What Is PPC and Why Should You Get A Certification?

Internet marketing has changed how businesses advertised and marketed their products or services and is set to see tremendous growth as more and more businesses are moving online. PPC (Pay-per-click) is an online marketing method and Google AdWords is the most popular PPC advertising system. This article will cover PPC with reference to Google AdWords. If you are looking to make a career in online marketing, it is good to have a certification in PPC. Read on to know more.

 

What is PPC?

PPC (pay-per-click) is a digital marketing model where the advertisers pay a fee to the advertising platform each time one of their ads is clicked. With this techniques, organisations can buy leads or visits to their website instead of earning it organically. PPC is generally used for three main purposes — increasing sales, generating leads and promoting brand awareness.

There are two types of PPC pay models:

1. Flat-rate PPC – In this type of pay model, the advertiser pays a fixed amount for each click. The rate may vary according to the content type and how valuable the users who clicked on the ads.
2. Bid-based PPC – This type of pay models are followed by Google and Bing search engines. It allows the advertisers to compete against other advertisers with the help of an automated auction method. The winners of the auction get the highest ad spot.

What is Google AdWords?

Google AdWords is the most popular PPC platform which offers users to advertise their content on Google search engine and its affiliated advertising network. It works on the bid-based PPC model and advertisers bid on the keywords. After the bids have been registered, Google ranks the ads according to a metric known as AdRank.

AdRank = CPC bid X Quality Score

Quality score is a value which depends on ad relevancy, CTR (click-through rate) history and landing page.

CTR = number of users who clicked/number of users who viewed the link.

From the above AdRank formula, it is clear that even if you bid higher than your advertisers but if your ad is not relevant and is not connecting to the right landing page, your ads will not show up. This is why organisations hire skilled professionals to handle their PPC campaigns. You can gain the requisite experience with a certification course in AdWords or similar platform.

What are the Benefits of using PPC?

Is PPC worth it? There is a huge debate on that topic. Some say it is worth only for big organisations and not for medium scale companies. You can look at the following benefits and decide yourself:

• PPC is a straightforward method of marketing where you pay for valuable engagements. Usually, people who are interested in your products or services click on the links and thus, you pay for only those that provide good leads.
• You get instant results with PPC as compared to traditional methods of marketing. Unlike advertising, where you start a campaign and wait to get the desired results, PPC offers quick results as it is more targeted. You can efficiently reach the target audience you want in the fastest possible way.
• The results in a traditional method of marketing are difficult to measure. On the other hand with PPC, you get to measure the anything related to the campaign like costs, profits, people who visited your site, number of clicks and many more.
• PPC lets you have a greater control on your spending as compared to traditional method of marketing. If you feel that the campaign is not working, you can always stop it at the right moment.

What are the Advantages of Having a PPC Certification?

We all face the dilemma of whether to go for a certification course or not. If you are using PPC platforms like Google AdWords or Bing Ads, it is advisable to go for a certification. Here are some of the major reasons:

• A certification not only showcases your skills it also shows that you are quite comfortable in using that particular platform to create and maintain PPC campaigns. You will have up-to-date knowledge on various best industry practices and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the platform.
• It is the best way to convince a recruiter that you are skilled in PPC marketing using either AdWords or Bing Ads. Without a certificate, it is difficult for recruiters to measure your knowledge and expertise.
• The need for PPC experts is increasing as organisations understand the huge potential of online marketing. As a certified professional, you have the chance of earning a higher salary as compared to non-certified professionals.

What are the Top Certification Courses in PPC?

Shiksha Online offers a multitude of expertly-designed professional online courses in PPC and SEM for you to choose from. Some of the top courses in AdWords or Bing Ads are:

• Advanced Pay Per Click (PPC) Certification Training – This course has been specifically designed to provide candidates with a complete understanding of PPC marketing and help you to gain hands-on experience in creating and managing a campaign.
• Certified Search Engine Marketing Masters Course – With this course, you get a comprehensive training in various areas of PPC marketing like market analysis, ad writing, campaign management and bid management.
• Advanced Pay Per Click and Mobile Marketing Combo – Apart from providing candidates with a deep understanding of the PPC marketing techniques, this course also helps you to gain professional skills in mobile marketing.

You can also go for other certification courses in PPC as per your requirements. With a certification, you can expect to improve your career and earn a higher salary.