Use Google AdWords to Increase Website Traffic

 
New marketing opportunities are appearing on the Internet at lightning pace, but one that’s been around a long time and has proven its value is Google AdWords.

What is (are?) AdWords?

AdWords is a program from Google (obviously!) that allows you to quickly and easily create and run online ads for your business. These ads are then displayed, along with search engine results, when the key words are searched. When clicked, the link takes readers to your website, so you know that viewers are already interested in what you’re offering. They’ve “self-selected.”

As a side note, this is a fantastic way to inexpensively test marketing and advertising ideas and every search engine I’ve seen has a similar program – they have to make money somehow!

How Does It Work?

AdWords is a “pay-per-click” program. Which means that, aside from a small activation fee, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

There are a variety of ad format options to choose from, including text, image, audio, and video. You can also easily track your ad performance using the reports available in your account, which is critical to maximizing the return on your AdWords investment.

First, you select the words you want to use. Google walks you through the process and even makes suggestions.

Second, you write the ads and set up campaigns and ad groups to help you evaluate each keyword and ad.

Third, you determine a maximum cost-per-click – the maximum you’re willing to spend for each click. You can also choose to pay by number of views rather than clicks. There are some situations where this is a good solution – like market research – but since you’re trying to drive website traffic and sales, you’ll probably want to only pay for traffic to your site.

Finally, measure, evaluate, and test. Google provides analytics to help you figure out what’s working, then you can modify your program and try new options. Remember, it’s all about generating the maximum return on your advertising investment.

There’s More…

AdWords can be a very useful tool in search engine optimization as well. The ad words that generate the highest response and traffic to your site should also be included in the “meta tags” or “title tags” on your site. These are words or phrases that are on your site, but are hidden in the code so they don’t appear as part of the site design. Search engines use them extensively to rank your site – which determines where it appears on searches.

For example, if I search “Jeff Bacon” my first result usually appears on page three or four. Apparently, there are lots of other Jeff Bacons out there – who knew? However, because of my blog, if I enter “Jeff Bacon Marketing” I’m usually the first four or five results on the first page – exactly where I want to be. Now, if I could just get that kind of response with other key words…

The important thing about Internet marketing is to drive website traffic. It’s just like having someone walk into your store; they’re already interested in what you have. Now you just have to sell it to them.