What is Google AdWords?

Google AdWords is Google’s advertising product, which displays your ads to people looking for your products or services on Google or its partner sites.

When you advertise with AdWords, you pick words or phrases (called “keywords”) that are related to your business and your products or services. You then use these keywords to create ads that target your potential customers when they search for your products or services on Google.

When a potential customer searches Google using the same or similar keywords, your Google AdWords ads may appear alongside or above the search results as a “Sponsored Link,” in response to the keywords searched. Your website is now just a click away from your potential customer.Remember that your ads are always separate from the search results themselves. You cannot influence the search results, or alter the way your own site appears in the natural search results. However, you can target your ads to appear only in certain locations or in certain languages, so it’s easier to reach just the right audience for your products or services.

There are other ad format options besides text, such as display ads, mobile ads and local business ads. You can also choose to show your ads on Google’s Content Network partner sites – so when people browse the web, your ads will appear on relevant sites that match your products or services.

Google AdWords is a quick and simple way to purchase highly targeted cost-per-click (CPC) advertising, regardless of your budget. AdWords ads are displayed along with search results on Google, as well as on search and content sites in our growing ad network, including AOL, EarthLink, HowStuffWorks, & Blogger. With more than 200 million searches on Google each day and even more searches and page views on our ad network, your Google AdWords ads reach a vast audience. When you create a Google AdWords ad, you choose keywords for which your ad will appear and specify the maximum amount you're willing to pay for each click. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad. To save you even more money, the AdWords Discounter automatically reduces the actual CPC you pay to the lowest cost needed to maintain your ad's position on the results page. There's no minimum monthly charge -- just a $5 activation fee. Your ads start running within minutes after you submit your billing information. You can easily keep track of your ad performance using the reports in your online account Control Center. To find out more about Google AdWords or to begin creating your ads, visit the AdWords home page.

How do I get the most out of my Google Adwords campaigns?