There are various ways to purchase highly targeted advertising at very low prices. Google AdWords is one simple and quick way to to do this. Regardless of your budget, you can actually get your text ads appearing on search result pages within minutes! You can also target your ad to a specific language or country. Pricing is based on the position in which your ad is shown but there is no minimum amount required in order to open an account. Google positions your ad based on how many users click on it over time. Current rates range from $15-$10 (per thousand ads shown) for positions 1-3, and $8 per thousand for positions 4-8. According to Google, Adwords text ads have an average click through rate 4-5 times higher than banner ads. I have generated click through rates as high as 36% by using the guidelines outlined below. I frequently test ads for as little as $1! I've been using Google Adwords since it was first introduced and I've found it to be very effective for testing ads. My best click through rate so far has been 36% and the lowest being 0.98%! On average my ads get a 20% click through rate on very focused keywords and search terms and 6% on general popular relevant keywords. Here is what I do. When promoting my products I choose keywords/search terms that are very specific to generate highly qualified prospects. I get very few searches, but a very high click through rate. I then keep the ad running for a very long time. Example: Instead of using keyword 'printer' for an ad about printers, I use the exact model of the printer e.g. 'Lexmark Z11' or less focused 'Lexmark printer'. I also put the search term in the title section. This simple trick produces very high click through rates. Here are some guidelines: 1. Avoid keywords that are too general. Because ads are paid for on a CPM basis, you are likely to spend money quickly with keywords that are too vague. Avoid general keywords like 'business' or 'free'. Taylor each keyword to your offer and use relevant terms/words in both the title and the ad body. 2. Give Google users a compelling reason to click on your ad link. The easiest way to do this is to provide something of value for free. 3. Use a different ad for each keyword or search term. This increases relevance and the likelihood that Google users will click on it. 4. Test and monitor your ads. Refine and fine-tune your ad to maximise click throughs. With Google you can do this in real time! Google's Adwords has become very popular and Google have had to increase the number of ad displays per keyword search from 3 to 8. You can open an account and test this service by going to: http://adwords.google.com |
