PPC
Search Engine Land is your source for PPC news, trends and content. You’ll find a range of up-to-date and authoritative resources to help you work smarter and make better decisions. What is PPC? Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a digital marketing model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked. This fundamental concept is crucial to understanding the world of online advertising. For an effective strategy, it’s important to understand how PPC and SEO can work together to improve your overall marketing efforts.
Our coverage
We provide the latest news in the PPC industry, keeping you informed about changes, updates, and emerging trends that can impact your campaigns. For example, leveraging AI-driven search advertising can be a game-changer for campaign success. You can also explore the best practices in paid search strategy to refine your campaigns. Check out our recent articles on topics like making display campaigns profitable and managing paid media budget allocation. Our content spans from beginner-friendly introductions to advanced strategies, ensuring we cater to all levels of PPC expertise.
Expert insights
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies. This diverse group of contributors ensures you get well-rounded, expert perspectives on PPC topics. Explore our latest job opportunities in search marketing if you’re looking to take your career to the next level. Our experts cover a wide range of subjects, from PPC competitor analysis to winning video advertising creative. We pride ourselves on providing authoritative information to guide your PPC decisions and strategy.
Practical tips and strategies
Our content includes tactic-rich tutorials designed to help you work smarter and make better decisions in your PPC efforts. Whether you’re looking to optimize your campaigns or explore new strategies, you’ll find valuable guidance here. For example, our Google Analytics 4 guide for PPC dives deep into how data can drive better campaign performance. We dive deep into important issues like the high cost of PPC efficiency and provide insights on ad platform updates for B2B in 2024.
Data-driven decision making
We offer the latest data to support your PPC initiatives. Our content is designed to provide you with the information you need to make informed choices and improve your campaign performance. Leveraging Google Analytics 4 will help you navigate the evolving landscape of PPC measurement and optimization. 
Stay informed with our newsletter
Don’t miss out on important updates or insights! Get the Search Engine Land newsletter delivered daily to your inbox. Subscribe for free and stay ahead in the ever-evolving search industry.
Dig deeper into PPC:
How to make Performance Max focus on net new customers
Reduce overlap between Google and Meta with a four-step framework that uses brand exclusions, audience exclusions, and Customer Match data.
Why some channels reward breadth and others require commitment
Small-budget tests can mislead you. Learn how response curves affect channel evaluation, budget allocation, and growth decisions.
Amazon launches Alexa+ Agentic Ads
Amazon's new Alexa+ Agentic Ads let consumers complete purchases directly within a conversation.
Google expands financial services ad verification across 24 European markets
Google requires financial advertisers to complete new compliance checks or risk losing the ability to run some EU ads.
Google Ads updates target-based bidding for budget-limited campaigns
Google's upcoming bidding changes could alter campaign performance unless advertisers review and adjust goals.
Reddit unveils new AI-powered ad tools built on community conversations
Reddit's new features aim to help advertisers build more relevant campaigns using insights drawn directly from user discussions.
Google Ads automatically enrolls advertisers in conversion-based customer lists
Google is automatically giving eligible advertisers new audience-building capabilities powered by conversion data.
Google Ads brings back Target CPA and Target ROAS naming
Google's update will make it easier for advertisers to distinguish between target-based and volume-based bidding strategies.
Laura I. Abreu talks about a client experience that made her quit Google Ads
Laura I. Abreu shares how one wrong client taught her lasting lessons about trusting her instincts and setting expectations.
OpenAI opens ChatGPT Ads Manager beta to UK advertisers
OpenAI's UK launch of ChatGPT Ads Manager gives advertisers an early chance to learn and prepare for a potentially major new ad channel
Google launches AI agent for Ad Manager
Google is embedding AI into publisher workflows, making it easier to analyze performance and act on insights from a chat interface.
Google Ads launches beta for supplemental conversion data
Google is allowing advertisers to gain more complete measurement and improve bidding performance with stronger first-party signals.
PPC budgeting in 2026: When to adjust, scale, and optimize with data
Better budget decisions start with better signals. Learn how to align bidding, conversion tracking, and audience data with business goals.
Meta expands live shopping ads and virtual card checkout to drive more purchases
Meta's new shopping features aim to reduce purchase friction and help advertisers convert product discovery moments into sales.
Google Ads to automatically classify conversion-based customer lists
Advertisers are now required to give Google's automated systems clearer signals about where audiences sit in the customer journey.
Google Ads shifts Demand Gen billing to CPM for some Discover campaigns
Google Ads will switch Demand Gen campaigns optimized for VTC on Discover from CPC to CPM billing starting July 15.
Microsoft Ads expands LinkedIn targeting with job seniority filters
Microsoft Ads now lets advertisers target audiences by LinkedIn job seniority across Search and Audience campaigns.
How AI is merging paid and organic visibility
The line between paid and organic is fading as Gemini shapes campaigns, search experiences, and brand visibility across Google's ecosystem.
How a €30,000 underspend taught Simran Harichand the importance of the basics
Making a change in an account is easy but monitoring it properly, is what protects performance and client trust.
Law firm PPC: How to optimize for signed cases instead of leads
Learn how to identify leaks between the ad click and signed retainer, and make smarter budget decisions based on case outcomes.
Google expands Smart Bidding Exploration, adds Promotion Mode
Google is adding new ways for advertisers to scale campaigns while maintaining tighter control over efficiency targets.
Google expands limited ad serving policy on Search
Clear branding and positive user experiences may play a larger role in maintaining Google Search ad reach going forward.
Microsoft Ads launches Product Explorer for catalog insights
Microsoft Ads' Product Explorer helps advertisers quickly identify catalog issues that may be limiting ad performance.
Google Analytics adds source grouping and hostname filtering
Google Analytics is introducing cleaner source attribution and new filtering controls, for easier cross-channel performance analysis
Google delays Dynamic Search Ads migration to AI Max
The extended DSA transition timeline gives advertisers more time to test AI powered options & manage the transition at a slower pace.
Why attribution and impact are no longer the same thing in PPC
Platform reports tell part of the story. Incrementality, CRM data, and broader measurement can reveal marketing's true impact.
Walmart Connect audiences come to Google Display & Video 360
Google and Walmart team up to let advertisers target Walmart shoppers on YouTube and measure the sales within DV360.
Amazon turns Alexa into a shopping agent — and an advertising platform
Amazon is weaving advertising into AI-powered shopping conversations, giving brands new ways to reach consumers.
OpenAI launches product feed ads in Ads Manager beta
OpenAI is allowing retail advertisers connect shoppers with relevant products without manually building ads for each item.
Google expands richer Local Services Ads for real estate nationwide
Google is bringing richer home listing ads to Search, helping agents connect with high-intent buyers earlier in the journey.
Ginny Marvin clarifies AI Max, AI Search ads and what advertisers should prioritize after GML
Ginny Marvin shared details on AI Max, AI Search ads, measurement and first-party data in a wide-ranging Q&A.
11 PPC errors uncovered in recent B2B audits
From broken conversion tracking to unmanaged automation, these common mistakes continue to waste budget, leads, and valuable learning signals.
Why your brand campaign may not be ready for AI Max
AI Mode eligibility isn't enough reason to expand automation. Learn where to focus before testing AI Max on brand traffic.
Google adds new Performance Max asset testing tools
Google is giving advertisers more ways to evaluate creative performance and make data-driven optimization decisions.
OpenAI to expand ChatGPT ads to new markets & test multi-advertiser placements
OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT ads to five new markets including the UK, & introducing new campaign management features.
Google to update Local Services Ads policies in July
Google will update its Local Services Ads policies on July 6, renaming them as "requirements" and aligning advertiser guidelines.
Google AI Brief may be the replacement keywords never had
After 15 years of premature obituaries, the keyword may finally have a replacement. Here's why Google AI Brief matters.
Stop looking for the perfect PPC budget split
Fixed budget ratios rarely survive real-world conditions. Here's how to evaluate funnel health and adjust spend as market dynamics change.
What ChatGPT Ads data reveals about your competitors
We've analyzed nearly 1 million queries to show you what's really happening. Most search teams are missing it completely.
Google clarifies sensitive audience targeting rules for Demand Gen campaigns
The update provides additional guidance on when audience targeting restrictions could affect campaign delivery and reach.