Google Adwords - Is it worth signing up?

[gkd_uk]

Hi

Is it really worth signing up and spending lots of money on Google Adwords? This is a question that goes through thousands of Webmasters minds.

To those who are using Google Adwords, do you have any advice that you can provide. Have you benefited from Google Adwords? How much should one spend when starting off using Adwords...etc

Also, please take part in the poll I have setup.

Thanks in advance for your participation

 

[rakib]

I think, this is very much useful.

 

[gkd_uk]

Thanks Rakib

Do you think Adwords is worth it for those who run a Forum or non profit website? Or just those who run websites pureley for revenue and profit e.g. Dell, HP etc

 

[midlandi]

Ive asked this before and the best advise i had is seek proffesional help when using adwords(someone like IWG for instance)
Otherwise you are just wasting your money.

 

[gkd_uk]

Thanks midlandi

 

[TeamPlayer]

I think a lot depends on what type of site is being advertised. If it`s of a non-commercial variety like a blog then I don`t really see much point in spending money promoting it.

Adwords can run away with your money so set a realistic budget and test the waters first. If the traffic isn`t there, or if the sales don`t merit using paid advertising then time to reconsider a few things, one of which is whether your site is set up right in the first place to make visitors want to stay and buy.

 

[mrcrowley]

I blew a lot of my tiny marketing budget on adwords and got very little back for it. True i did jump in head first though

 

[temi]

True i did jump in head first though

what do you mean by this Jamie ?

 

[mrcrowley]

what do you mean by this Jamie ?

I didn't do a lot of research and it cost me. I got hits but not enough sales to pay for them.

 

[Pidea]

AdWords is well worth using for two reasons.

Firstly, if you're selling a product or a service (or someone elses via an affiliate scheme) it can be an excellent source of traffic so long as the numbers stack up (cost per click and average conversion).

Secondly, if you're researching keywords it can be a brilliant way to find out how many times a particular phrase is searched for.

The current issue of .net magazine actually has a voucher in it next to page 99 for £30 of free advertising on Google. What have you got to lose ?

 

[OldWelshGuy]

I agree 100% Adwords is excellent, but it is NOT a qick fix, you STILL have to work hard at it especially initially. You need to be tracking conversions and as Pidea said above, make sure the figures stack up.

You need to have targetted adverts with stop words to prevenet irrelevant clicks, you need to have quality landing pages that control the user and guide them toward taking the action you want them to take. And you need to TEST TEST TEST.

Sit down and look at how you can improve it.

But as with Organic SEO, the first and possibly most important step is KEYWORD RESEARCH. In Web marketing, if you get the keyword research wrong, then everything that comes after that step is wasted or weakened. Don't cut corners on KW research it is the KING, no GOD of web marketing.

 

[onlinebiz]

AdWords is an incredibly useful marketing tool, but like any other marketing effort it requires a lot of research and testing. The success of your campaign is determined by the keywords you choose and why - they might not always be the most obvious choices. You also have to consider the amount of competition for that keyword...it isn't necessarily the best use of your money to bid on a keyword that a dozen other huge companies are bidding $10 per click for. Try to create a niche environment for yourself where you are reaching exactly the customers you want and not wasting your money on casual passers-by that might not be interested. OldWelshGuy also made a good point about landing pages - it is likely that sending users straight to your homepage might lose them, consider creating landing pages tailored to the keywords you choose and enforce the ideas that your user originally searched for.

Chris Taylor - Catdynamics Australia
-------------------------------------
Increase Web Site Traffic
Website Marketing Tools
Internet Business Development
Free Webmaster Tools
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[gkd_uk]

Thanks for your input Chris

 

[ultimate handyman]

If you have a commercial website that is selling goods or services then adwords can be useful. It can also be useful for people that do not have time to do the seo or link building themselves.

I have used it from time to time, but with mixed results!

 

[braver55b]

Research is crucial to using adwords

Try getting some help like using former google employee Simon Leung who built a huge list using adwords, trust me I learned the hard way, do your homework before jumping in, Without a doubt this is just about the most targeted traffic, though if done wrong it can cost you an arm a leg and your firstborn.

 

[HypaCast]

There are lots of links available where you get a bonus for signing up, usually around £25, use that to find out if it is worth it, if not then at least you won't have lost any money

 

[TeamPlayer]

There are lots of links available where you get a bonus for signing up, usually around £25, use that to find out if it is worth it, if not then at least you won't have lost any money

I must have missed all of them for Google. Seen special offers for Yahoo, but never Adwords, though I do know they have a place where the code can be placed for those who have an offer code.

 

[eboy]

I've seen a few vouchers around the place too. With purchase of a Domain Name comes to mind. I think Adwords is an excellent tool if you put in the time to analyze the data. I lost quite a bit when I first started using it - and I was a tight-arse, not wanting to spend anything on advertising so I was being very careful.

 

[eboy]

You must analyze and try to improve your ads and understand the psychology or your clicks just won't convert. It's easy to lure in a lot of people who aren't that interested or were misled. It's hard to create highly targeted ads with high conversion rates.

 

[seo_india]

Hi

Is it really worth signing up and spending lots of money on Google Adwords? This is a question that goes through thousands of Webmasters minds.

To those who are using Google Adwords, do you have any advice that you can provide. Have you benefited from Google Adwords? How much should one spend when starting off using Adwords...etc

Also, please take part in the poll I have setup.

Thanks in advance for your participation

It is best strategy to target less-competitive keywords through Adwords. If you target high traffic/high competitive keywords on adwords , then it could exhaust your budget within a few days :help:

Moreover click fraud issues are deeply engrossed within adwords. These issues are pushing potential marketers away from adwords.

Natural Optimization is surely one of the best cost-effective mediums :botles: