good recommendation is to start slow if you are going the Facebook approach. Also, remember that sometimes people will click on a link by accident or they may just be browsing. There is no magic bullet to cure all of your company‟s ills, but it is an effective tool. You will need to have a nice set aside in your advertising budget when investing in PPC campaigns. Pay-per-click advertising has its own methodology and the approach should encourage those businesses and individuals who are professionally-minded and serious about their online advertising, especially when investing in this platform.

The more popular the search engine, the higher the cost of a PPC campaign. Therefore, if you are going to launch a PPC campaign on Google you may wish to either do a great deal of research or hire a consultant before dipping your toes in the water of pay per click. SEO experts abound and there will always be someone willing to provide you with statistical data on keywords, demographics, and budgets when tackling a project of this potential magnitude. In fact, perform a search and you will see the better ones lined up in ads along the sides of your search results window because they knew how to use keywords effectively to promote their brand.