What Is Cost‑Per‑Click (CPC) and Why It Matters

When it comes to online advertising, there are a lot of metrics to keep track of, but cost-per-click (CPC) is one of the most important. If you're running a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign, understanding CPC can help you make smarter decisions and get better results from your budget.

Our Expert Answers: What Is Cost‑Per‑Click and Why Is It Important?

“The average CPC or cost-per-click is a key metric we use to help evaluate the performance of SEM campaigns. It is pivotal in helping you understand how costly a single keyword can be. It can be used to evaluate if advertising in a specific location of for one product or service vs another, is right for your business. It is also one of the items our experienced search campaign specialists and account managers are utilizing to monitor your campaigns’ performance to ensure you get tangible results for your business”.

What Exactly Is CPC?

CPC stands for cost-per-click; it’s the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your search ad. Simple, right? But behind that single number is a powerful tool for evaluating campaign performance.

At Yellow Pages, we track the average CPC for your ads to determine:

• how competitive your keywords are

• which products or services are more cost-effective to promote

• whether one location may be more affordable (or more profitable) to advertise in than another

Why CPC Matters

Think of CPC as one of the guidelines to determine the health of your SEM campaign. If you're paying too much per click, your return on investment may suffer. If your CPC is low and your ad is converting, you're in a strong position. Looking at your CPC helps answer the question: Am I getting good value for my ad spend?

Our experienced search campaign specialists and account managers use CPC to:

• optimize your keyword selection

• adjust your budget allocations

• evaluate campaign effectiveness in real time

• ensure you’re not just spending, but that you’re spending in the right place

How We Use CPC

Clicks are great, but quality clicks that lead to real customers are even better. CPC is just one of the many tools we use at Yellow Pages to ensure your SEM campaigns are cost-effective, well-targeted, and delivering tangible results for your business.

Ready to run smarter search campaigns? Let our experts help you make every click count.

Discover Search Engine Marketing

About Cheryl

Cheryl celebrated her 18 years of service with Yellow Pages in 2024. Starting with the Operations team as a Business Services Manager in 2006, she quickly made an impact within the organization and took on a Senior Sales Manager role only 2 short years after joining the company.

Since 2008, Cheryl has helped small and medium businesses across Canada enhance their presence online with exemplary leadership for her sales teams, all while developing and deploying go-to-market training for Yellow Pages' nationwide sales force.

She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a concentration in Marketing from Memorial University of Newfoundland and currently resides in Airdrie, AB.