A little more than a week ago, I created an AdWords campaign for my book on Google. Before this, I was a keyword virgin.
I’m happy to report that the four ads I created have generated 21 clicks at a cost-per-click of $1.24. Not bad, since I capped my budget at $100 per month. The AdWords software is very easy to use and Google’s reporting tools give you all sort of detailed information about your campaign. Here’s performance data for the last seven days from my “Account Snapshot.”
Last 7 days
Clicks 17
Impressions 54,094
CTR 0.03%
Avg. CPM $0.42
Avg. CPC $1.34
Total Cost $22.70
For most part, I feel like I am getting a good value for $24 I spent so far. Beyond the clicks that directed users straight to my Amazon.com page, Google is also generating massive impressions for my book–and all of those eyeballs come for free. So far, my campaign has generated more than 71,701 impressions. Only 2,000+ of the impressions have come from Google’s search engine; the rest have come from Google’s content network of partner sites. The tools also let me know which ads are performing better than others. This one has the highest click-through rate of .03%:
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Here’s the one thing I don’t like about it: I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE CLICKS ARE GENERATING SALES OF MY BOOK. The reason? Google offers so-called conversion tracking that lets gauge this data, but in order for the feature to work you have to install some code on the landing page where your product is offered for sale. Problem is, Amazon.com does not, as far as I know, allow users to install code on their Web pages. I emailed Amazon about this over the weekend; maybe there is a fix. I hope so.
In any event, this points to the bigger problem facing Google. The clickthrough–Google’s nirvana that generates almost all of its revenue–is falling out of a favor a bit. What advertisers and marketers really want is conversion. And Google and other search/online marketers will probably have to adjust their business models to shift more towards getting paid for conversion, rather than mere clicks. Read this BusinessWeek story by Catherine Holahan and I to learn more about the trouble with clicks.
Tags: BusinessWeek, Catherine Holahan, clickthroughs, conversion, Google, keywords, online marketing, search engines, Spencer Ante, Sprint
Creative Capital 
May 30, 2008 at 5:24 pm |
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August 19, 2008 at 7:47 pm |
Got a couple Spam comments on here my friend.
The world of Google Adwords and Adsense can be simple, or extremely complicated. The more “Google Massacre” Trash one buys into, the more complicated it gets.
Google has some great tools to help with the marketing process. Keyword tool to id popular search terms related to your product, Google Trends shows what is “hot”, Campain optimization, Adwords Editor, etc.
I think you have a good approach, keep it simple and just get in there and do it. Analizing which keywords convert is difficult. There are some tools out there that can help, but as you say, if your direct linking to someone elses affiliate program, you probably don’t have the ability to add code to the sales page. The Amazon affiliate program is quite good and you may find that you can use some of their analytical tools. eBay is also a Very Successful affiliate program.
If you don’t have an account with adwords, start by looking for sign up incentives. Webhosting packages are the most common way to get Adword Credits and if you intend to have your own site(s) it is a necessary addition. Look for a good deal and ad credits. Many paid membership sites have credits too. Simply Google Adwords Credit and you’ll find all kinds.
Adwords is a niche Full of “Snake Oil” sale people. Be very careful, chances are you don’t need 99% of what people are selling to “beat Google”. Takes practice and time and sharing through free mediums such as Blogs such as this. A Ton of Stellar info Free out there.
Cheers,
Jeromy
http://www.hillbillydirect.com
September 23, 2008 at 1:56 pm |
Thank for article…
March 29, 2009 at 4:14 am |
[…] How Google AdWords Has Helped Market Creative Capital The world of Google Adwords and Adsense can be simple, or extremely complicated. The more “Google Massacre” Trash one buys into, the more complicated it gets. Google has some great tools to help with the marketing process. […]