Platforms & Channels
PPC
By the AdFlint research team · Last reviewed July 2026
A buying model where advertisers pay only when someone clicks the ad, covering search, shopping, display, and social inventory sold that way.
Pay-per-click describes any ad you are billed for by the click rather than the impression, most commonly search ads but also shopping and social formats. It suits businesses that need measurable traffic they can switch on and off. The persistent confusion is treating it as a synonym for Google Search ads; it is a billing model, and many platforms now bill by impression instead.
PPC compared with
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