It took me forever to get a grasp on pay per click advertising.  I still struggle every time I start a new campaign.  I have seen numerous questions about PPC – what is it, how do you use it -  I ran across this awesome article I needed to print it.  What a great explanation of PPC:

Pay Per Click, otherwise known as PPC, is a marketing technique used by search engines. Advertisers choose specific keywords or keyword phrases that are pertinent to their website. Then the advertiser will place a bid for their specific position in the area of the search engine results page called “sponsored links.” There is a lot to do when you run an effective PPC campaign. While it’s fairly simple to set up a PPC advertising account, there are many things that must be done to make sure it is monitored constantly in order to keep from bankrupting an advertiser overnight.

Here are some of the best strategies for making your PPC campaign work effectively:

1. Do your Keyword Research: Take the time to research your keywords and figure out how many keywords and keyword phrases are related to your services or products. Secondary keywords are also important as they may help to bring up your conversion rate for sales.

2. Have a Great Landing Page: A landing page is where your visitors will end up when they click on your advertisement. Make sure your landing page is attractive. While a home page cannot be the actual landing, you can make your landing page one that catches your visitor’s eye. The home page for your website is about who you are, while the landing page focuses on what product or service your offer and why a visitor should buy from you.

3. Create Relevant Advertising Copy: Your ad should specify your service or product, as well as the price. If you deviate from this, you will lose the space. If you place your pricing on your advertisement and your visitor click on it, you will have a better chance of finalizing the sale.

4. Know Your Conversions: You must be able to tell what your return on your investment is. If you measure the clicks versus the sales, you will be able to manage the campaign effectively.

5. Bid Wisely: Vary your bids for two to three weeks based upon the number of clicks versus your returns. This will help you decide which position is best for you to bid on. This will help you reach a monthly budget that you can stick to without too many problems. Once you do this a few times, you’ll realize that the top position is not always prudent.

6. Keep an Eye on Your Competition: Analyze your competition’s websites and advertisement. Make changes in your own ad copy if need. Try to offer your visitors something in exchange for their clicks that your competitor’s do not.

7. Keep Your Branding: Make sure your affiliates don’t use your brand name for their advertising copy. It could affect your own branding.

8. Constant Monitoring: You will need to constantly monitor your PPC campaign. The competition will eat you alive if you slack off and you will have to adjust your bid frequently in order to get the most return on your investment.

9. Be Realistic: You must be realistic in your expectation. Your business is not going to improve overnight. You will be able to get leads, but if your website doesn’t do your company justice or if your prices don’t meet the requirements of the customer, you won’t get the sales you desire.

10. Keep At It: Make sure you tweak your bids and advertising copy. Remove those ads that are not performing. It’s an ongoing process and must be treated as such.

An effective PPC campaign is can generate a lot of revenue for your company. However, it does take time, effort, and research in order for you to get the most out of your PPC advertising budget.

About the Author:
Seomul Evans is a senior Dallas Search Engine Optimization consultant specializing in Pay Per Click advertising and online marketing articles .