What is pay-per-click advertising?
Pay-per-click advertising, or search engine marketing (SEM), is a system of advertising on search engines like Google®. PPC ads are displayed as an engine's sponsored search results, and are paid for on a per-click basis.

Each time someone performs a search online, they indicate what they're searching for by the words or phrases they type into the search query box. In short, these words or phrases are called "keywords", and advertisers select the specific keywords that they would their ads to be displayed on. In this way, advertisers are able identify the exact audience that will see their ads.

While ads may be displayed and viewed countless times, an ad only accrues cost when someone reads the ad, and then clicks on it to view the advertiser's website.

What are the benefits of pay-per-click advertising?
You only pay for results -- you pay on a per-click basis, so you only pay when someone sees your ad, is interested in it, and then visits your website. Unlike traditional forms of advertising where you pay for your ad to be placed somewhere and hope people see it, with PPC you only pay when someone pays attention to your ad, and takes action! Top

Free branding - Thousands, if not millions of people will see your ads...for FREE! -- You don't pay for all the times your ad is seen and isn't clicked on. So, each time your ad is shown, you get brand exposure that you don't have to pay for!

You target the specific audience that is looking for what you have to offer, at the precise time they're looking for it -- The key to any type of marketing is reaching the audience that would be interested in your products or services when they're in the frame of mind to be thinking about those products or services. There is no better way to accomplish this than through Search Engine Marketing -- where you reach people searching for what you offer, at the exact time they're searching for it.

Extremely cost effective -- With Search engine marketing, you're only showing your ads to people who have self-selected themselves as being interested in your products or services through the phrases they're searching for. This means you're not wasting your time and money appealing to a sea of people, where only a handful would be interested in what you're offering.

Additional targeting options, such as negative keyword bidding, geographic targeting, language targeting, and ad scheduling allow advertisers to even further define the exact audience to appeal to. You can filter, and further filter your audience, striving to show your ads to the precise group of people that have the highest likelihood of converting into customers.

Accommodates any advertising budget -- There are no minimum spending requirements -- you decide exactly how much you want to spend. You're in charge, it's that simple.

Can I manage my own pay-per-click advertising program?
Technically, anyone can manage their own PPC campaigns in the same way that anyone can sell their own home, prepare their own taxes, or defend themselves in court -- you can manage your own PPC program, but to get the results you want you need to involve a professional. MerchEngines.com is offering you the same professional PPC management your biggest competitors are taking advantage of, while accommodating any advertising budget.
If you're managing your own campaigns or are thinking of doing so, consider this: Nearly all of our customers who had been managing their own PPC campaigns have been able to pay our small flat fee with the money we save them each month!

Click here and we'll get you started.

What is a click?
A "click" occurs when someone sees one of your ads, clicks on it, and is taken to your websiteTop

What is an impression?
An "impression" occurs each time your ad is displayed. Top

What is a cost-per-click (CPC)?
A "cost per click" is the average cost paid for each click. CPC = Total Cost / Total Clicks Top

What is SEM?
SEM stands for "Search Engine Marketing". SEM is the method of improving your visibility on search engines such as Google® through management of pay-per-click advertising. MerchEngines.com specializes in SEM, click here to get started. Top

What is SEO?
SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization". SEO is the method of improving your visibility on search engines such as Google® by understanding how the search engine algorithms work, and building your website and web presence around these algorithms. The goal of SEO is to increase the likelihood that your website will rank in the natural search results of a search engine for specific keywords. Fidelity Assets, parent of MerchEngines.com, specializes in SEO. Click here to learn more about our premium SEO services. Top

What is MerchEngines.com?
MerchEngines.com is a team of PPC experts offering professional SEM management to smaller business with smaller budgets. With packages starting at just $99/month, we do everything it takes to create and manage your pay-per-click program. We're your full-service ad agency, delivering big agency results on your not-so-big your budget!

Our patent pending technology, market presence, and industry expertise allow MerchEngines.com to deliver high quality web traffic for a lower price than individual advertisers are typically able to acquire on their own. In fact, the vast majority of our customers are able to pay our small management fee with the money we save them each month!

Other ad agencies will only take the big guys -- companies spending at least $10,000 per month. By offering the same level of service and attention as other top-notch agencies, we put you on the same playing field as your biggest competitors.
Click here, and we'll get you started. Top

Who should use MerchEngines.com?
Anyone looking to increase the size of their business. Search Engine Marketing is the most cost-effective way to put your products and services in front of the people who are already looking for them. Getting the most from your SEM program requires a professional. MerchEngines.com offers the same professional SEM management your biggest competitors are taking advantage of, and we do so on your budget! Top

How is MerchEngines.com different from an advertising agency?
MerchEngines.com is an advertising agency that works exclusively in pay-per-click advertising, and specializes in helping customers with smaller budgets. Think of us as your full-service ad agency, delivering big agency results on your not-so-big budget. . Top

What is a search engine?
A search engine such as Google® is a tool that is designed to help people find and retrieve information from the internet. A search engine acts like an experienced librarian, whose memory has cataloged the contents of the internet. People can come to a search engine and ask for information on a specific topic, and the engine will be able to suggest a number of web pages that contain relevant material. Top

How do search engines facilitate pay-per-click advertising?
Search engines such as Google® facilitate pay-per-click advertising by displaying paid or "sponsored" listings alongside listings that are generated naturally.
Each time someone performs a search online, they indicate what they're searching for by the words or phrases they type into the search query box. In short, these words or phrases are called "keywords", and advertisers select the specific keywords they would like to trigger their ads. In this way, advertisers are able identify the exact audience they would like have to see their ads - making this form of advertising so targeted and cost-effective! Top

What does Google® charge?
Google® charges a one-time $5 activation fee, and then charges on a per-click basis. All per-click charges are determined by an automated auction that occurs for each individual search. You decide the maximum amount you are willing to pay per-click, and the auctions will determine when your ads are displayed and how much to charge based on a number of factors including your bid price, the quality and relevancy of your ad, and the quality of your landing page. Top

When do my ads start accruing cost?
Your ads accrue costs as people click on them.Top

Are there spending requirements, or a minimum contract length?
There are no minimum spending requirements with MerchEngines.com, or with Google®. You can spend as much or as little as you want on advertising each month.

There is a three month minimum when you sign up for MerchEngines.com, after that your commitment is month-to-month. Managing a PPC program is an on-going process, and campaigns perform better and better over time as they gain momentum and as we accumulate data and continually refine and optimize for results. We want to make sure you see the full potential of SEM, and what a truly optimized campaign can do for your business! Top

Why can't I find my ads on Google®?
There are a few reasons why you may be having trouble finding your ads:

1. There are millions of searches performed each day. Of these, there are likely thousands that could trigger your ads. To ensure you don't go over-budget, Google® will pace your ad placement, and only show your ads on a fraction of the searches they are eligible for. As your budget increases, so does the number of searches your ads will appear on.

2. It's possible you are not searching for the right keywords. We like to get very targeted, and very specific with the keywords we select for your campaigns -- striving to get you the most qualified traffic available. For example, if you sell red mountain bikes, we would rather buy ad space for the search term "buy a red mountain bike" than the term "bicycle". Not only are the clicks generated from more specific keywords more likely to convert, but these clicks have less competition, and are generally less expensive. All-in-all, our keyword lists give you better traffic for less money!

3. You may not be searching within the targeting parameters we have set up for your campaigns. We set up geographic and scheduling parameters for each campaign, so the time of day, day of the week, or your IP address may be prohibiting you from seeing your ads. Top

I was told that my ad should show in the top positions on Google® in order to be effective. Is this true?
In most cases, we don't like to buy the top ad positions for our customers. We've found that while ads appearing at the top of a results page have a higher click-through-rate (CTR = Clicks / Impressions), these clicks have a lower likelihood of converting into transactions. People have a tendency to click on the first thing they see, and sometimes they'll click on an ad because it's in the first position - without reading the ad, they assume it has what they're looking for. Because you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, we do our best to ensure that people read your ad before clicking, and confirm that you offer what they're looking for. Furthermore, paying for the top ad positions means paying top-dollar. We know we can get you better traffic for a lower cost from ads lower down on the page, and that's what we strive to deliver. Top

What is the Google® Content Network?
The content network is a group of websites that are served ads from Google®. Sites within the network display ads next to relevant content, such as news articles and product reviews. Top

Will my ads be displayed on the Google® Content Network?
We do not show your ads on the content network unless you would like us to. We'll be happy to do so -- just ask! Top

How will I be charged for this service?
You will be charged a fixed monthly management fee based on your monthly ad spend. Please see our simple pricing scale below: Top

MerchEngines.com Pricing
Your Monthly Ad Spend	Our Fee
$0 - $499	$99/month	Buy Now
$500 - $999	$179/month	Buy Now
$1,000 - $2,499	$399/month	Buy Now
$2,500 - $3,499	$499/month	Buy Now
$3,500 - $4,999	$699/month	Buy Now
$5,000 - $7,499	$999/month	Buy Now
$7,500 - $9,999	$1,199/month	Buy Now
Over $10,000	call for quote	(866) 909-5323

You will also be billed directly by Google® to cover all click charges. With MerchEngines.com, you're charged wholesale costs for all media - you save big by paying direct costs!

How does Google® bill me?
Your credit card will be charged directly by Google®. Google® will charge your credit card a one-time activation fee of $5, and will then charge your card to cover click-expenses each time your account reaches its credit limit. Google® extends an initial credit limit of $50 to new accounts, and will gradually raise the limit over time. Top