An alternative and or supplement to the demanding, time consuming search engine optimization, pay per click (PPC) advertising allows you to pay for top search engine ranking for desired keywords.

Google is just one of several providers with PPC services. The concept can be costly, but has proven invaluable to many e-commerce web sites whose businesses have received sizable traffic boots via PPC advertising. PPC may or may not suit your business (and your wallet). The following describes the concept in more detail.

The Pay Per Click Concept:
In a PPC program advertisers (i.e.: web site/business owners) bid for the top ranking for a given keyword. The advertiser that places the highest bid is ensured that top ranking for that keyword - until he/she is outbid. The second highest bed is secured the number 2 ranking, the third highest bid will claim the 3rd spot etc.

Pay per click advertising is offered by a number of companies, including Google (Adwords), Yahoo! (formerly Overture), Kanoodle and MIVA (formerly eSpotting/FindWhat). Good AdWords results are displayed in the Google search engine while Yahoo!'s PPC listings are displayed in the Yahoo! search engine. Microsoft recently launched its own paid advertising program that will feed the "Sponsored Sites: area of the MSN search engine.

PPC listings are displayed separately in search engines - usually labels "Sponsored Results", "Sponsored Listings" or something similar. When a search engine user clicks a sponsored (PPC) link, the advertiser is charged the amount he/she bid for the listing. The click through fee to be paid by the advertiser largely will depend on the chosen PPC provider and the popularity of the keywords on which you are bidding.

The obvious advantage of PPC advertising is that you do not have to worry about optimizing your web site in order to be listed in the top search engines' top results. If you are willing to pay for it and perhaps even engage yourself in bidding wars with other advertisers, then PPC can be an enticing option. However, unlike organic search engine listings, which are free of charge, obtained through continual search engine optimizing - and lasting, PPC click listings disappear as soon as you stop paying for them. Many large-scale e-businesses rely on a combination of paid advertising and targeted SEO.