There is no shortage of networks where we can run online advertising for our business. In addition, there are plenty of ad formats to test on various digital advertising platforms. We can run search ads, shopping ads, video ads, display ads, native ads, social media ads, and more. However, what are the best PPC Advertising Networks for advertisers? Our goal in this blog post is to tell you about 11 different advertising networks that are worth testing for most businesses. Keep in mind, I refer to these networks as PPC Networks, but they aren’t all just pay-per-click advertising. For some ad networks below you may pay per impression or per video view.
We listed our favorite Pay-Per-Click Advertising Networks below for advertisers. In fact, they are some of our favorite ad networks due to their targeting capabilities, audience sizes, ad formats, and campaign tracking options. You can first start by watching our PPC Ad Networks video below where we cover each option in detail. Then, read the article to learn more about how to use them and how to get started.
What is PPC Advertising?
PPC or Pay-Per-Click advertising refers to the model where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad. A PPC ad network is a platform that connects advertisers with websites that want to host ads, allowing for targeted and efficient ad placements. Platforms like Google and Facebook enable companies to display PPC ads and only pay when they generate clicks vs traditional models like print or TV ads where you pay upfront without certainty on results.
The most common pricing model is CPC (cost-per-click) where you bid for ad placement and pay when your ad is clicked. Other pricing models include CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) and CPV (cost-per-view).
10 Top PPC Advertising Networks
Whether you want to run campaigns for real estate, healthcare, travel, retail, or any industry, the Pay-Per-Click Advertising Networks below are worth testing. They all vary in terms of the audience you can reach, the types of campaigns you can run, and the different campaign goals you can optimize for. The more you work with them, the better you will get as a paid advertiser with each network. If your main goal is conversions, you can’t go wrong with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Microsoft Advertising.
Here are the best and most widely-used PPC advertising platforms available today:
1. Google Ads
As the #1 search engine, Google Ads puts your message in front of people as they proactively search for products and services. Key features:
Search ads target users on Google in real-time
Display ads show on 2 million+ websites and 650K+ apps
The Google Display Network allows advertisers to reach audiences across millions of websites and apps through visual ads
Remarketing and audiences allow sophisticated targeting
Automated bidding options optimize conversions and profits
Reporting tracks performance across devices
2. Microsoft Advertising
Microsoft Advertising leverages the search volume from Bing, Yahoo, and AOL plus native network placements. Benefits include:
Access exclusive search inventory from Yahoo
Target LinkedIn user profile data for B2B impact
Simplified setup by importing existing Google Ads campaigns
Audiences target in-market segments and user intent signals
Powered by Microsoft’s advanced AI capabilities
3. Facebook Ads
With over 2.9 billion active users on Facebook alone, their ad platform offers unmatched reach. Features include:
Detailed targeting by interests, behaviors, and demographics
Cross-device tracking and advanced measurement
Automated placements across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger
Creative formats like carousels, videos, and Stories
Powerful capabilities for lead gen and conversions
Facebook Ads also supports PPC affiliate marketing, allowing marketers to leverage advanced tools and analytics to optimize their campaigns.
4. YouTube Ads
YouTube puts your marketing in front of over 2 billion logged-in monthly users as they stream video content.
Ad formats range from video ads to YouTube homepage takeovers
Target channels and videos your audience is likely to watch
Frequency capping limits overexposure from video views
Remarketing re-engages viewers who previously watched your videos
Brand safety controls and whitelists optimize placement
5. Amazon Ads
Amazon’s ad platform promotes your products when consumers search for solutions on Amazon.
Sponsored Products target searches on Amazon
Sponsored Brands build awareness and drive product discovery
Headline Search Ads appear at the top of the results
Product Display Ads feature your catalog with custom creative
Campaign reporting provides keyword and product performance
6. Twitter Ads
Advertise to Twitter’s highly engaged audience of over 350 million as they tweet and scroll.
Promoted Tweets inject your content into followers’ timelines
Takeover the Explore tab with Promoted Trends
Grow followers with Promoted Accounts
Leverage interests, follower lists, and behaviors for targeting
Analyze tweet engagement and traffic sources
7. LinkedIn Ads
Target professionals and decision-makers throughout the buyer’s journey.
Sponsored Content engages premium business audiences
Sponsored Messaging enables personal messaging
Matched Audiences target your client and prospect lists
LinkedIn Ads can be an effective part of a PPC affiliate program, helping users earn additional income through targeted professional audiences.
Conversation Ads prompt user responses for personalization
Ad Studio provides templates and branding capabilities
8. Pinterest Ads
Inspire users as they discover and plan what’s next. Benefits include:
Promoted Pins highlight lifestyle imagery and products
Catalog Sales ads showcase your entire product lineup
Audience targeting dives deep into lifestyle and purchase behaviors
Pinterest Ads can be integrated into PPC affiliate programs, providing additional revenue streams for marketers through visually engaging content.
Conversion optimization maximizes signups, checkouts, and more
Filters ensure content suitability with brand safety controls
9. Snapchat Ads
Reach Snapchat’s highly engaged under-35 audience as they chat and explore Stories.
Vertical video ads for mobile optimization
Lenses and geofilters provide fun interactive formats
Audience filters target based on interests, behaviors, and context
Snap Select for curated premium placements
Auction insights optimize real-time bids
10. TikTok Ads
Gain additional video views every day through catchy and creative TikTok video ads.
Brand Takeovers grab attention
In-Feed Video Ads blend seamlessly into feeds
Product Showcase Ads highlight goods from your catalog
Brand effects and AR immersive experiences
Interest, behavior, and demographic targeting
Which PPC Platform is Right for Your Business?
With an abundance of PPC platforms, how do you narrow down the best PPC channels to invest in? Here are key factors to help determine the right platforms for your business. Essentially, you should consider these 4 things as you choose your PPC Advertising Networks.
Consider Your Target Audience
Research where your ideal audiences actively spend time online. Prioritize networks that your audience actively uses so you can reach them effectively. Are your customers regularly using Pinterest? Try running Pinterest Ads.
Consider Your Budget
Some networks have higher minimum spend thresholds and other networks require a larger test budget. For example, Google Ads and Facebook Ads are great for smaller test budgets. However, LinkedIn Ads generally requires a larger investment for testing ads and I would only recommend it for large businesses.
Consider Your Business Type
Websites that are focused on eCommerce generally fare better with Google Shopping, Facebook Ads, Amazon and shopping-focused platforms. Other websites can benefit from testing Twitter Ads or LinkedIn Ads.
Consider Your Campaign Goals
Are you focused solely on driving the highest Return on Ad Spend? Are you focused on generating more video views and video impressions? Are you focused on lead generation for your business?
Getting Started with PPC Advertising
Follow these steps when launching your first PPC campaigns:
1. Set Objectives – Define your goals and target metrics before you start. What are you trying to accomplish?
2. Setup Accounts – Create ad accounts and provide billing details for the networks you want to test. Once you have your accounts, you can start planning your campaigns.
3. Plan Campaigns and Targeting – Structure campaigns around key audiences, geographies, and products. What types of campaigns do you want to run initially?
4. Establish Budgets – Determine an initial monthly budget for testing. How much are you willing to spend on a daily and monthly basis when you get started?
5 .Configure Conversion Tracking – Implement conversion tracking so you can optimize campaigns based on ROI. How are you measuring success for your campaigns?
6. Design Ads – Develop compelling ad creatives tailored to each platform and campaign. What ads will drive the results to reach your goals?
7. Create, Launch, and Optimize Campaigns – Create your campaigns to reach your objectives and to target the right audience. Start small then evaluate results and incrementally adjust bids and targeting. Optimize campaigns by testing your ads, targeting, budget, bidding, landing pages, and offers.
Benefits of PPC Advertising
There are many PPC Advertising benefits for your company. Even beyond being able to drive more conversions, you can take advantage of some of the following features below.
Targeting Capabilities to Reach Your Ideal Customer
PPC ads allow for advanced targeting options by location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. You can reach your ideal customer profile and create different targeting groups based on the products/services you are advertising. In terms of search ads, you can target the keywords that people are actively searching.
PPC Campaigns Are Easy to Measure
You can track clicks, conversions, costs, and ROIs to optimize campaigns. You can also track how engaged users are who are visiting your landing pages. By measuring all of your results, you can test different advertisements, landing pages, campaigns, and targeting.
Campaign Flexibility for Budgeting and Scheduling
Start, stop, and adjust campaigns at any time based on performance and budgets. You can set campaign total budgets, daily budgets, monthly budgets, ad schedules, and you can plan an entire promotion ahead of time.
Quick Results and Transparent Reporting
Your ads can go live almost instantly and attract clicks within minutes. While some ads go through a review process, they are generally launched quickly and you can see the results instantly.
Grow Brand and Product Awareness
Well-designed PPC ads can rapidly boost brand visibility in front of new audiences. In addition, certain ad types like Display ads can be useful for growing awareness of your products and services. YouTube ads can help educate your potential customers. Facebook ads can be a great way for more people to learn about your business and follow your company page
In Summary
If you are looking for the best PPC Advertising Networks, hopefully, you found some great options above. Google Ads, Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads), and Facebook (Meta) Ads are tremendous ad networks where you should have a test budget. Even if you can’t drive a positive Return on Investment (ROI), you can grow your business by driving leads and growing your email list. There are other places where you can run advertisements, but the 10 above are generally considered to be the top networks available.
