Click fraud experts PPC Shield have carried out some research into which companies have spent the most on PPC across Europe.
Pay Per Click advertising or PPC is a form of online advertising. You register for a program, such as Google Ads, and bid on keywords. If you win the bid, then your link appears at the top of a Google Search. You will only have to pay for the advert to be there if someone clicks on it.
Many of these ads will be for the companies you expect to see; big businesses with plenty of money will appear on the lists regularly. But there are opportunities for smaller companies to appear as a sponsored search.
Though this is a form of advertising that can work out cheaper, companies can still spend a lot of money on PPC. The top spenders in Europe are names that are well-known across the continent.
Which Companies Spend The Most On PPC In Europe?
The companies in Europe that have all spent the most on PPC are all retail companies. They stock a variety of different products but rely on clicks that lead to people buying their products.
PPC Shield looked into the brands that spent the most on PPC per European country. They calculated the sum of how much each brand spent in each country. Though many of these are big brands, they may not be ones you see advertised as often. There are six companies on this list, and some may surprise you.
1. AliExpress
Aliexpress are a Chinese e-commerce company that has only been around since 2010. It’s a platform where people can create a store and sell products for cheap. A lot of the sellers will be in China, but Aliexpress is now used across the world.
With plenty of cheap products to choose from, it’s not surprising that Aliexpress spends a lot on PPC. But, surprisingly, they are advertising so much in Europe. A few years ago, Aliexpress wasn’t well-known, even though they sold various products. But with similar platforms like Wish getting popular, Aliexpress’s fame has rocketed too.
In total, Aliexpress has spent €111,875,467.00 on PPC between June 2020 and July 2021. That is almost double what Amazon, who are in second place, spent on it. The country that Aliexpress spent the most on PPC in is Spain.
2. Amazon
Amazon is a big brand name, and you expect them to spend a lot on advertising.
An e-commerce retailer well-known around the world, Amazon sells almost everything. They have their streaming services and also offer grocery shopping. That means they compete with a lot of different businesses. Amazon spends a lot on PPC, which means it can advertise for a wide array of keywords.
Between June 2020 and July 2021, Amazon spent €79,568,069.00 on PPC. It’s one of the higher sums on this list, but it makes sense with the number of countries they supply. The country they spent the most on PPC, however, was Germany.
3. Zalando
The European company that spent the most on PPC within the continent was Zalando. Another e-commerce company, Zalando sells clothes and accessories. They ship to 23 different countries across Europe. With a smaller audience, it’s not surprising that they spent less on PPC. But they spent more than you might expect.
Zalando sells brand name clothes and accessories. Including some brands like Ivy Park that are no longer as easy to get. However, the prices on Zalando do seem to match the high street, so these brands aren’t cheaper.
With a small audience and expensive products, Zalando needs sales. That may be why in the last year, they spent €27,755,180.00 on PPC advertising. With more clicks, they should ideally be able to get more sales. The country they spent the most money on PPC was Germany, the country they started in. That suggests that a lot of their commerce focuses on their homeland.
4. Mediamrkt
Not every company within the top six spenders is an e-commerce retailer. MediaMarkt is an electronics store with shops all across Europe. With their eye-catching advertising, it’s no surprise that they sell online too.
PPC might not be as creative a way to advertise as MediaMrkt likes, but it has proven to work for many businesses. The electronics retailer has spent €10,742,890.00 on PPC advertising in the last year. They aren’t a name known worldwide, but they do ship to 64 different countries. The fact they offer to ship to so many places means that they need the clicks.
MediaMrkt is another company that does best in their home country. Like Zalando, they did best in Germany. People knew their name there anyway and may be more likely to click on their ads.
5. Bol
If you’re in The Netherlands or Belgium, you may expect to see this retailer on this list. Otherwise, there’s a chance that you won’t have even heard of this e-commerce giant.
Bol is a general merchandising webshop. They started by stocking products themselves and selling them on their website. But in 2011, they became a platform where retailers could sign up to sell their products. Now, they only ship to The Netherlands and Belgium, so you may not think they reach very far. But they’re essentially a localised Amazon that spends a lot of money on PPC to try to keep up.
The country that Bol spent the most on PPC in was The Netherlands. It’s the country they originated in, but it is also one of only two countries they operate in. This business should be smaller than the others, yet they still spent €10,034,210.00 on PPC. As a business, they must be doing well, as when it comes to PPC, they’re competing with the big hitters.
6. Cool Blue
The final company on this list is another e-commerce retailer, but with one that now has 12 physical shops. Over the years, they have grown to be one of the most popular webshops across three countries.
Another electronics retailer, Cool Blue, sells everything from fridges to mobile phones. It is a store that has less competition with many of the others on this list. But it’s still a smaller operation than names like Amazon and Aliexpress. And that shows with the amount they’ve spent in the last year.
Cool Blue spent €5,046,458.00 on PPC between June 2020 and July 2021. It is a much smaller amount than other businesses higher up this list. But they are still spending, and it appears to be working out for them. The country they have spent the most on PPC in was The Netherlands. But they spent almost as much in Belgium too.
What European Countries Are Retailers Spending The Most On PPC In?
The country that most retailers seem to spend a lot of money in Germany. That could be because several of the retailers who spend a lot on PPC have started in Germany. But even Amazon spent a lot on PPC there. Germany is a big country for business, and this seems to support that idea.
The second country that the retailers in the top six spent the most money in was The Netherlands. However, both stores that spend the most in The Netherlands are based there. And the only other country they ship to is Belgium. That means that they aren’t worldwide or even Europe-wide businesses. Of course, they’re going to spend the most on PPC in the country they’re based in.
Europe is a large part of the world, and it seems unusual that these companies focus on the same two countries. The only company that focused on a different country was AliExpress. With them being a Chinese company, it’s unknown why they focus on PPC the most in Spain.
What Types Of Companies Are Most Focused On PPC In Europe?
E-commerce companies seem to be the most interested in PPC in Europe. The majority of the companies on this list started as e-commerce. That makes sense. PPC will help boost sales for an e-commerce company, and online sales are their only way to earn money.
What is interesting is that it’s mostly e-commerce platforms. What this means is that they allow retailers to sell their products on their sites. They will still get money from people using their platform. But the numbers for each individual sale will be less than if they sold the item directly to the customer. Platforms can still bring in a lot of money, as they mean that customers can choose from a large variety.
With more products, they need more keywords. And that can explain why these brands have spent so much on PPC.
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