Google, Bing, and other search platforms use an auction process to determine which ads to display when mulitiple advertisers are bidding on the same keyword phrase. Here’s how it works:

  • Once a user enters keywords for a search request, the search engine will review all relevant advertising candidates (excluding parameters based on country or policy violations).
  • Google then uses “AdRank” for example, which is a combined score that includes your bid ($), quality of the ad, search intent, and other formatting variables.

Even if you are outbid ($) by a competitor, your ad can still rank higher at a lower price because you have a higher combined AdRank score. Because you only pay per click (PPC), your budget is spent only on truly interested customers who want to learn more. You can choose whether you want your ad displayed on SERP (search engine results page) or throughout Google’s Display Network.