Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) remains a leading online marketing tactic, despite increasing competition for keywords, rising click costs and fewer clicks due to the soft economy. Why?

• Ads display almost immediately.
• Ads appear when and where you want, are easy to implement and can get instant results.
• Ads reach your target audience (keyword selection, targeting, dayparting, etc.).
• Campaign effectiveness is measurable.
• ROI makes PPC advertising affordable.

Issues of ad quality, landing page quality, website functionality, product demand and inventory availability notwithstanding, PPC ads can start meeting your cash flow needs while paying for themselves at the same time.

To realize maximum benefits from PPC advertising, you should consider sources of traffic beyond first-tier search engines like Google and Yahoo. This article will explore the use of second-tier search engines, contextual search and vertical search, as these resources can increase marketing ROI through lower keyword prices, less competition and additional sources of traffic and conversions.