If you've just been told you need to "do some PPC" and you're nodding politely while quietly wondering what it is, this one's for you. No shame in asking. We'd rather teach someone the basics in eleven minutes than watch them burn three grand learning the hard way.
What PPC Actually Means
Pay-Per-Click. You create an advert. It appears when someone searches (or scrolls) for something relevant. If they click, you pay. If they don't, you don't. The price per click is set by an auction, which we'll get to.
The Main Platforms
- Google Ads: The big one. Search ads, display ads, shopping, YouTube, the lot.
- Microsoft Ads (Bing): Often overlooked, cheaper clicks, older demographic, genuinely useful.
- Meta Ads (Facebook, Instagram): Less intent, more targeting. Different beast, same model.
- LinkedIn Ads: Expensive but brutally effective for B2B.
- TikTok Ads: The new kid. Works brilliantly for the right brand, disastrously for the wrong one.
How the Auction Works
When someone searches, Google holds a lightning-fast auction between every advertiser bidding on that keyword. The winner isn't just whoever bids most. It's whoever has the best combination of bid and Quality Score (relevance, expected CTR, landing page experience). This is why a well-run campaign can beat a bigger-budget competitor.
Keywords, Match Types and Intent
Keywords are the search terms you bid on. Match types control how loosely or tightly they match actual searches. "Plumber Newcastle" in broad match will trigger for all sorts of tangentially related nonsense. In exact match, only that specific phrase. Start tight, widen carefully.
Ad Copy Basics
Headlines, descriptions, a display URL, and a bunch of extensions. Write like a human. Lead with the benefit, back it up with proof, end with a clear call to action. Boring works, if boring is specific. Vague is the real enemy.
Landing Pages
Where the click lands. Must match the ad's promise, load quickly, and have one obvious next step. Sending PPC traffic to a homepage is like sending a Deliveroo order to the wrong postcode. It technically exists, it's just not helpful to anyone. We cover this in detail in our landing page services.
Budgets: Start Sensibly
Daily budgets, monthly caps, bid limits. Know what you're spending and what you're willing to spend. PPC rewards patience in the first 30 days as the platform learns. Don't yank budgets around in week one. You'll confuse the algorithm and yourself.
Tracking Is Everything
Install conversion tracking before you launch. Google Ads, Google Analytics, and ideally a server-side setup for the keen. Without tracking, you have no idea what's working. You're just a cash machine with opinions. Our PPC management starts with tracking audits every time.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- No negative keywords: Paying for irrelevant clicks within days.
- Broad match on everything: Google's dream, your nightmare.
- One ad, forever: No testing, no improvement, no chance.
- Homepage as landing page: Beginner move, experienced-advertiser results.
- Fiddling every day: Let campaigns breathe. 48 hours minimum between major changes.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Book a free PPC strategy call. We will walk you through a sensible starting setup for your business, no obligation.
Book a Free PPC CallPPC is neither magic nor rocket science. It's a disciplined, measurable, wonderful, occasionally infuriating way to buy customer attention at predictable prices. Start small, track everything, iterate weekly, and it becomes the most reliable growth lever in your marketing mix. Start big, track nothing, iterate never, and it becomes a very expensive learning experience. Your call.
