PPC

PPC, pay per click, is a billing model where you pay for each click on your ad. The price per click is the CPC, set by an auction on the query.

On search, Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising run PPC on results pages. You pick queries like "email api" or "invoice software" and write ads that link to your site.

Your ad rank depends on your bid, your ad quality and your landing page. A good ad that matches the query and a fast, relevant page can win with a lower bid.

PPC traffic is instant and stops with the budget. Organic traffic is slow and persistent. Most products run both when they start, then rely more on organic over time.

You can get clicks and tests today. PPC is a way to find which queries convert before you have rankings.

Use it to validate pages and offers. For example, send "ai meeting notes" to /pricing and to /guides/getting-started. Watch which one earns more signups this week.

Expect spend to rise with volume. Each click costs. If your signup rate is weak, PPC will expose it fast. Fix the page, then scale the spend, not the other way round.

• CPC: the cost per click you pay from the auction on each query.
• CTR: the click through rate on your ads. Low CTR often means weak ad copy or poor match to the query.
• Quality: in the ad platform, look for ad relevance and landing page experience. These affect rank and CPC.
• Conversions: signups, trials or sales on your site from the ad clicks.
• CPA: your cost per acquisition. Divide ad cost by the number of conversions.
• ROAS or unit economics: compare ad cost to the value per signup or order on your site.

Use the ad platform for PPC metrics. Use your product analytics for signups and revenue. Search Console does not include PPC clicks, it is for organic search only.

Read by query, not only by campaign. If "invoice generator" has a low CPA and "free invoice" bleeds money, push the first and pause the second.

1. 1

   Map one intent per ad group

   Group close variants only. For "status page", split brand, "status page software", and "public status page" if needed.

2. 2

   Write specific ads

   Use the query in the headline. Promise one outcome. For example: "Create a status page in minutes".

3. 3

   Match the landing page

   Send "status page software" to /status-page, not /. Put the value, proof and a clear signup above the fold.

4. 4

   Tighten speed and quality

   Hit an LCP near 2.5 seconds, keep CLS near 0.1, and make the page readable on mobile. Quality helps rank and CPC.

5. 5

   Set budgets by CPA

   Raise budget on ad groups under your target CPA. Cap or pause the rest. Review weekly at the start.

6. 6

   Feed wins into SEO

   Pages that convert from PPC should get content and links. Build to rank for those queries so traffic persists when you cut spend.

A fixed page looks like /status-page with a fast hero, clear copy that repeats "status page", social proof, and a signup button that works on mobile.