PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is a digital marketing model where businesses pay a fee each time a user clicks on one of their ads. Rather than earning traffic organically, PPC allows you to buy targeted visits from people actively searching for your products or services.

PPC ads appear across search engines (Google, Bing), social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), and display networks. The most common form is paid search advertising, where your ads appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when someone searches for a relevant keyword.

According to Google's own economic impact data, businesses typically earn an average of £2 in revenue for every £1 spent on Google Ads. PPC traffic also converts at approximately 50% higher rates than organic traffic, making it one of the fastest and most measurable ways to generate leads and sales online.

However, the real power of PPC lies in precision targeting. You choose exactly who sees your ads based on keywords, location, device, time of day, demographics, and even past behaviour. This means your budget is spent reaching people who are already looking for what you offer — not a broad, untargeted audience.

The PPC process follows a clear cycle. You select the keywords and audiences you want to target. You create ad copy that speaks to user intent. You set a daily budget and maximum bid (the most you're willing to pay per click). When a user searches for your keyword, an automated auction determines which ads appear based on bid amount and quality score. You only pay when someone actually clicks your ad.

Quality Score is critical. Google rates the relevance and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages on a scale of 1–10. A higher quality score means you pay less per click and achieve better ad positions. This is why expert PPC management — the kind that optimises ad copy, landing pages, and campaign structure simultaneously — consistently outperforms DIY approaches.