To make money with pay per click:
Set up a Google Ads account where you will run PPC ads. Define how much of your marketing budget you want to spend on pay-per-click. Use Google Keyword Planner to find high-impact long-tail keywords. Set up conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Write compelling copies with a clear call-to-action. Use Google AdSense to maximize your income. Join PPC affiliate programs to earn commissions per click. Monitor and optimize campaigns to maximize conversions. Optimize for mobile to increase your engagement. Pay-per-click advertising is a powerful tool for generating income and traffic online. With the right strategy, you can maximize revenue from PPC campaigns and affiliate programs.
PPC isn't solely for established businesses. Freelancers can also profit from it by offering PPC management services and joining affiliate marketing programs.
According to this commenter, PPC can bring in short-term traffic. However, you might be missing out on long-term benefits.
Another warned that paid advertising can be challenging. Companies with lower margins are at risk of low profits. PPC takes trial and error. It can pay off in the long run if you're willing to put in the time and effort.
I've tried PPC in the past. Although it brings instant traffic and conversions, the costs also pile up so quickly. This is why I explored other ways of making money online without relying on paid traffic. This article explains how to make money with pay-per-click. I also listed 18 of top PPC affiliate programs in 2024 that you can explore to make money online.
1. Set up a Google Ads account.
This is where you will run your PPC campaigns. Google Ads dominate the PPC market with a 28.9% global digital ad spend share. There is no fee to set up a Google Ads account. Google does not charge any account maintenance fees.
To set up a Google Ads account:
Go to ads.google.com and click on the "Start Now" button. Log in to your existing Google account if you have one. It’s best to use a business email to set up Google Ads. And then, provide your business name and enter the website URL.
Choose your advertising goals. Your options are to get more calls, sales, sign-ups, or engagement.
Choose your target audience location. Select keywords related to your business and write your first ad. Set your budget. You can start with as little as $5 per day.
Provide your billing country and payment method. You can use a credit or debit card.
Explore and familiarize yourself with the Google Ad platform. Focus on campaigns, Ad groups, keywords, and reporting.
2. Define your budget and goals.
Small and mid-sized businesses usually allocate $9,000 to $10,000 per month for Google Ads. The average cost per click (CPC) across all industries is $2.69 for search ads and $0.63 for display ads.
Average Monthly Google Ads Spend by Industry (For Small and Medium-Sized Businesses)
E-commerce: Small businesses: $1,000 - $10,000 | Medium businesses: $10,000 - $50,000
Legal Services: Small law firms: $2,000 - $10,000 | Medium law firms: $10,000 - $50,000
Real Estate: Individual agents: $500 - $2,500| Small agencies: $2,500 - $10,000
Healthcare: Small practices: $1,000 - $5,000 | Medium practices: $5,000 - $25,000
Finance and Insurance: Small firms: $2,000 - $15,000 | Medium firms: $15,000 - $50,000
Travel and Hospitality: Small businesses: $1,000 - $5,000 | Medium businesses: $5,000 - $25,000
Home Services: Individual contractors: $500 - $2,500| Small companies: $2,500 - $10,000
B2B Services: Small Businesses: $2,000 - $10,000| Medium Businesses: $10,000 - $50,000
Factors That Affect Ad Spending
Average cost-per-click (CPC) for relevant keywords
Geographic targeting (local vs. national campaigns)
Seasonality of the business
Overall marketing budget and strategy
3. Leverage long-tail keywords
Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help in selecting high-impact keywords. Long-tail keywords (3 words or more) account for 70% of all search traffic. They typically have a 3-5% higher click-through rate than generic searches. Long-tail keywords convert 2.5 times better than just head terms. They're often 18% less expensive than short-tail keywords, and account for 50% of search queries.
The common long-tail keyword forms are:
- Informational, like "how to fix a leaky faucet"
- Navigational, like "plumber near me open now"
- Commercial, like "best plumbing services in [city]"
- Transactional, like "hire emergency plumber"
4. Set up conversion tracking and use ad extensions
Implement conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns. This can show you how many clicks result in conversion. Improve visibility and click-through rates by at least 15% with ad extensions. Sitelink extensions can increase CTR by up to 25%. Call extensions can boost CTR by 4-5%, and location extensions can improve CTR by 10%.
To Set-Up Conversion Tracking
Sign in to your Google Ads account
Click on "Tools & Settings" in the upper right corner
Under "Measurement," click on "Conversions"
Click the blue "+" button to add a new conversion action
Choose the type of conversion you want to track
Follow the setup wizard to create your conversion action
Install the tracking tag on your website or app
Conversion Tracking Best Practices
Track multiple conversion types to get a comprehensive view of performance.
Assign values to your conversions to better understand their impact on your business.
Use Google Tag Manager for easier implementation and management of tracking codes.
Regularly review and update your conversion actions to ensure they align with your business goals.
5. Write interesting ad copies
Use a clear call-to-action to entice users to click on your ads. Ads with numbers in their headlines have a 217% higher click-through rate than those without.
Best Practices When Writing Compelling Ad Copies
- Use power words. It increases CTR by up to 13.9%.
- Leverage emotional headlines. It boosts the CTR by up to 27%.
- Mention price information on the ads. It improves the CTR by up to 8%.
Power words you can use to write effective ad copies
6. Utilize Google AdSense and other networks
Maximize your income through Google AdSense. These networks will pay you for clicks on ads displayed on your website. The average AdSense publisher earns $3 to $5 per 1000 pageviews. The top 1% of AdSense publishers earn over $10,000 per month. Niche websites in finance, insurance, and technology can earn at least $30 RPM.
You place the AdSense code on your website
Google automatically serves targeted ads
You earn money when visitors view or click on the ads
RPM (Revenue per Mille): Estimated earnings per 1,000 impressions
CPC (Cost per Click): The amount you earn each time a visitor clicks on an ad
CTR (Click-Through Rate): The number of ad clicks divided by the number of impressions
Google AdSense Earning Potential
An average AdSense publisher earns $3 to $5 per 1000 pageviews
Top 1% of AdSense publishers earn $10,000+ per month
Niche websites earn $30+ RPM
7. Explore PPC affiliate programs
Join PPC affiliate programs through digital marketing platforms. Earn commissions by promoting these platforms via referral links. Affiliates make from $0.20 to $2 per click.
What are PPC Affiliate Programs?
PPC affiliate programs are a type of performance-based marketing where affiliates earn a commission for each click they generate on an advertiser's ad or link. Unlike traditional affiliate programs that pay for sales or leads, PPC affiliate programs reward you for driving traffic.
8. Monitor and optimize campaigns
Regularly check the performance of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments. Tweak keywords and ad copies. Companies that use conversion rate optimization tools see a 223% increase in ROI.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Monitor
Click-Through Rate: Measures ad relevance and appeal
Conversion Rate: Shows how well your landing page and offer resonate with visitors
Cost Per Click: Helps manage budget efficiency
Cost Per Acquisition: Measures the cost-effectiveness of your campaigns
Quality Score: Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads
Impression Share: Shows how often your ads appear for relevant searches
Return on Ad Spend: Measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on ads
Tools for Monitoring and Optimization
- Google Ads Editor: Used for bulk-editing campaigns offline
- Google Analytics: Tracks user behavior and conversions
- Google Data Studio: Creates custom dashboards for visualization
- SEMrush: Used for competitor analysis and keyword research
- WordStream Advisor: A PPC management and optimization platform
How to test and optimize pay-per-click campaigns?
- Set clear goals and KPIs by defining measurable objectives such as target cost per acquisition.
- Create multiple ad variations to test different headlines, descriptions, and calls-to-action.
- Use A/B testing for ads and landing pages to identify the most effective combinations that drive conversions.
- Implement conversion tracking to accurately measure the performance and ROI of your campaigns.
- Adjust bids based on performance to allocate budget towards high-performing keywords and ad groups.
9. Optimize for mobile
Ensure your landing pages and ads are mobile-friendly. Mobile devices account for over 60% of paid search clicks. These ads drive 100% more engagement than desktop ads.
- Prioritize page speed optimization
- Use clear and compelling CTAs
- Implement click-to-call functionality
- Ensure consistency between ads and landing pages
- Test and optimize for different mobile devices and operating systems
- Consider the mobile user's context and intent
- Utilize mobile-specific features like GPS and camera functionality if relevant
How To Measure Mobile PPC Success
- Mobile-specific conversion tracking
- Analysis of mobile vs. desktop performance
- Monitoring of mobile site metrics (bounce rate, time on site)
- Tracking of cross-device conversions
- Analysis of mobile-specific user behavior and engagement metrics
Other Ways To Monetize a Website with PPC
- Google AdSense: Place targeted ads on your website and earn every time a visitor clicks on them. Google AdSense has a wide network of over 2 million publishers worldwide.
- Media.net: A contextual advertising system powered by Yahoo! and Bing. It offers targeted ads similar to AdSense. It is the second-largest contextual advertising business in terms of revenue.
- Amazon Associates: Display Amazon product ads on your site and earn commissions on purchases. The platform offers 1% to 10% commissions depending on the product category.
- Sponsored Content: Earn by publishing content that promotes a brand or product. It is typically marked as sponsored. 86% of B2C marketers use this as part of their marketing strategy.
- In-text Advertising: Automatically hyperlink relevant words in your content to display ads when hovered over or clicked. In-text ads can generate 3-5 times higher click-through rates versus traditional display ads.
- Pop-Up or Pop-Under Ads: Earn through display ads that appear over or under the main content. Pop-up ads have an average click-through rate of 2%.
- Native Advertising: Integrate ads that match the look and feel of your website's content. Native ads are viewed 53% more than traditional display ads.
- Video Advertising: Incorporate video ads into your website's content or as pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll in video content. It has the highest click-through rate of all the ad formats, 1.84%.
How To Make Money with Amazon Affiliate Pay-Per-Click?
- Integrate Amazon ads into your content strategy. Place high-demand product ads in popular blog posts to increase clicks.
- Select products relevant to your niche to increase conversion rates. Monitor performance metrics like conversion rates and earnings-per-click for better results.
- Utilize the Amazon Affiliate dashboard to monitor key metrics. Pay attention to click-through rates and earnings per click to identify top-performing content.
- Promote Amazon deals and seasonal offers to attract more clicks.
- Regularly update content to keep up with trending products. This also keeps your site relevant on the Amazon platform.
How To Make Money by Managing Other People’s PPC Ads?
- Decide which PPC platforms you'll specialize in. Determine the campaigns you want to manage. You can also offer additional services like landing page optimization.
- Establish your pricing model. Decide if you want to offer a flat fee, percentage, or performance-based pricing. Research your competitor’s rates to ensure competitiveness. Also, consider tiered pricing based on the services you offer.
- Conduct onboarding interviews with your new clients. Perform account audits for their existing PPC campaigns. This will help you develop the best marketing strategy for the business.
- Set up campaigns with proper structure and targeting. Continuously optimize ads, keywords, and bids. Do regular monitoring of the campaign performance to make effective and data-driven decisions.
- Provide regular performance reports. weekly or monthly. Explain the strategies in simple language to your clients. Be proactive in suggesting improvements or new opportunities. Your goal is to help them understand the process and build long-term relationships with them.
- Build your credibility by specializing in a specific industry or niche. Scale your ad agency by hiring and training additional staff.
- Maintain your customer base by providing excellent service. Ask for customer feedback and continuously seek improvement. Offer loyalty discounts to maintain long-term client relationships.
How To Make Money with AdSense Pay-Per-Click?
- Go to the AdSense website and submit an application. Provide your details and wait for Google to review and approve your account. This can take from a few days to a week.
- Create quality content through a blog site. Focus on a specific niche to attract a targeted audience. Regularly update your site with fresh content.
- Set up AdSense on your site. Once approved, add the AdSense code and choose where to place your ads. Your ad placements should be strategic, and visible but not intrusive. Improve this by continuously experimenting with different ad sizes and formats.
- Optimize your ad placement by using a heatmap to identify high-engagement areas. Test various ad positions to find the best-performing spots.
- Implement SEO best practices to improve organic search rankings. Promote your content on social media platforms and use email marketing to drive repeat visits.
- Create compelling content that naturally integrates with ad topics. Use attention-grabbing headlines and subheadings. Make sure the web design doesn’t overshadow the ads.
- Improve click-through rates by regularly checking your AdSense dashboard. Analyze which content types and topics generate the most revenue. Use Google Analytics with AdSense for deeper insights.
- Experiment with different ad types by changing ad formats. Test auto ads and let Google optimize the placement. Implement matched content units for related posts.
Which is Better, SEO or PPC?
Between SEO and PPC, SEO is better if you want long-term traffic. SEO is better if you want instant traffic and conversion. SEO involves creating quality content, refining the site architecture, and building authoritative backlinks. In PPC, you buy instant visibility. You don't need to build your site and wait for Google to 'value' your content. PPC is instant, but the costs can build up quickly. SEO takes time, but it's also more cost-efficient long-term. Google's algorithm considers over 200 ranking factors like keyword usage, meta tags, and site performance. Authority sites take at least 2 years to rank on Google.
Top 18 Pay-Per-Click Affiliates Programs in 2024
- Amazon Associates: Commission is 1-10%, depending on the product category. Affiliates offer a wide range of consumer goods. It’s one of the biggest marketplaces, but has low commission rates.
- ClickBank: Affiliates make up to 75%. The usual products are digital products, software, and e-books. ClickBank is known for its high commission rates. However, product quality can be inconsistent.
- ShareASale: The platform gives 10% to 20% commission, depending on the merchant. It offers a diverse range of physical and digital products. Affiliates work within a large network with several merchant options.
- Rakuten Marketing: Commission on this platform varies by merchant. It offers a diverse range of products and a network of reputable merchants.
- eBay Partner Network: Affiliates earn up to 70% of eBay's revenue share. This program offers a wide range of new and used items. Users get access to eBay’s global marketplace.
- Awin: This platform offers a global network with many well-known brands. The commission varies by merchant. Affiliates get access to a range of products across multiple sectors.
- FlexOffers: This platform features a user-friendly interface and timely payments. The commission varies across different merchants.
- MaxBounty: This platform is known for its high payouts on quality traffic. Affiliates focus on CPA offers and lead generation. They earn commissions based on performance.
- Fiverr Affiliates: Affiliates promote freelancing services on this platform. In exchange, they get up to $150 for successful first-time referrals.
- Bluehost Affiliate Program: This platform offers a $65 commission for successful sales. It is known for its high-converting offers in the web hosting niche.
- ConvertKit Affiliate Program: An email marketing software known for its recurring commission structure. Affiliates enjoy a 30% recurring commission every time the customer repurchases.
- HostGator Affiliate Program: The platform is known for its performance-based tiered commission structure. Affiliates make up to $125 per sale.
- SEMrush Affiliate Program: Known for its high-value product and recurring commission structure. Affiliates make a 40% commission for promoting SEO and digital marketing tools.
- Shopify Affiliate Program: This platform is known for its high pay-outs and wide range of products. Shopify affiliates report up to $2,000 commission per sale.
- Leadpages Affiliate Program: It offers landing page and lead generation software. Leadpages give 30% recurring commission.
- WP Engine Affiliate Program: This affiliate platform is known for its high payouts on premium hosting services. It gives $200 commissions per sale or 100% on the first month's payment.
- Coursera Affiliate Program: It’s a well-known e-learning platform with diverse course offerings. Affiliates make a commission of up to 45% of online course sales.
- CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction): It’s an established affiliate network with big-name brands. The commission varies by merchant.
I Quit PPC and Started Making Money with Free Traffic
I quit PPC and started making money with free traffic through a business model called local lead generation. I'm one of Dan Klein's original students back in 2014. Now, we're business partners and I coach in his program. I tried PPC in the past, but long-story short, it didn't work out well. I realized free traffic was more sustainable long-term.
Users trust organic search results more than paid ads. GroupM UK and Nielsen found that organic searches get 94% of search engine clicks. This means only 6% click on paid ads. Organic traffic has better conversion because users are actively searching for the offers.
I started a business that does not rely on paid traffic. Instead, it generates free traffic and leads by building and ranking simple websites for local service providers. With local lead generation. I don't pay recurring fees for traffic, unlike PPC. This biz is sustainable and I've been doing it for over a decade. Each of my lead gen sites can make $2K passive monthly income. I make at least $52K from all the sites I own. It's the best and most sustainable business on the internet.
