PPC

Term from Marketing industry explained for recruiters

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a form of online advertising where companies pay only when someone clicks on their ad. It's like buying visitors to your website instead of trying to earn them naturally. Think of it as placing digital billboards on platforms like Google or Facebook, but you only pay when someone shows interest by clicking. This is different from traditional advertising where you pay regardless of results. Marketing professionals use PPC to help businesses appear at the top of search results or on social media feeds to attract potential customers.

Examples in Resumes

Managed PPC campaigns with $50,000 monthly budget achieving 300% ROI

Developed successful Pay-Per-Click strategies for retail clients

Optimized PPC and Paid Search campaigns across Google and Bing platforms

Typical job title: "PPC Specialists"

Also try searching for:

Digital Marketing Specialist Paid Search Manager SEM Specialist Digital Marketing Manager Paid Media Specialist PPC Manager Paid Search Specialist

Where to Find PPC Specialists

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you allocate a $100,000 monthly advertising budget across different platforms?

Expected Answer: A senior PPC specialist should explain their strategy for budget distribution based on business goals, target audience, and platform performance. They should mention testing, data analysis, and ROI considerations.

Q: Tell me about a time you had to turn around an underperforming PPC campaign.

Expected Answer: Should discuss their problem-solving approach, including how they identified issues, what changes they implemented, and the measurable results they achieved.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What metrics do you focus on when optimizing PPC campaigns?

Expected Answer: Should mention key performance indicators like Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost Per Click (CPC), Conversion Rate, and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), explaining why each matters.

Q: How do you structure a PPC account?

Expected Answer: Should explain organizing campaigns by products/services, audience targeting, and how to group related keywords and ads for better management and performance.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is Quality Score and why is it important?

Expected Answer: Should explain that Quality Score affects ad costs and positioning, and is based on factors like ad relevance, landing page experience, and click-through rate.

Q: What's the difference between broad match, phrase match, and exact match?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain these basic keyword match types and when to use each one in PPC campaigns.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic campaign setup and management
  • Keyword research
  • Ad copywriting
  • Understanding of bidding strategies

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Campaign optimization
  • Budget management
  • A/B testing
  • Performance analysis and reporting

Senior (5+ years)

  • Advanced strategy development
  • Cross-channel campaign management
  • Team leadership
  • Complex budget optimization

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No experience with major advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads)
  • Unable to explain basic PPC metrics and terms
  • No knowledge of conversion tracking or analytics
  • Lack of budget management experience