What is Paid Search Advertising? (Google Ads)

Paid search advertising is a form of online advertising that allows businesses to display their ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). Paid search ads are typically displayed at the top or bottom of SERPs, and are labeled as “Sponsored” or “Ads”.

Paid search advertising is a way for businesses to get their messages in front of potential customers who are already searching for products or services like theirs. When someone searches for a keyword that you’ve bid on, your ad may appear next to or above the organic search results.

Paid search advertising can be an effective way to drive traffic to your website and generate leads or sales. However, it’s important to understand how the auction-based system works and to set your bids carefully, or you could end up spending a lot of money without getting any results.

How Does Paid Search Advertising Work?

Paid search advertising works on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. When you create a paid search campaign, you’ll need to choose the keywords you want to target. These are the words or phrases that people will search for on Google, and when they do, your ad will appear next to the search results.

You’ll also need to set a bid for each keyword. This is the amount you’re willing to pay each time someone clicks on your ad. When someone searches for a keyword you’ve bid on, your ad will appear next to the search results.

If you’re the only one bidding on a particular keyword, you’ll pay your bid amount each time someone clicks on your ad. However, if there are other businesses bidding on the same keyword, your ad may not appear at all, or you may pay more than your bid amount.

This is because Google uses an auction-based system to determine which ads to display, and how much to charge each advertiser. The amount you pay is based on your bid, your ad quality, and the relevance of your ad to the keyword.

Google also offers a feature called “ad extensions”, which allows you to add additional information to your ad, such as your phone number, address, or website URL. Ad extensions can improve your click-through rate (CTR), and may also help you save money on your PPC campaign by making your ad more relevant to the keyword.

Why Use Paid Search Advertising?

There are several reasons why you might want to use paid search advertising for your business.

Paid search is a great way to drive targeted traffic to your website. When someone searches for a keyword you’ve targeted, your ad will appear next to the search results. This means that the people who see your ad are already interested in what you have to offer.

Paid search can be a cost-effective way to generate leads or sales. Unlike other marketing channels, such as television or print advertising, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This makes it easier to track your return on investment (ROI).

Paid search can be a flexible way to market your business. You can start or stop your campaign at any time, and you can adjust your bids and keyword targets as needed.

Read up on how to set up paid search advertising if you are interested in learning more.