When a person thinks of pay-per-click advertising, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is used to drive traffic to a website. The ad is free of charge until someone clicks on the ad, and then you are charged per person who clicks on it, thus “pay per click”. Another way pay-per-click advertising can be advantageous is during a public relations crisis.

We are so interconnected with the Internet that someone who posts something online in the US can easily be seen from any other country with Internet access. Since many are using the Internet, many opinions and news are floating around online. Sometimes breaking news is reported by a first-hand witness who tweeted it on Twitter.

It’s great that the communication stream is intertwined and available. This opens up the amount of knowledge one can gain by learning from others around the world. However, if you have a business that has opponents posting negative blogs and discussing opinions about your business, their voices may override yours. You may never get the news right, because the average Joe beats you to it and reports it on his point of view.

How can you ensure that your company’s statement during a public relations crisis effectively reaches the public? How can you make sure that your website or sheet is not transferred to someone who is not affiliated with your company? There is no clear solution, but one strategy that might help is to use pay-per-click advertising.

If your business is in crisis and you’re trying to get the right information, pay-per-click advertising is very effective for several reasons. First, it puts your site in the top three on the list when someone searches on Google or other search engines. People are always looking online for up-to-date news. This way, people are more likely to click on your site related to what they’re looking for.

An example of this is found here. When swine flu was a hot topic, the government and a health website were at the top of the list when searching for “swine flu.” This was through pay-per-click advertising and it helped guide people to the right sources instead of wrong information elsewhere.

A crisis is always difficult to manage, but with the right tools and preparation there is no need to worry. Consider pay-per-click advertising to reach a large audience base and get your website with vital information to the top of search engine listings.