Search marketing is NOT a business, it is simply a means to an end. You can also consider it as an important & useful source of targeted traffic. What really matters more is what you should do, right after someone clicks on your ad & lands on your page.
Direct Sale
Most people will want to make a sale by presenting a product page or a sales letter to the visitor. This is very straight forward & it works, however, there are better ways to maximize your paid search traffic.
Product Review
Some affiliates will create product review sites or comparison sites. They are helping visitors to make a more informed buying decision by writing reviews & allowing people to compare products.
Whichever product the visitor decide to buy, they will all click on affiliate links so the affiliate will be paid. This is a very good move which provides a win-win-win situation for the visitor, affiliate & merchant.
Product Presell
Instead of comparing a few different products, some search marketing affiliates will write a presell which solely recommends 1 single product. This is more focused than doing review site & sometimes it can lead to more profits.
Once again, when the visitor makes a purchase after clicking on the affiliate link, the affiliate gets paid. This is another excellent move which benefits the visitor, affiliate & merchant.
Squeeze Page
The best idea of all is none other than to capture the email of your visitor so that you can continue to follow up for a long time. You are paying for your traffic & you want to be able to contact your visitors again & again so that you can maximize your opportunities to make more sales.
Summary
Direct sales page, product review, product presell & squeeze pages are what you can do. If possible, always get the email of your visitors & keep following up with them.