Advertising skill guide
PPC fundamentals: buy outcomes, not just clicks
What PPC means
Pay-per-click is a billing model: you pay when a qualifying click occurs. Search and some social/display campaigns use it; other campaigns charge by impressions, views or negotiated placements. A platform, format, targeting method and billing model are different choices. An RSA is a search-ad format, Advantage+ is automation and buyer intent describes readiness.
Choose the business outcome first
Ecommerce: net new-customer purchases and contribution. Local services: qualified calls or booked jobs. B2B: qualified meetings, opportunities and closed revenue. Content: paid subscriptions or a clearly valued subscriber. Optimize for the closest reliable outcome, then reconcile with actual sales.
A practical first campaign
Pick one offer, audience, geography and primary conversion. Start with one channel that matches existing demand or a credible audience hypothesis. Build a dedicated page, verify tracking and define target CPA and loss cap. Use a 14–30 day learning window as a planning starting point, extending for low volume or long sales cycles.
Build before buying traffic
Prepare an offer buyers can understand, mobile landing page, proof you can substantiate, working form/checkout, privacy and consent controls, conversion event with currency/value, UTM conventions and CRM follow-up. Complete a test purchase or qualified lead and check event duplication before launch.
How an auction changes costs
Competition, relevance, predicted response, geography and timing affect delivery and prices. A high bid cannot repair an unclear offer. Use account forecasts and actual data to estimate costs; cheap CPC is useful only when enough visitors become valuable customers.
Frameworks, examples and budget recommendations are editorial guidance. Use your verified business data and current account requirements when making a spending decision.