Search Engine Marketing “pay per click”
Search Engine Marketing Through Pay Per Click
What is Pay Per Click?
Search Engine Marketing (Pay Per Click Advertising) is purchasing ads on search engines known as “paid search” to drive traffic to your website. The most common search engine used is Google AdWords.
Why Pay Per Click Advertising
Purchasing ads on search engines is a quick way for your business to be found in searches for what you do and where you want to do it. You choose the geography, and we choose the most important keywords to help your business come up in a search. Then we create and market custom-built ads in the search engines. If you have a pay-per-click program, other than management fees, you only pay when a potential client clicks on your ad. How much would you pay for a lead?
How Pay Per Click Works
A pay-per-click program aims to gain website traffic by having a trained expert handle your paid advertising campaigns. You wouldn’t hire a plumber to fix your teeth, so why would you hire your groundskeeper to manage your ad campaigns? Having a professional will save you money. We take the time to be sure we have a solid understanding of your business, customers, and competition. After all, if you were a hair stylist in Maine, it wouldn’t be beneficial to come up in a search in Boston.
Pay Per Click advertising is called Directive Advertising. Like the days when it was essential to be in the yellow pages, people went to the phone book because they had a need. Same with coming up in a search engine; people are searching because they have a need. Someone else is getting that business if you aren't coming up on the first page of a search.
Frequently Asked Questions about Search Engine Marketing
What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, and how is it different from SEO?
PPC is paid search advertising — you buy placement at the top of search results through platforms like Google Ads, and you only pay when someone actually clicks your ad. SEO, by contrast, builds your organic (unpaid) ranking over time. They work well together: PPC gets you visible immediately while SEO builds long-term, no-cost traffic.
How much does a PPC campaign cost?
There are two costs to think about: your ad spend (the budget you set for clicks) and management. Because PPC is bid-based and tied to your industry and competition, we build a budget around your goals rather than quoting a flat number — that's part of the initial conversation.
How quickly will I start seeing results from paid search ads?
Unlike SEO, PPC can start driving traffic almost as soon as a campaign goes live, since you're buying placement rather than earning it. That said, the first couple of weeks are typically about gathering data and refining targeting so you spend your budget efficiently, not just switching it on and walking away.
Do I need a website before running PPC ads?
Yes — your ads need somewhere to send people, whether that's your homepage, a specific service page, or a dedicated landing page. If you don't have a site yet, or your current one isn't built to convert clicks into calls or leads, that's worth addressing alongside (or before) launching a campaign.
Which platforms do you run ads on — just Google, or others too?
Google Ads (formerly AdWords) is our primary platform because it captures people actively searching for a solution—what we call "directive advertising." Depending on your business and goals, we can talk through whether other platforms make sense in the mix.
How do you decide which keywords to target?
We start by understanding your business, your customers, and your competitive landscape, then build keyword targeting — and geographic targeting, if you're a local business — around how real customers actually search. It's professional keyword optimization, not guesswork.
Do I own my ad account, or is it tied to Maine Street Marketing?
We don't lock clients into long-term contracts, so you're never stuck. We're happy to walk through account ownership and access specifics for your situation before you commit to anything.
Can I set my own budget, and can I pause or stop campaigns anytime?
You control the budget — PPC is inherently flexible that way, since you're only paying for clicks you actually get. And because there's no long-term contract, you're not locked into running a campaign longer than makes sense for your business.
How do you measure whether a campaign is working?
We track performance against your goals — clicks, cost per click, and ultimately whether those clicks turn into calls, form fills, or sales — and adjust targeting and bids based on what the data shows, rather than leaving a campaign on autopilot.
Is PPC worth it for a small, local business?
Yes, especially for businesses that want visibility right away for local searches. Geographic targeting means you pay only to reach people in the areas you actually serve, which makes it efficient for a business focused on Southern Maine rather than a national audience.
What's the difference between managing PPC myself and hiring an agency?
Google Ads can be run by anyone, but bidding, keyword selection, and ongoing optimization have a learning curve — get it wrong, and you can burn through budget on clicks that don't convert. Professional management focuses on avoiding that waste, which is usually where the savings come from compared with a DIY approach.
How does PPC work alongside SEO and my other marketing?
PPC and SEO are complementary rather than either/or — PPC gets you immediate visibility while SEO builds toward long-term organic rankings. We look at your website, listings, and other marketing together so paid search supports the rest of your online presence instead of running in isolation.