Real-World Examples of 3 Practical Examples of Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Why Start With Concrete PPC Examples Instead of Theory

Most people don’t need another abstract definition of PPC. They need real examples they can copy, adapt, and test.

So rather than starting with a dry explanation, we’re going straight into examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising that you can actually run:

• Search ads that show up when someone types a keyword into Google or Bing
• Social media ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok
• Shopping and marketplace ads on platforms like Google Shopping and Amazon

We’ll use real examples, current trends from 2024–2025, and simple breakdowns of why each example works.

Example of PPC #1: Local Service Business Using Google Search Ads

Let’s start with the most familiar type: search ads.

Imagine you run a local plumbing company in Dallas. People don’t browse for plumbers for fun; they search when they have a problem. That’s why search ads are one of the best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising for local services.

How the campaign is set up

You create a Google Ads campaign targeting keywords like:

• “emergency plumber near me”
• “plumber Dallas 24/7”
• “water heater repair Dallas”

You set your location to a 20-mile radius around your office, so you only pay for clicks from people who can actually become customers.

Your ad might read:

24/7 Emergency Plumber – Dallas, TX
Fast Arrival | Upfront Pricing | Licensed & Insured
Call Now for Same-Day Service

You send the clicks to a simple landing page with:

• A click-to-call button at the top
• A short form for people who prefer not to call
• A few trust signals: reviews, years in business, license number

Why this is a practical PPC example

This example of PPC works because it matches high intent with high relevance. Someone searching “emergency plumber near me” is not casually browsing; they want help now.

A very realistic scenario:

• You pay $12 per click
• Out of 100 clicks, 25 people call or fill out the form (25% conversion rate is common for strong local service pages)
• Out of those 25, maybe 10 become paying jobs
• If your average job is \(300, you’ve turned \)1,200 in ad spend into $3,000 in revenue

That’s why search campaigns for local services are among the best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising—especially when you track calls and form fills as conversions.

2024–2025 twist: Call tracking and AI suggestions

In 2024 and 2025, many local businesses are layering on:

• Call tracking numbers to see exactly which keywords and ads generated phone calls
• Google’s AI bidding strategies (like Maximize Conversions) to automatically raise bids on search terms that are more likely to turn into leads

Google’s own advertising resources give updated guidance on these features and strategies:
https://support.google.com/google-ads

Example of PPC #2: E‑Commerce Brand Using Google Shopping & Amazon Ads

If you sell products online, your best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising will look a little different. Instead of focusing on calls and local leads, you’re focused on product clicks and direct sales.

Let’s say you run a DTC (direct-to-consumer) brand that sells ergonomic office chairs.

Google Shopping example

You connect your product feed to Google Merchant Center and run a Performance Max or Shopping campaign. Now, when someone searches:

• “best ergonomic office chair”
• “office chair for back pain”
• “adjustable desk chair under $300”

Your product appears with:

• Product image
• Price
• Brand name
• Star rating (if you have reviews)

The user can compare you with competitors instantly. You pay only when they click.

A realistic performance scenario:

• Average cost per click (CPC): $0.90
• Conversion rate: 3–5% (typical for well-optimized e‑commerce)
• Average order value: $260

If you get 1,000 clicks, you might see 30–50 sales. At 40 sales, that’s \(10,400 in revenue from \)900 in ad spend—before factoring in product cost and overhead.

This kind of Shopping campaign is one of the most concrete, measurable examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising because you can see the direct link between spend, clicks, and orders.

Amazon Sponsored Products example

Now picture the same brand also selling on Amazon. You run Sponsored Products ads targeting keywords like:

• “ergonomic chair for home office”
• “lumbar support chair”
• “office chair with headrest”

Your product appears in search results and on competitor product pages. You only pay when someone clicks your listing.

What makes this a strong example of PPC:

• Shoppers on Amazon already have high purchase intent
• Reviews and Prime eligibility heavily influence click-through and conversion
• You can track which keywords and products drive the highest return on ad spend (ROAS)

Amazon’s own advertising learning hub is a helpful reference for current formats and strategies:
https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/library

2024–2025 twist: First-party data and performance campaigns

With privacy changes and cookie limitations, brands are leaning harder into:

• First-party data: email lists, past purchasers, loyalty members
• Performance-based campaigns: Google’s Performance Max and Amazon’s AI-driven bidding that optimize toward conversions instead of just clicks

For e‑commerce brands, these are often the best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising because they’re so tightly connected to revenue.

Example of PPC #3: Lead Generation With Facebook & LinkedIn Ads

Search and shopping ads are powerful, but they’re not the only real examples of PPC that work. Social ads can be just as effective, especially for B2B and high-consideration products.

Let’s look at a SaaS company that sells project management software to mid-sized businesses.

Facebook & Instagram lead generation example

The company creates a short video ad showing:

• A chaotic inbox and spreadsheet mess
• A clean, organized project dashboard in their app
• A clear headline: “Cut Project Chaos in Half in 30 Days”

Instead of sending clicks to a long landing page, they use Facebook Lead Ads, where the form opens directly inside the app.

They offer:

• A free 14-day trial
• Or a downloadable “Project Kickoff Checklist” in exchange for name, email, and company size

This is a practical example of PPC because:

• You can target by job title (e.g., Operations Manager, Project Manager)
• You can cap daily spend and test creative quickly
• You can measure cost per lead and cost per trial signup

LinkedIn ads example for B2B

On LinkedIn, the same company runs sponsored content targeting:

• Job titles: Director of Operations, Head of PMO, COO
• Company size: 50–500 employees
• Industries: Tech, professional services, agencies

The ad offers a webinar: “How Mid-Sized Teams Ship Projects 20% Faster Without Burning Out Staff.”

Leads fill out a form inside LinkedIn. From there, your sales team follows up, or you nurture leads with email.

This is one of the best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising for B2B because:

• You’re paying to reach exactly the right roles
• You’re trading ad spend for targeted, qualified leads
• You can measure pipeline and revenue influenced by these campaigns

For broader context on digital advertising trends and privacy shifts that affect these platforms, the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on online advertising is worth skimming:
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing

More Real Examples of PPC You Can Steal and Adapt

We’ve covered three big buckets, but it helps to see even more concrete scenarios. Here are additional real examples of pay-per-click advertising that marketers are running right now:

Retargeting cart abandoners for an online store

An online clothing brand notices that a huge percentage of visitors add items to their cart but never check out. They run:

• Google Display retargeting ads showing the exact products people left behind
• Facebook and Instagram retargeting with a simple message: “Forgot something? Your cart is waiting. Take 10% off with code RETURN10.”

This example of PPC advertising is often incredibly cost-effective because you’re paying to re-engage people who already showed strong interest.

Promoting a limited-time course launch

A solo creator launches a 4-week online course on digital marketing. For 10 days, she runs:

• YouTube in-stream ads targeting people who watch marketing tutorials
• Instagram Story ads targeting interest groups like “small business owners” and “online marketing”

The ad drives to a landing page with a countdown timer and a clear value proposition. She tracks:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Cost per registration
• Total revenue from the launch window

This becomes one of her best examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising because she can directly compare ad spend with course sales.

Driving foot traffic to a restaurant or retail store

A neighborhood restaurant uses Google Local Services-style campaigns and geo-targeted social ads that only show to people within a few miles.

Ads highlight:

• Lunch specials
• Happy hour deals
• New menu items

Clicks go to a simple page with directions, hours, and a reservation button. Over time, they compare days with active ads vs. days without, and track reservation volume.

Nonprofit awareness and donation campaigns

Even nonprofits are running PPC. A health-focused nonprofit might use:

• Google Ads grants (for eligible organizations)
• Paid campaigns around key awareness months (e.g., Heart Health Month)

They promote:

• Educational content
• Free resources
• Donation pages

For reliable health-related information that nonprofits often reference in their campaigns, organizations frequently link to sites like the National Institutes of Health:
https://www.nih.gov

These additional cases round out our examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising, showing that PPC isn’t just for big e‑commerce brands or tech companies—it’s flexible enough for local shops, online educators, and nonprofits.

How to Choose Which PPC Example Fits Your Business

Looking at all these examples, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The trick is to match intent and channel.

Use these guiding questions:

• Do people search for what you offer when they’re ready to buy?
  • If yes, search ads (Google/Bing) are probably your first step.
• Do people need to be educated or inspired before they’re ready?
  • If yes, social ads (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) might be better.
• Do you sell physical products online?
  • If yes, shopping ads (Google Shopping, Amazon) are usually high-ROI.

You don’t need to copy every example of PPC from this article. Start with the one that best matches how your customers naturally discover and buy.

A practical starting plan might look like this:

• Month 1–2: One focused search or shopping campaign with a tight budget
• Month 3–4: Add retargeting to capture people who visited but didn’t convert
• Month 5–6: Layer in a social campaign for awareness or lead generation

By moving step-by-step, you turn these examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising into an actual roadmap instead of a random list of tactics.

FAQs About PPC With Real Examples

What are some simple examples of pay-per-click advertising for beginners?

Some of the easiest examples of PPC for beginners include a basic Google Search campaign for a local service (like “dentist near me”), a small-budget Facebook campaign promoting a single product, or a Google Shopping campaign for your top-selling item. Each of these examples of PPC lets you start with a small daily budget and clear goals.

Can you give an example of a low-budget PPC campaign that still works?

A common low-budget example of PPC is a retargeting-only campaign. You spend \(5–\)10 per day showing ads only to people who already visited your site or added items to their cart. Because these users are warmer, you can often see strong returns even with modest spend.

What are the best examples of PPC for B2B companies?

For B2B, the best examples often include LinkedIn lead gen forms targeting specific job titles, search ads for high-intent phrases like “project management software for agencies,” and retargeting campaigns that bring visitors back to download whitepapers or book demos.

How do I know if my PPC example is actually working?

Define success before you start. For a local service, you might track calls and form fills. For e‑commerce, you watch return on ad spend (ROAS). For B2B, you measure cost per lead and eventual pipeline. Then compare your numbers to your margins and sales targets. If your PPC example consistently brings in more profit than it costs, it’s working.

Are there real examples of PPC that don’t rely on third-party cookies?

Yes. Search ads, shopping ads, and many contextual placements don’t rely heavily on third-party cookies. You can also lean on first-party data—like email lists and past purchasers—for targeting and measurement. Many advertisers are already shifting toward these approaches as privacy regulations and browser changes evolve. For an overview of how privacy is reshaping digital marketing, you can explore resources from academic institutions like Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center:
https://cyber.harvard.edu

If you treat these scenarios as templates—not rigid rules—you’ll find it much easier to design your own campaigns. Start with one or two of these examples of 3 practical examples of pay-per-click advertising, set clear goals, and give yourself permission to test, tweak, and learn as you go.