More than 61 billion online searches are performed each month, and 97% of those searches never click past page one. That's one reason search engine rank is now considered the deciding factor in a company or organization's success or failure online. Pay per click (PPC) advertising is used on search engines, content websites and advertising networks and is structured so an advertising client only pays when an online visitor clicks the ad to visit their website. Typically the PPC ad is based on keywords to reach a designated target market. When the consumer enters a keyword or phrase into the search engine that matches the client's keyword list, the PPC ad is displayed.

PPC ads appear adjacent to or above the natural search engine results. The largest PPC ad providers currently are Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft Ad Center. The minimum cost per click (CPC) varies based upon competition for the keywords and the search engine's standards. With PPC marketing you can get visitors to your website within a day or two, compared to a waiting period of 1 to 6 months with search engine optimization.