Pay Per Click advertising, also known as PPC, is one way that web sites can advertise on major search engines like Google and Yahoo. Basically, you bid on certain keywords. Then, when someone enters this keyword in the search bar, your site can be one of the ones that come up under the "sponsored links" or similar section in the results. If the web surfer clicks on your link and goes to your site, you have to pay the search engine the bid amount.

First, the advertiser has to choose which keywords to bid on. You want to pick keywords (or or key phrases) that you think your potential customers might be searching for. For example, if you have a real estate website, you might want to bid on terms like "real estate foreclosures." You are bidding on the keywords you think the person who would buy your product would search for. Luckily, there are services and software that will help you discover the best keywords and phrases to use.

Where Can You Find Pay Per Click Services?

Google Adwords: adwords.google.com

Google is pretty universally recognized as the leading search engine. Google Adwords allows you to personalize your ad, and bid whatever you think it's worth.

Google allows you to decide how much you're willing to spend. They also provide marketing services. They will monitor and tell you the number of clicks you get, and for which keywords.

They also offer a service to local businesses where you can choose the geographical area you want your ads to appear in. If you are a small business owner, you can have them only post the ads to internet users in your area.

Yahoo! Search Marketing: searchmarketing.yahoo.com

Through Yahoo's "sponsored search," you can have your ads on Yahoo. They also offer budget control and features allowing you to localize the ad. Through this service, you can also submit your product to Yahoo Shopping, Yahoo Travel or the Yahoo Directory for businesses.

Yahoo's rates are a little higher than Google's. They have a 10 cent minimum for clicks. But some webmasters claim they offer more control and variety for the money.

MSN Adcenter: adcenter.microsoft.com

Microsoft's PPC advertising works in much the same way, but they have more marketing research options, like detailed reports and keyword research tools. They also allow you to not only choose certain areas, but also certain times when you'd like your ads displayed. This way, you can really customize your ad campaign to reach your audience when they're in front of their computers.

Other PPC Services

Many smaller search engines offer a similar service, and if you'd like to have someone submit your ads to them and manage the accounts for you, there are services that specialize in that.

Pay Per Click advertising is a great way to get the word out about your site. Done correctly, it can also an be an economical way. You don't need tons of cash up front to do PPC. The important part of it is finding the right keywords to match you with your potential customers.