Making Money from Google's AdWords and AdSense Programs
by James Dillehay

Google's goal is to be the most relevant search engine in the world. If you use Google frequently, you already know it serves up speedy and (usually) pertinent results of web sites that match your needs. The more focused your keywords, the more relevant your results.

Type in a search term at Google like "internet marketing." Notice the search results page on Google, a block of sponsored links is displayed along the right. These are pay-per-click ads from the Google AdWords program.

Google AdWords are also served on AOL, EarthLink, HowStuffWorks, & Blogger - these partners are referred to as the Google Network.

Google AdWords are pay-per-click ads that allow you to show up in a top position in sponsored results of search queries. You pay for every click, regardless of whether visitors make a purchase.

Pay-per-click ads are priced according to a dynamic bidding process that is constantly in flux. The more popular a word or phrase, the higher it's cost-per-click.

In addition to Google AdWords, you can place pay-per-click ads through Overture, another major provider with a large partner network. Less popular but good sources of cheap click providers: FindWhat, 7Search, Kanoodle, Xuppa, Enhance and GoClick

Google's AdWords program reflects their overall goal of relevancy - even at the cost of profits to them. Ads with greater click through rates (CTR) earn a higher position in a block of AdWords ads even when the advertisor may be paying lower cost per click (CPC) for the same keywords.

Google monitors ads over an initial period of days and determines relevancy by how many people click through. In general, if an ad gets less than .5% CTR, it will be dropped.

Therefore, it is vital that you focus on increasing your CTR.

next: How to Increase Click Through Rates

"I use Search It! frequently to find related terms to add to my topic's list of keywords. One recent search turned up a popular phrase I would never have thought of. Search It! showed me none of my competitors were using the words either. Result: more qualified traffic, a higher click through rate and increased profits."

James Dillehay
Author and Web Entrepreneur