PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
An auction-based ad model in which advertisers pay per user click, regardless of impressions.
PPC (pay-per-click) is the auction-based advertising model where advertisers pay only when a user actually clicks their ad. It is the dominant model on Google Search, Microsoft Ads and Bing, and one of several models available on Meta, LinkedIn and YouTube.
How PPC works
The advertiser sets a maximum bid for a query, audience or placement. The platform runs a real-time auction combining the bid and a quality signal (Quality Score on Google, Relevance Score on Meta, Quality on LinkedIn) to determine which ad shows and what the actual cost-per-click is. Higher quality plus a competitive bid wins higher positions at lower CPCs.
PPC in UK financial services
UK regulated advice is one of the most expensive PPC verticals in the world. Typical 2026 ranges:
- Google Search CPC, UK pension transfer: GBP 12-28
- Google Search CPC, UK equity release: GBP 9-22
- Google Search CPC, UK IHT planning: GBP 14-32
- Microsoft Search CPC, equivalent niches: 20-28% lower than Google
- Meta CPC, UK protection: GBP 0.80-2.40
- LinkedIn CPC, UK HNW wealth management: GBP 14-38
PPC vs SEO
PPC is rented traffic - it stops the day you stop paying. SEO is owned traffic but takes 6-12 months to build. The pragmatic UK financial-services strategy is to use PPC for immediate qualified pipeline and SEO for compounding cost-per-acquisition reduction over years.
Compliance considerations
All PPC creative for FCA-regulated firms must comply with FSMA s.21 financial-promotions rules. Ad copy is a financial promotion. Disclaimers, regulatory phrases and risk warnings still apply in 30-character headlines.
Related terms
- CPC (Cost Per Click)
- Quality Score
- Search Ads
- Google Ads