Are AdWords Campaigns Worth the Buck?

There are a number of techniques for driving traffic to your web site. The best known system for gaining traffic, however, is without a doubt Google AdWords. Google AdWords allows you to bid on keywords and pay when your ad is clicked from a Google search result or one of the many web sites that displays Google AdWords. But are AdWords campaigns really worth the money?

Low Cost. One definite benefit to AdWords campaigns is their relatively low cost. Since you can set and adjust your maximum bid anytime, it makes it easy to control your ad spending through the system. If you have a narrowly focused niche or have really done your keyword research well, it is possible to build a successful campaign with very little investment.

Targeting. Another key benefit of AdWords is its precise targeting. Users are already searching for the keywords you select or visiting web pages that contain those keywords when they see your ad. As a result, you can be relatively certain that they fit your demographic or are at least interested in your product or service.

Instant Traffic. AdWords are great for new web sites. It can often take anywhere from four to eight weeks for a new web site to show up in search engine indices. If you need traffic right away, AdWords is a great way to make sure your URL is close to the top of the search result for your keyword. They are a simple method for giving your site an instant boost in traffic.

Keywords. One of the drawbacks of AdWords is that to really be successful you need to select popular and relevant keywords. This is not as easy as it may sound. There is an art to selecting appropriate keywords and an inexperienced marketer may waste money on ineffective keywords while learning the ropes. Of course, you can hire a search engine optimization specialist or online marketing professional to help you select pertinent keywords, but that will drive up the cost of your AdWords campaigns.

False Expectations. Another drawback is that AdWords can lull you into a false sense of security. It is tempting to look at the traffic from AdWords and decide that you can optimize your web site for better search rankings later. The problem is that you will end up paying for your traffic indefinitely. It is always better to acquire traffic from organic searches rather than buying it.

Vulnerability to Illegitimate Use. Finally, most studies have shown that very few search users actually click the ads. There have also been numerous reports and allegations of fraudulent AdWords clicks. As a result, you might end up paying for hits that do not actually generate traffic to your site. Unfortunately, such activity can be hard to spot and prove so most marketers just write it off as part of the cost of an AdWords campaign. That makes AdWords less valuable on a purely cost basis.

So are AdWords campaigns worth the money? The answer is "it depends". If you have a new site and need an instant traffic boost, then yes, AdWords campaigns can deliver that for very little money. However, you should not rely on them solely. Work to optimize your site and build your organic search traffic. You also need to realize that there will likely be a percentage of click fraud. Not every dollar you spend will bring you relevant click-throughs. If that is a deal breaker for you, then AdWords campaigns are definitely not worth the money. Finally, the most valuable campaigns are those based on well thought out keywords. If you have experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and selecting keywords, then an AdWords campaign will likely be worth the buck. However, stabbing blindly at keywords will likely just waste a lot of money.