The answer’s quite simple, really: it’s telepathy.

One evening, you’re watching TV, and you think to yourself, “Gee, I’d sure like some popcorn. I wonder where I could find some organic, fair-trade, healthy, high-butter-content popcorn from a producer that supports classical music.”

And then, unobtrusively but legibly, a small window opens up on your TV, with this message:

Your corner convenience market now carries Figaro’s Pop-Classico Popcorn, a 100% organic, fair-trade produced popcorn utilizing our patented ‘weight-loss butter.’ Remember, your purchase supports Marriage of Figaro rehearsals worldwide.

Photo: Gunnar Wrobel

You wouldn’t argue with the telepathy explanation now, would you? And this is exactly how pay-per-click advertising works. You’re looking for something on Google, and after you click the search button, you’re given a list of search results…and a second list of search results, over on the right side of the browser window.

The second list has a heading, “Sponsored Links.” These are the pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements. And if you’ve ever clicked on one that led to exactly what you were looking for, you now know why they can be such a great marketing tool.

The telepathic magicians only show your ad when a webizen is looking for what it is you provide.

And it gets better: Google doesn’t even charge you for showing your ad; they only charge you when someone clicks on your ad.  Yes, there are more details (oh yes! plenty more!) but this is the point of PPC.

And now you know the secret behind it.  Remember, you read it here first.