5 years on and Overture has gone from strength to strength for one reason; the quality of its results. If imitation is the best form of flattery then Overture is bright red. The likes of FindWhat, Kanoodle, 7 Search, Espotting and now Google Adwords have all followed Overture's lead.

From Alexa.com's statistics Overture is in the top 100 in terms of visitors on the web today. Not bad for a site that relies largely on word-of-mouth. Even the likes of FindWhat, Kanoodle, 7 Search, Espotting and Google Adwords are in the top 1,500. When you compare this to McDonalds (top 6000) then you start to appreciate the amount of traffic the PPCs can generate.

PPC Search Engines will help you target specific audiences, reaching over 85% of all Internet users in a cost effective and immediate way. Clients can see as much as a $20 return for each $1 spent. That is one of the highest Returns on Investment you can buy for your marketing on or offline.

WHAT IS A PPC SEARCH ENGINE?

The concept is extremely simple; like all great innovations. You bid on words that you predict surfers will use to find content offered by a site like yours. For example, if your website is about gardening...you might bid on the words "garden care" or "lawn care" etc. When someone searches on the words "garden care", the search results are returned in the order of the bids placed; so a website with a 60 cent bid would rank higher than one for 55 cents and so on.

The connection between surfer and website is direct.

7 POWERFUL REASONS TO USE PPC SEARCH ENGINES

1. Traffic - Pay Per Click Search Engines like Overture deliver 200 million searches every month.

2. Reach - Search results reach 85% of all Internet users.

3. Targeting - Directly connect with specific audiences through custom titles and descriptions.

4. Cost effectiveness - Pay when targeted customers click through to your site. Clicks start from as low as $0.01.

5. Control - Choose how much to pay for each visitor, which keywords you bid on and your budget.

6. Quick - You can start receiving traffic almost immediately.

7. Credibility - The Pay Per Click Search Engines have strict editorial policies. As a result surfers and other search engines will view your listings with trust and greater credibility.

HOW DO YOU MAKE THE MOST OF PPC SEARCH ENGINES?

PPC Search Engines are the best value advertising currently available. If you write a good website and expert title and descriptions with your listings, qualifying your visitors is a relatively easy task. How can you make the most of PPC search engines...great question and here are 5 do-able tips!

1. Bidding On Low Cost Relevant Words
Brainstorm on all those great little words that are relevant. These are a great source of qualified traffic. With research and creativity you can come up with hundreds of low cost search phrases, targeting your potential customers for just a few cents each. When it comes to Pay Per Click tips, this is arguably, one of the most important to note.

2. Be Specific
Forget bidding on broad-brush words like "e-commerce", "gifts" and "shoes" etc. Apart from being expensive they are unfocused...that means you will be paying for visitors who stay for a very short time before clicking away. If your website sells shoes, be specific. Are they for men, women or children? Do you specialize in leather shoes, maybe Italian Leather. Are you location specific, such as London or New York? Then tailor your bids accordingly.

3. Bid at Smaller PPC Search Engines
Okay, Overture is the daddy, but prices reflect that. A visitor who searches at Overture is just as qualified as someone searching on the same words at any PPC Search Engine. Often the newer and smaller PPC Search Engines have less bid competition and represent good value.

4. Qualify Your Title & Description
After results have been returned, make sure your titles and descriptions are focused to the type of visitor you want. This can actually increase your click throughs by 44%. Write your title and description so that they relate to the keywords that you are bidding for. Often using the keywords in both the title and description will increase your click through rates. People will only click if they are genuinely interested - so you'll save money that would have been wasted from clicks of people who were just browsing your link. When it comes to Pay Per Click tips, this too is one of the most important to note.

5. Don't Delay
The sooner you start Pay Per Click advertising, the sooner you'll start getting traffic. With most PPCs, the bids are rising not falling. Again, with most PPCs including Overture, when two or more bids tie, the first bidder is given priority. This is especially important if you plan on bidding on popular terms.

Over the next 3 years PPCs will continue to grow significantly. I predict that they will grow by 50% in traffic each year for the next 3 years.

PPCs have come along way since 1998, but the scope and the potential audience is huge. This is very good news for webmasters looking for a cornerstone in their online marketing with an excellent Return on Investment.

Good luck!

About The Author
Richard Baker is Director of Blue Fruit Ltd - a specialist Pay Per Click placement consultancy. He is an expert in Pay Per Click management and optimization techniques.

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