What should a good PPC service offer?

Maybe they'll listen!

[Reno]

I'd be interested to hear from you what in your opinion are the most important 2 or 3 features for a PPC service.

I'll kick it off with these thoughts:

[1] A fail-safe method to block multiple clicking on the same link by competitors. Suggested solution: each IP address is counted ONLY ONCE PER DAY. So if the person wanted to waste their own time by clicking over and over, it still is only counted once;

[2] Let the marketplace dictate the price. If some terms are only 1 cent to be near the top, then so be it; if others require 75 cents, then that's because they are more popular, and you gotta pay to play;

[3] Detailed reports indicating, *in descending order*, which terms have the most clicks for a given time period. You'd see the phrases with the highest number of clicks at the top (with the least popular at the bottom of the list); the cost per click; and the total amount charged.

Anyone else have any suggestions??

[buckworks]

4) A management interface that makes it easy to work with large numbers of terms. Don't just dump all terms into one long list - provide a way to separate out different URLs for checking bids, etc.etc.

5) A hassle-free way to remove listings.

6) A reliable mass-submit tool.

[Nathan Power]

Reno,

[1] Most, if not, all new pay per click search engines only count
one click per IP per day. Or at least the software they are using
has the ability to enforce this.

[2] I wasn't aware of any pay per click search engine that forced
advertisers to bid higher for a not-so-popular term. A minimum
bid set by one is a minimum for every keyword and every bid.
(Excluding Google which has a pay per click advertising service
but is not a pay per click search engine.)

[Reno]

Hi Nathan - thanks for your input.

"...Or at least the software they are using has the ability to enforce this."

This is exactly the point. It is an unfortunate fact that many of us who use ppc's have had the experience where a single term is clicked a massive amount in one day - *way out of proportion* to other terms that we are using. So we must have complete assurance that there is every safeguard possible to stop this, and if it does happen, we will be credited without going through the trials of Job. Again unfortunately, too many of us have had *that* experience too.

"[2] I wasn't aware of any pay per click search engine that forced advertisers to bid higher for a not-so-popular term...."

Perhaps I phrased my point unclearly - and I wasn't limiting this fantasy to ppc search engines. With my "ideal" service, there would be no required minimum bid starting point (other than 1 cent). Let the marketplace decide that level (even for Overture!).