In the past two and a half decades since its nascency, online paid advertising, once a novel concept, has become a pervasive necessity for businesses of all sizes, especially for emerging brands vying for attention.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) empowers you to place your offer directly in front of potential customers precisely when they're searching, scrolling, or watching.
But which PPC channels suit you best? With a myriad of different campaign types on offer on each platform which should you choose? What objectives should you set beyond the generic "maximise conversions”? How do you gauge success? And, perhaps most pressing.
What is the difference between Smart Bidding, Smart+ or ProPlus (the latter has nothing to do with PPC but you may need it to build your campaigns)?
What is PPC?
PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click, a digital advertising model where you incur a fee each time someone interacts with your ad. It's essentially purchasing visits to your site, rather than earning them organically.
PPC ads manifest in various forms, text ads on search engines, banner ads on websites, video ads on platforms like YouTube, product listings in shopping feeds, and more. Whether your goal is to drive leads, sales, or brand awareness, PPC allows for precise audience targeting.
How does PPC work?
Here's the gist: Craft an ad, define your audience, set a budget, place a bid, and your ads go live. If your ad resonates and your bid is competitive, you garner clicks. Simple in theory, but there are nuances to grasp.
PPC operates on a bidding system. You determine how much you're willing to pay for a user to click your ad (your max bid), and platforms like Google, Microsoft Ads, Meta, or TikTok decide if your ad appears based on that bid and the relevance of your ad.
The primary pricing models include:
- CPC (Cost-Per-Click): Pay when someone clicks your ad.
- CPM (Cost-Per-Mille): Cost per 1,000 impressions.
- CPE (Cost-Per-Engagement): Pay when users engage in a specific way (watch a video, sign up, etc.).
For instance, if your max bid is £2, but the auction value is £2.30, your ad might not display. However, if you bid £2.50 and your ad quality is robust, you could win the auction at a lower cost.
You can allow the platform to optimise your bids (ideal for beginners) or set manual bids for tighter control. For example, with a £1,000 total budget, you might distribute it over 30 days with a £33/day cap or execute a focused two-week push at £66/day.
Bonus factor: Quality Score / Relevance Score
Most platforms assess how well your ad aligns with the audience and keyword. Higher scores translate to lower costs and increased impressions. It's less about obsessing over this number and more about ensuring your ads and landing pages align with user intent.
Types of PPC Campaigns and Platforms
PPC encompasses multiple platforms and formats. Here's a breakdown of the most prevalent:
How much does PPC cost?
PPC costs can vary based on industry, competition, and targeting. It's essential to set a budget that aligns with your business goals and monitor performance to ensure a positive return on investment.
How to create PPC campaigns in 5 steps
4 essentials for creating winning PPC campaigns
By understanding and implementing these strategies, you'll be well-equipped to navigate the PPC landscape in 2025 and drive meaningful results for your business.
PPC isn’t a plug-and-play channel. Success comes from knowing your audience, picking the right platforms, and making smart, data-led decisions. The tools are powerful—but only if you use them with purpose.
Campaigns need more than budget and keywords. They need clear goals, relevant landing pages, and constant testing. Platforms will keep evolving, and so will user behaviour. Staying still means falling behind.
Use what you’ve learned here to build campaigns that do more than spend money. Focus on relevance. Track real outcomes. Keep testing. Small tweaks can unlock big results.
PPC in 2025 rewards those who pay attention. Are your campaigns ready for that?
