Also known as Pay-Per-Click, Google AdWords.
Quick definition
PPC (pay-per-click) is an advertising pricing model where you pay only when someone clicks your ad, linking spend directly to measurable audience interest.
Advertising
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Pay-per-click is a pricing model, not a platform: it describes any ad arrangement where the advertiser is charged per click rather than per impression (CPM) or per day (flat-rate). On social and search platforms, PPC auctions run in real time — every time an eligible slot appears, the platform holds a millisecond auction among competing advertisers, factors in bid, estimated click probability, and ad relevance, and determines both who wins the placement and how much they pay. The winning advertiser pays only when someone clicks, making cost directly proportional to demonstrated audience interest.
In a CPM model you pay for eyeballs regardless of action; in PPC you pay only when someone clicks. CPM is typically more efficient for pure awareness goals, where maximum exposure per dollar is the priority. PPC suits direct-response goals — driving traffic, generating leads, or selling a product — because spend automatically concentrates on users who engaged enough to click. Most major social platforms let you choose between the two, or let the algorithm select whichever model achieves your stated objective most cheaply given current auction conditions.
A B2B software company sets a $500 monthly budget on LinkedIn with a CPC target. Over the month the campaign generates 180 clicks at an average $2.78 CPC. Their landing page converts at 6%, producing 10 demo bookings. Cost per demo: $500 ÷ 10 = $50. The company compares that to revenue per closed deal and their demo-to-close rate to determine whether the channel is profitable — every number in that chain is directly available in the platform's reporting because PPC already tracks spend at the click level.
CPC is the primary efficiency metric; lower CPC for the same conversion rate means more outcomes per dollar. Relevance signals between the ad, the audience target, and the landing page influence CPC in auction-based systems — more relevant ads often win at lower prices. Conversion rate from click to action is the multiplier that matters more: halving CPC and doubling conversion rate are both valid levers, and improving the landing page or offer is often the higher-impact path. Track cost per result — the downstream action, not just the click — as the true campaign success metric.
Where SocialKit fits
SocialKit's scheduling analytics show which organic posts generate the most engagement and clicks — the strongest organic performers are usually the best candidates for PPC amplification, so you're testing creative for free before spending a budget behind it.
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FAQ
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