PPC Beyond Google… Adwords isn’t the Only Option

When someone discusses pay-per-click advertising, they’re usually talking about using Google’s Adwords program. Adwords is the biggest player in the PPC world and it it’s potential power is so great that most people focus their attention upon it.

Google, however, isn’t the only company involved in PPC advertising. It may be the biggest. You can even argue that it’s the best. But it isn’t alone. There is PPC beyond Google and you might want to explore creating a foothold with some other options.

Why? If Google is the biggest and the baddest, why would someone want to mess around with Yahoo or MSN? If Google is the center of attention, why spend time building a campaign for Mirago or Yell? There are actually a few good reasons to consider branching out beyond the confines of Adwords.

First, the options that don’t receive as much action are often not as competitive. Some niches are surprisingly under-represented on alternative PPC networks. That can create some strong value opportunities for smart advertisers. That click that costs you $5 via Adwords might be available for $2 on a competing network.

Second, you may be able to reach a different audience with different networks. In some cases, that can work to your advantage. Yahoo and MSN users, for example, profile out differently, on average, than Google users. This is your chance to reach the people who aren’t Googling their searches and, in some niches, the user demographics for alternate networks are a much better fit than is Google’s.

Third, developing alternate advertising venues provides some degree of insurance in case of problems. What would happen to your PPC plan if you experienced problems accessing your Google or Adwords accounts for a few days? What would you do if a new “bully” moved into your PPC “neighborhood” and you didn’t have the resources to fight back in an economically viable manner? You can avoid the sting associated with a variety of problems if you have back-up, or secondary, plans in place.

There is PPC beyond Google. Consider making it part of your overall plan.