Google AdWords

No company or advertiser can ignore the vast potential of the Internet in terms of marketing strategies and target audiences. With worldwide exposure and many methods of advertising, the Internet is a priceless tool for anyone looking to market their products, services, or ideas. As one of the giants of the Internet and a popular, formidable search engine, Google is well aware of the value of advertising on the Internet, as well as the challenging, competitive nature of Internet marketing. Google has developed a system called Google AdWords that offers prospective advertisers a compelling method for reaching their target audience.

What is Google AdWords?
Google AdWords is a keyword advertising system using the search engine platform and keyword searches to display text, banner, or even video ads. These ads appear next to search results, enticing an audience that is already interested in that particular subject. Google requires advertisers to set up an account with them before beginning an AdWord campaign. Leaving nothing to chance, Google provides a step-by-step platform for creating AdWord campaigns, leading advertisers through the creation and implementation of their ads, with plenty of tips and information to help streamline their campaigns. The most important step in the creation of an ad is choosing keywords, which are words or phrases that relate to the subject of the ad. Google offers plenty of assistance in choosing keywords, with examples and keyword relevance data.

Google has an entire content network of sites that display AdWord ads, which means the advertiser is not limited to the Google search engine site. Google can automatically match an ad to related sites, or the advertiser has the option to use placement targeting to choose specific sites for their ad to appear. With a simple yet efficient reporting system, advertisers can keep track of their ads’ performance and adjust placement or edit the ad as necessary. Advertisers also have the option to limit their ads to a specific city, region, or country, plus they have the ability to control the cost of their advertising campaigns. Since there is no minimum spending requirement and the advertiser is charged only when someone clicks the ad, daily budgets can be set for each ad.

Bids and Quality Score
Creation of an ad does not guarantee that it will be seen, however. AdWords is one of Google’s main sources of revenue, so it’s not surprising that the chosen cost of an ad factors heavily into placement. The amount the advertiser is willing to pay Google for click-throughs to their ads is called a bid, and the higher the bid, the greater the possibility for placement. Google also determines the order of ads by “quality score” which is a combination of keyword relevancy, historical click-through rates, load times, account standing, and other factors. The quality score can affect the amount of bids—popular ads in good standing may not need as high a bid to be chosen.

Google Gifts
Google is not so altruistic as to offer free advertisement, but their AdWords program is a cheaper, more efficient alternative to other methods of ad placement on the Internet. Searching for and soliciting sites to accept an advertisement is time consuming, labor intensive, and potentially costly. With their wide network of site partnerships, Google offers the very attractive gift of wide exposure, and while Google does require fees, advertisers also receive the gift of precise control over their AdWord campaigns. Simple to create and manage, Google AdWords is an effective tool in the challenging world of Internet marketing.