Using Traffic Estimates To Determine Potential PPC Traffic

Through a PPC campaign you will be presented with estimates of how much traffic a particular keyword can generate. Or, to be more accurate, you will be presented with an estimated figure of the number of times a keyword is used when somebody conduct a search online. This figure can then be used to extrapolate an estimate of the number of visitors you might expect from an effective PPC campaign targeting these keywords.

There are several factors to remember when estimating traffic based on these keyword search volumes. Primarily, you need to consider that even if you pay for the very top PPC spot you will still be competing with other ads and with the organic search results in order to gain the clicks and so you should only expect to be able to ever enjoy a percentage of the traffic that is estimated. The organic search terms tend to enjoy the greater share of clicks too, although PPC ads still account for a very good number.

The estimates that are offered to you are based on historical data and these figures can change dramatically depending on the time of year, time of day, and they can increase and decrease over the lifetime of a PPC campaign. What's hot today might not be as hot tomorrow so traffic figures can face a sharp decline in a relatively short space of time. These potential changes in traffic levels are one of the reasons why it is important to closely monitor every PPC campaign.