With billions and billions of  people on the World Wide Web every day, it is safe to assume that a lot of people also use search engines. So how do they use them when they are looking for local products and services? Public data and studies indicate that as many as 80% of potential prospects turn to the Internet first when looking for a local product or service. When was the last time you picked up your phone book to find a vendor or to do research? Phone books are still used but are a thing of the past for most consumers, and the new yellow pages are local internet directories and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. I know it, the search engines knows it, and if you resist it, there is a good chance your business may a thing of the past too. But is PPC right for you and your business?

1. Highly Targeted – Unlike direct marketing and other forms of advertising your ad will only be served (appear) when a prospect is actively searching for your type of business (typed into your pre-selected “keywords”)

2. Tracking – There is an old marketing adage that says “I know I am wasting 50% of my marketing budget, but I don’t know which half.” You can’t improve what you can’t measure and PPC advertising is very easy to measure. With search engine marketing (SEM), you are able to track every aspect of your campaign.

3. Testing – You can quickly and easily run A/B testing for both ads (to drive leads) and different landing pages (to convert prospects).

4. Performance Based – It is the only advertising available that you only get charged if a prospect actually takes action (clicks on your ad). This actually is a second form of qualifying. The prospect not only is actively searching for your type of business, but actually liked your ad enough to click on it.

A word of caution before you run off and start pouring money into your PPC campaigns. Though, there is no denying that, when executed correctly, PPC can be a leading sales driver and profit builder, it can also drain your marketing budget if you aren’t careful. Read and study as much as you can about PPC and how it works. It is also recommend you start out small and learn what works and what doesn’t and then scale up your budget when you begin to get the hang of it.

If you need assistance or have questions about Pay-Per-Click advertising, please contact me at 208.598.0084 or matt.shifley@yahoo.com.