types of pay per click (ppc) digital marketing

8 Types of PPC - Pay Per Click Marketing

PPC Overview - A Brief Look

By Jesse Marsalia (Copywritter)
February 23, 2024

Here at CRE8 Digital, we can tell you that pay-per-click advertising delivers. The proof is in the numbers: PPC visitors convert 50% more often than organic traffic. However, paid search can be a complex minefield to sweep through. With so many options, making the wrong investment can be costly and leave companies guessing where it all went wrong.

What’s more, many businesses fail to see the compounding benefits of other digital marketing services when combined with their PPC campaigns. Thankfully, today’s blog will give an overview of some of the different types for pay-per-click ads and how this digital marketing strategy can result in a more effective result and ROI.

1. Search Ads

Search ads are text-based advertising spots that display at the top and bottom of Google results pages. Tagged with "ad", these paid placements aim to capture users actively searching for related products or services.

Setting Up Search Ads

Setting them up involves bidding on relevant keywords that trigger your ad to appear. Long-tail versions like "Houston digital marketing services" tend to convert better by reaching users closer to a purchase decision.
You then set a max bid amount and enter an automated auction. Two factors determine your ad's final page position - your bid and the ad’s quality score. Quality score is Google's rating of your ad through the factors of expected clickthrough and relevance. Higher positions equal more visibility.

Once live, monitoring metrics like clicks, conversions, and cost per conversion are crucial. Our ad team at CRE8 Digital regularly tracks metrics like these to better improve your company's keyword choice, landing page, and ad copy.

2. Social Media Ads

Social media ads appear within platform feeds like Facebook and Instagram. It’s a great way to connect with specific social media users and has the increased benefit of spreading brand awareness and engaging followers.

a type of pay per click (ppc) digital marketing - social media ads

Setting Up Social Media Ads

First, select your social media platform based on where your target audience spends the most time and is most active.

Top options include:

Once a platform is picked it’s a good idea to start targeting your ads to the most relevant demographic for your brand.

Top options include:

Platforms offer detailed options to hone your audience:

Unsure about strategic demographic targeting? Our experts at CRE8 Digital also specialize in business consulting to get your business aimed in the right direction when dealing with your social media ad marketing strategy. We also offer social media management services to better find and engage with your target audience.

3. Local Service Ads

Local service ads are a special Google ad format for select categories like electricians, plumbers, and HVAC companies. They target nearby searchers looking for specific services.

a type of pay per click (ppc) digital marketing - local service ads

Setting Up and Optimizing Local Service Ads

The setup process involves registering as a service provider, choosing a weekly budget, and turning on your ads. These ads are then displayed for searches containing local intent keywords. You then closely monitor metrics like calls, leads, and conversions generated to optimize elements like budget allocation and ad scheduling over time.

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4. Gmail Ads

Gmail ads are promotional emails that appear at the top of users’ inboxes, marked with an “ad” tag. You reach audiences based on interests and other attributes. They work similarly to search ads but target users within Gmail instead.

Setting Up and Optimizing Gmail Ads

Setting them up involves using Google Ads to choose ad goals, selecting campaign types, and defining your main target. Some options include affinity categories, demographics, and behaviors.
You then set a daily budget which determines the cost per email click. Following this, monitoring metrics like click-through rate and conversion rate are done to improve elements like targeting over time.

5. Display Ads

Display ads are visual PPC ads shown across Google’s network of partner websites. Use them to target specific audiences by selecting relevant site placements and categories.

Setting Up Display Ads

The setup mirrors standard PPC ads:

Many users don't click display ads given their visual nature. But they do build brand awareness. If you’re having difficulty with branding, here at CRE8 Digital, we offer branding services to help your company manage a cohesive visual brand. 

6. Remarketing Ads

Remarketing ads target visitors after they’ve left your website, seeking to re-engage them later. These display ads follow users across sites, reminding them about previously viewed products.

Setting Up and Optimizing Remarketing Ads

Use tracking pixels to categorize visitors based on specific products, pricing, or content pages visited. Then create separate “audience lists” segmented by past behaviors.
Next, you need to tailor subsequent display ads shown to each group based on their website browsing history. Remarketed ads remind previous visitors to consider your brand again.

7. Shopping Ads

Shopping ads showcase product images and pricing in a dedicated ad carousel at the top of Google search results. They provide a “window shopping” experience enabling discovery and comparisons.

a type of pay per click (ppc) digital marketing - shopping ads

Setting Up and Optimizing Shopping Ads

Use Google Ads to create a standard product feed and campaign. Setup involves naming, targeting, bids and budgets.
Monitor performance indicators like clicks, add-to-cart rate, and conversions. A/B tests are the best way to monitor the best performing product titles, prices, images and target to improve CTR and conversion rate over time.

Shopping ads then display relevant products within the ad carousel when users search related queries. Additional info like discounts or ratings can show.

8. Instream Ads

Instream ads play before or during YouTube videos. Formats include skippable, non-skippable, full-screen, and sidebar placements. And with 63% of Americans watching YouTube daily, video ads deliver solid brand impressions to a wide audience, leading to site traffic and conversions.

a type of pay per click (ppc) digital marketing - in stream ads

Setting Up and Optimizing Instream Ads

Use Google Ads to set up a complete video campaign including defining your budget and schedule, selecting ideal placements across YouTube and other Google video partners, targeting your ads to relevant audiences, and employing a thoughtful bidding strategy optimized for your goals like views or conversions.

Closely monitor metrics like view-through rate over time, and make iterative testing-driven improvements to elements like ad length, keywords, demographics, topics, and more to improve viewership and performance.

Start Leveraging The Power of Pay Per Click Marketing

As we've explored, PPC offers a variety of ad formats to fuel your marketing strategy. Whether boosting visibility through search and display, engaging social audiences, or re-connecting with past site visitors, PPC may be the core of your company's next successful campaign.

But what is the common ingredient across effective PPC campaigns? Optimization. Setting key performance indicators, constantly tracking data, testing variations, refining targeting, and coordinating messaging across channels is a concerted effort to reach this optimized state.

Here at CRE8 Digital, we complement state-of-the-art PPC with a full spectrum of digital marketing services. From SEO to improve organic rankings, to conversion-focused web design, to creative content production.

Each discipline works together to achieve results. More touch points attract consumers, and more impressions increase conversions. We identify and activate your best customer acquisition marketing strategies to accelerate growth for your business.