Pay Per Click Search Engine
PPC Search Engine, PPCSE


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pay per click search engine

Definition

Search engine where results are ranked according to the bid amount, and advertisers are charged when a searcher clicks on the search listing.

Information

Advertisers supply the following details:
listing - includes title, description, and URL.
keywords - the keywords that apply to the listing.
bids - amount paid per click (varies by keyword).

When a search is performed, the first search engine listing is the one with the highest bid for that keyword. The ranking of listings continues from highest to lowest bids. A higher ranking generally brings more traffic.

Critics claim that PPC search results are not useful in finding information. The claim is often made that paid results are tainted and contrary to the very essence of the Web.

Proponents of PPC search maintain that the free market is effective in bringing the best results to the top, at least for commercial searches. In theory, the highest bids will be held by the best companies for each keyword, because a company's ability to bid is determined largely by its conversion rate.

From a marketing perspective, it is important to determine which PPC search engines generate sufficient quality and quantity of visitors for a particular product category.