Pay-per-click (or PPC) is an online advertising model that drives traffic to a website. When an ad is clicked upon, the advertiser will pay a specific fee to the platform’s publisher. This means the amount of money an advertiser will spend on a PPC advertisement will depend on the number of clicks it gets.

PPC ads can be found in most corners of the web, including search engine result pages, YouTube videos, web pages, social media and mobile or desktop apps. In the same way it can exist in countless online spaces, PPC also takes numerous forms: a graphic playing before a compilation of cat videos on YouTube, a snazzy banner above a web page dedicated to cake recipes or a box of text in a Google search engine results page.

Chances are, if you go online, you’re going to be exposed to PPC ads. PPC advertising is an extremely popular form of digital marketing for this very reason. It is considered one of the most effective components of a digital strategy in Sydney and across the world, with most online businesses already involved in some form of PPC advertising.

PPC is one of the fastest and most measurable ways to drive traffic and leads online. Here’s why businesses, including plenty of SaaS and service brands, rely on it:

Instant visibility
A PPC marketing agency gets you in front of your audience fast. Unlike SEO, which takes time to build momentum, paid ads put you at the top of search results immediately.

Highly targeted reach
You can target by keywords, location, interests, job titles and even behaviour. That means your budget goes toward people who actually matter to your business.

Full control over spend
You decide how much to spend, when and where. Every dollar is trackable, making it easy to scale up what’s working and pause what’s not.

Measurable results
PPC advertising gives you hard data such as clicks, conversions and cost per lead, so you can see exactly what’s driving ROI and make smarter decisions.

Supports other marketing channels
PPC and SEO work beautifully together. Paid ads drive quick wins while organic growth builds over time, giving you both short- and long-term results.

Great for testing
You can test new messaging, creative or offers quickly and see what resonates before rolling it out across other channels.

In short, the benefits of PPC are control, visibility and data that helps you drive growth right now while informing your broader marketing strategy.

Like most things in digital marketing, the answer really depends on your business.

If you have the time and resources to invest in high-quality, data-driven PPC, then yes, it’s absolutely worth it.

PPC can deliver excellent results when managed well. The idea is simple: the cost of each click should ideally be much lower than the profit generated from that click. Of course, not every click turns into a sale, but the more targeted your campaign, the higher your chances of converting traffic into leads or customers.

A smart, research-driven PPC strategy can make all the difference. It helps you outrank competitors, reach the right audience and claim that coveted top spot on Google’s results page.

That said, PPC isn’t a set-and-forget channel. It’s a delicate science that needs constant attention and optimisation. If you don’t have the time or resources to manage it properly, you could end up wasting money on irrelevant or underperforming keywords. In that case, it might make more sense to explore other marketing channels that don’t require as much hands-on management.

Again, there isn’t a straightforward answer or a one-size-fits-all PPC objective that all businesses should strive towards. Every business will require a different approach to PPC that aligns with its goals and the products or services it provides.

In any case, no other digital marketing method can compare with PPC when generating fast, meaningful results. PPC means a business can, hypothetically, climb to the top of a Google search engine results page almost instantaneously. By catching the eye of your target audience as they browse the internet, your website will attract more traffic. Website traffic lays the groundwork for your online marketing goals, like growing sales, boosting visibility and attracting better-quality leads.

Choosing the right PPC agency can make all the difference between wasted spend and real growth. Here’s what to look for when you’re deciding who to trust with your budget:

Look for proven experience
Check that the agency has a track record of managing PPC campaigns in your industry or a similar one. Ask for case studies or examples that show measurable results, not just impressions or clicks.

Make sure they focus on strategy, not just setup
A good PPC agency won’t just switch on ads. They’ll help you understand why you’re advertising, who you’re targeting and how PPC fits into your wider marketing strategy.

Transparency is everything
You should always know where your budget is going. Choose a PPC agency that gives you clear reporting on spend, performance and ROI, with no hidden fees and no jargon.

Ask about communication and collaboration
PPC works best when your agency acts as an extension of your team. Look for people who communicate clearly, share insights regularly and are proactive in suggesting improvements.

Check their certifications and tech stack
Google Partner status, up-to-date platform knowledge and smart use of automation tools are all signs you’re dealing with experts who keep pace with industry changes.

Prioritise testing and learning
The best PPC agencies are curious. They constantly test ad copy, landing pages and targeting to squeeze more value from every click.

The right PPC agency should feel like a strategic partner that’s invested in your success, not just your ad spend.

A ‘good’ PPC conversion rate depends on your industry, audience and what you’re defining as a conversion, but as a general rule, most businesses see strong performance when their conversion rate sits between 3% and 5%.

Top-performing campaigns can often achieve 10% or higher, especially when targeting highly qualified audiences or using well-optimised landing pages.

Here’s what really influences your PPC conversion rate:

Your offer: The stronger and more relevant the offer, the higher the conversion rate.

Landing page experience: A fast, focused landing page with a clear call to action can make or break conversions.

Ad relevance: The closer your ad messaging aligns with your keyword intent and landing page, the better your results.

Audience targeting: Reaching the right people at the right time is key to improving conversion rates.

Device and channel mix: Conversion rates often vary between search, display, social and mobile.

Instead of chasing an arbitrary number, focus on continuous improvement. If your conversion rate is rising month over month and your cost per conversion is trending down, you’re on the right track.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record: it depends on your business. 

All industries have different benchmarks of what constitutes a ‘good’ CTR. The average across all industries is around 2% for search ads and approximately 0.4% for display ads. Anything that exceeds these percentages would most likely be considered ‘good’.

However, it’s important to note that a ‘good’ CTR may be higher or lower than these percentages, depending on your industry.

PPC ad campaigns require you to have in-depth knowledge about ad platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads, Google Analytics, landing pages, web design, tracking and more. Mastering these ad management skills is exceptionally time-consuming for in-house marketers who are already juggling competing priorities. This is why working with PPC agency experts is the smartest way to go.