Are AdWords Expensive And Do They Work?

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So you’re asking about AdWords? Or the advertising program, by Google, that allows you to promote your business for specific search terms. And you’re wondering if they’re expensive. Well it depends.

What Exactly Are AdWords

You may not be aware of the term, but you’ve seen AdWords before. Trust me. Just look at the picture below. A search for “AdWords” and the first thing you see is a paid search by Google. Not quite sure Google is actually paying for that though. But you get the gist.

AdWords allow you to rank above everyone else on the search engine result page (SERP). But they’re not free. In fact, it’s an auction type of system.

 

So Do They Work?

Yes, they work. But define work. If you want traffic to your site, then clearly they will help with that. But if you’re seeking an actual sale or conversion of sorts, then you may need to do more. Simply inviting people to your store, whether online or brick and mortar, does not guarantee a sale.

Often with AdWords specifically, you want to create a landing page, mini one-page website, if you will. That is very focused to the message you are advertising.  Rather than bring someone to your homepage and hope they can navigate to specifically what you are advertising and they are seeking, a landing page can be far more effective. Especially worthwhile if you are spending money on the campaign to begin with. Spend a little more, and increase your probability of a conversion.

Are They Expensive?

Yes and no. It all depends on what keywords and location you want to target. Take a very broad term like apparel and you’ll be competing with the likes of national apparel manufacturers, info about apparel, top stories and more on the subject. Why? Because Google doesn’t really know what aspect of apparel you are interested in. So they show you an assortment.

A less expensive approach is a more targeted, aka “long tail” keyword such as recyclable apparel, which can become very cost-effective. Why? Because it’s a far less popular search term. They key in doing an AdWord campaign is to find balance between the super popular and obscure. Knowing the former may well be out of your budget and the latter, simply to obscure.

As they say, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. So take some time doing research on keywords, what is and is not popular and more. And you’ll likely find some terms that fit nicely within your budget. Or if you need help, ask us.

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Estimates place the total global feline count near 600 million. That’s a lot of cats. Visit our articles page, and you’ll see lots of info on all things digital. Just nothing about cats. Enjoy!

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