Paid search
Why it matters
A search is a stated need. Someone typing "accounting software for freelancers" is much closer to buying than someone scrolling a feed, so clicks tend to convert well and cost more. Results are fast too: a campaign started this morning can bring enquiries this afternoon, unlike organic SEO, which takes months. The trade-off is that traffic stops the day the budget stops, so paid search rents attention and does not build a lasting asset.
How to apply it
- Start with a few keywords that signal buying intent, and use exact or phrase match to keep control of what triggers the ads.
- Send each ad group to its own landing page whose headline repeats the search term, not to a generic home page.
- Add negative keywords, such as "free" or "jobs", so money does not leak to searches that will never buy.
- Track conversions, not clicks, and pass the campaign and keyword into the CRM so closed deals can be traced back.
- Judge results by cost per lead and cost per customer.
What it is
When someone types a query into Google or Bing, the engine runs an auction among advertisers who chose keywords matching that query. The winning ads appear above or beside the organic results, marked as ads. The advertiser pays only when a person clicks, which is why the model is also called pay-per-click (PPC). The price depends on the bid, on competition for the keyword and on how relevant the ad and landing page are judged to be. In Google Ads that judgement feeds into a Quality Score.
Common mistakes
- Bidding on broad terms with no negative keywords.
- Sending paid traffic to a page that does not match the ad.
- Setting it up once and leaving it. Competitors, prices and search habits keep changing.
