PPC or pay per click is one of the popular forms of internet advertising. Featured on websites, search engines, blogs and advertising networks, it is an easier way to reach out to millions of users across the globe.

Websites or search engines that feature PPC advertisements, project the advertisements when a user searches for a keyword that is identical or more or less similar to the keywords in the list of the advertiser. The listings that appear then on the right hand side of your computer screen or anywhere on the featured search result list under the tile of sponsored links are the pay per click advertisements. Some of the leading search engines that offer this service and have almost revolutionized online marketing include Yahoo Search Marketing, Google Adwords and Microsoft Adcenter.

The concept of PPC was first introduced by an employee of Goto.com called Jeffrey Brewer in 1998. The concept was innovative and its impressive presentation led to the development of this model of Internet advertising. In the following year, Google also integrated the concept of displaying advertisements into its system. But the model of pay per click was initiated in 2002. Another popular search engine, Yahoo displayed ads through pay per click model right from the very beginning.

Advertisers on their part, pay for each click on their displayed ads. Search engines or websites do not charge money for the display. While content based websites have a fixed rate for PPC, search engines follow the bidding system for clicked ads. The charges for a click, commonly known as the cost per click or CPC is classified under two broad categories namely, bid based rates and flat-rates. This classification is made on the basis of the kind of traffic the advertiser expects, the amount of revenue that he wishes to generate, the interest of the browser which is indicated by the search, and the intention of the browser whether he wishes to know about the product or purchase it.

PPC on content websites are displayed on the basis of a flat rate structure. Both the parties, that is the advertiser and the website, agree on a specific amount each single click on the displayed ad. On the other hand, there is the bid based structure of payment that is characteristic of search engines that display advertisements. Each advertiser has to bid a certain amount for a preferable position, on the basis of relevant keywords, on the listing of sponsored links.

Most of the advertisers prefer to promote their product or services through the leading search engines as it guarantees a higher visibility amongst browsers. It is important to be aware of the basics of advertising on the web so that you can push your entry up on the charts. The use of the target oriented keywords, appropriately designed landing pages, proper content of the website, use of embedded links are vital for proper search engine optimization. The Internet is the fastest way to market your product and PPC paves the way for that.