Pay Per Click

Because of the economy's recent layoff rate, more and more people have decided to work for themselves online. They've discovered that the internet sells and with tools like pay per click advertising (PPC), making money online is possible. With PPC you can use websites, search engines and even blogs to advertise on. You then bid on keywords or pay up to your bid price every time someone clicks on your ad.

Generally, bidding is done through search engines such as Google, Yahoo or others. When you bid, you're bidding on keywords that are related to your product or website. If your bid is the highest for those keywords, your advertisement link will be at the top of the search engine list. When a visitor clicks on your listing they are taken to your website or lead capture page and the search engine charges you the amount you bid.

When you set up your PPC ad, you can choose whether you want to have your ad come up only when your keyword is searched, or have your ad placed on blogs and websites that are relevant to your ad. Or, you can have your ad placed on both. Ads placed for keyword searches only are called search ads. Ads placed on other websites and blogs are called content ads. You should be aware that pay per click isn't for everyone. If you're not willing to spend money to make money then this type of program may not be right for you. If you're just looking for a quick way to advertise your website or product, or you want to be in the top spot for a specific keyword, then this may be an ideal way to do so.

However, you should keep in mind that if there is an incentive offered for affiliates willing to host your ads on their page, you could end up with a lot of false clicks that can be both a waste of your money and time. The good news is many PPC programs are now finding ways to prevent fraudulent clicks. All in all, pay per click advertising really is a great way to gain traffic and customers. It can be a fantastic tool for those who are just starting an online business and for those who have been in business for a while. Done right, it's a win-win situation and definitely worth checking out.