Advantages of PPC

PPC results are instant and controllable
The best feature of Pay-Per-Click is that results can be seen within an hour of your campaign starting. Google's Adwords program allows instant changes to all aspects of a campaign, Overture from Yahoo and Espotting campaigns take a couple of days for editorial approval of adverts but changes to bids are instant. The ability to see and react to results so quickly allows for tight control of your budget.

PPC costs are performance based and scalable
Unlike banner adverts that cost the same regardless of how many visitors they attract, you only pay on a per-visitor basis with PPC. To attract more visitors you can pay for a top position or target a higher number of less competitive phrases if you wish to keep your cost-per-click low.

PPC is measurable and cost-effective
As part of a PPC campaign we can track the results that are delivered. This may be conversion to sale, subscription to a newsletter or any other specified action. Our ability to measure this return on investment lets you see that we deliver great results for our clients.

PPC delivers 20 to 40% of search engine traffic
Google, the number one search engine, delivers 20% of visitors through PPC adverts. Other search engines have a higher proportion of click throughs from paid listings with some as high as 40%. Our specialist knowledge of Pay-Per-Click providers will help you gain the maximum benefit from the huge potential of PPC advertising.

Considerations of PPC

PPC is more expensive than SEO in the long term
A well-executed SEO campaign will deliver lower per-visitor costs than PPC in the long term. Once you have set up an SEO campaign, unless something dramatic happens in your market, your ongoing costs are low. PPC relies on constant spending at a higher level to deliver visitors.

PPC costs will rise as more competitors advertise
Every PPC provider has a minimum bid, however the rules of supply and demand mean that competitive terms will cost much more than the minimum. As an example, in May 2005 it cost over £5 per visitor to appear in the top 3 for Google Adwords or Overture (Yahoo). Loans may have matured in terms of bid pricing but we see almost every other area still having room for substantial increases in cost per visitor. To soften the blow of increasing PPC costs we can implement a LocalSearch+ campaign. This will put you at a competitive advantage by delivering low cost, but highly-targeted visitors whilst your competitors pay more for less-targeted traffic.

PPC requires time-consuming ongoing management
The initial set-up of a PPC campaign is time-consuming. Once active any campaign needs to be monitored as new competition can appear at any time. Although most work is best done by hand we have systems in place that can monitor the activity of your competitors on chosen terms and adjust your campaign to keep you prominent but within budget.

PPC misses out on 60 to 80% of search engine traffic
Visitors to Google click on PPC adverts just 20% of the time. Other search engines claim rates as high as 40% by placing their adverts closer to the 'organic' results. Either way, these statistics mean that using just PPC will mean missing out on the majority of search engine visitors. A combined PPC and SEO campaign from Rating Room is the best way to position your site to gain maximum exposure.