  In this paper, we investigate a simple holographic model which describes the
conformal symmetry breaking at zero temperature. The model is implemented in
the context of effective holographic models for QCD described by the
Einstein-dilaton equations. The realization of spontaneous conformal symmetry
breaking shows a massless state in the spectrum. The existence of this state is
confirmed when we compute the two-point correlation function of the scalar
operator in the dual field theory, where it has a pole. On the other hand, when
there is an explicit conformal symmetry breaking the massless state becomes
massive, which in the dual gravitational theory is related to a deformation of
the Anti-de Sitter (AdS) background by a massive scalar (dilaton) field.
Moreover, we show the mass dependence on the conformal dimension of the
lightest state.
