Not everyone has the time to learn Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search or the other pay per click (also known as PPC) networks.  So how do you choose a company to set up and or manage your ad campaigns.

Like search engine optimization, there are many companies with many styles and price variations.  Some companies bill by the keyword, some by ad campaigns, by total keywords and ads and many other ways.  Therefore it’s important to know some key factors about your needs before getting pricing and finding the right company.

Budget - PPC is wonderfully flexible and the driving reason behind its popularity with businesses and websites of all sizes. Budgets are typically set by the day. i.e. $3 per day would equal $90 per month.  It’s best to determine what budget you are comfortable with to begin with.  If the ads prove successful than the budget can be increased later on.

Keywords and Ads - Since many companies charge by the volume of keywords and ads than having a good idea of what products, services you want to target will help the company determine your needs.  i.e. you may sell electronics, however you may only want to run an ad campaign for your TVs. 

Landing Pages - Landing pages may be needed should your ads promote special pricing, bonuses or extras that wouldn’t be offered to your regular website visitors would require the creation of special landing pages that would have additional costs associated with them to recreate the look of your site and if copywrite would be needed.

What Search Engines - Most prefer to show their ads in Google, others want Yahoo and Google and others want to be everywhere.  Knowing where you want your ads will also help determine the costs involved.  Google Adwords are the most popular with Google holding about 64% share of the search engine traffic.  Google also offers the option of their Search Network and Content Network.  The search network reaches smaller search engines and directories that display “Ads by Google”.  The content network are any sites that show “Ads by Google” and further increases where ads are seen.  

Knowing these factors about your ads will ensure when seeking an internet marketing company, you will be able to convey the what your ad needs will be and an idea of the budget.