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"Competition is the keen cutting edge of business, always shaving away at costs."

Henry Ford

Mastering Google AdWords in 3 Easy Steps

By Patrick Coffey, ETR’s Internet Marketing Manager

"I know I need to be in Google … but that can be expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing."

I hear comments like this all the time from Internet entrepreneurs and e-business owners just like you.

Getting your website listed on Google using AdWords is a way to drive targeted traffic to your website instantly. With AdWords, you choose keywords for your ad - and when people perform Google searches using those keywords, your ad will show up on the right-hand side of their search results.

But choosing the right keywords can be tricky.

There are thousands of Internet articles, forums, blogs, and e-books devoted to "mastering Google AdWords" - some better than others. But I’m going to show you how to do it in three easy steps.

There are more than 387,000 Google AdWords advertisers, and new people are jumping on the program in droves. I think it’s fair to say that most of them are unsuccessful - meaning they end up spending more on their Google AdWords than they generate in sales.

That’s because most new advertisers shoot for the moon - and try to secure the top keywords at a premium. You see, Google AdWords are offered in an auction format. The most sought after keywords (like "loan," "mortgage," "hosting," "ring tones") are placed up for auction, and the highest bidder receives the TOP spot on the right-hand side of the search results pages.

Click-through costs for top positions in Google can be as high as $100 per click. So if your advertising cap is $300 per month, your account would close after a measly three clicks. You can see why most AdWords advertisers walk away shell-shocked.

But you can get listed on Google AdWords without breaking the bank. Here’s how:

Easy Step #1 for Mastering Google AdWords: The Money Is in the Middle

Instead of trying to secure the top spot and paying a premium for it … shoot for the middle.

Sure, most of the people searching Google (or any engine, for that matter) rarely look deeper than two or three pages. Which means if your AdWords ad is on page 4, 5, 6, or 70 of the search results, you’ll probably receive very little action. (Not many potential customers will click through to your page.)

What’s more, most of the advertisers "at or near the bottom" of the AdWords ladder typically stay there or drop out. And guess what? Advertisers "near the top" of the AdWords ladder usually drop out too - because it’s just too costly.

That’s why you need to aim for the middle of the cost-per-click range.

When you place bids for keywords in the middle range, the chances are very good that your ad will move up the totem pole (without any added expense) when advertisers near the top drop out. And many times your ad will be featured on the FIRST search results page, right next to the Big Spenders.

Easy Step #2 for Mastering Google AdWords: Getting Rich From Research

Most people don’t have the time to research keywords. They develop a list of words off the top of their head, or they receive help from people who have no Internet, search engine marketing, or direct-response expertise.

If you want to separate yourself from the 387,000+ Google AdWords advertisers, you’ll need to do some basic research on the keywords that you want to purchase. But fear not. There’s an easy way to do it - and it can even be a lot of fun.

There are hundreds of keyword research tools and applications on the Internet. Two of the better ones are Wordtracker and Keywords Analyzer.

I like Google’s Zeitgeist. This tool will show you the most popular Google keyword searches in several categories.

Another tool I like is Overture’s Keyword Selection Tool. (Overture has been bought out by Yahoo. However their keyword selection tool is still active.) This is not perfect. It’s only a gauge of popular keyword search terms for the previous month. But when you combine it with Google’s Zeitgeist, it’s pretty powerful.

You’ll want to select keywords that already have huge search traffic - not words that you think will have huge search traffic. That’s where your research comes in. Once you’ve studied which words are drawing the most traffic, you’ll have a better idea of which keywords you need to use.

For example, let’s say you’re selling watches - and, by the way, the word "watch" received more than 529,287 searches in November. How do you tie your keyword ads to current popular search traffic?

Let’s take a look at the top 10 keyword searches in Google. For the week ending December 9, they were:

1. James Kim
2. Pearl Harbor
3. NASA
4. Randy Newman
5. Alessandra Ambrosio
6. Taco Bell
7. Pirates of the Caribbean
8. minimum wage
9. Rich Rodriquez
10. America’s next top model

You might be able to work with some of these top-ranking keywords for your product. For instance:

• Pearl Harbor watches
• NASA watches
• Pirates of the Caribbean watches
• America’s next top model watches

Keep in mind that straight keyword ads work too (watches, designer watches, cheap watches, specific watch brands, etc.).

After you’ve selected your keywords, you’ll need a headline for your ad that stands out from the masses. The objective is to drive traffic to your site and close the sale.

That brings me to writing headlines.

Easy Step #3 for Mastering Google AdWords: Headlines Make ALL the Difference

Google AdWords allows space for three lines of text - a headline, the body, and your URL.

The URL should describe your product: GreatWatches.com, DesignerWatches.com, DesignerWatchesCheap.com … or something like that. People won’t always bother clicking your ad - they’ll type the URL right into their browser.

The body should offer an immediate benefit, like "Look the Part" or "Lowest Watch Prices."

There are thousands of approaches to writing Google AdWords headlines. Enter a few of the top keywords listed above into Google and you’ll see what I mean. Just make sure your headline grabs your prospect’s attention - and doesn’t let go until he clicks on your ad.

Ask yourself which headlines are working for your competitors. Which headlines do you see repeated week after week after week? The reason most AdWords advertisers continue running the same ad is because it works.

If you can make it work for your product or service, come up with an unusual or newsworthy headline that will stand out from all the other possibilities staring at your prospect. (Do a search on Google news for ideas.)

For instance, you could try these Google AdWords headlines to sell your watches:

• Avoid Designer Fraud
• Watch Huckster Arrested
• Designer Watch Ripoffs

Once you’ve mastered Google AdWords, you’ll get plenty of prospects clicking through to your website. Then it’s up to your site to make the sale. Make sure your website copy flows naturally with your Google AdWords ad … and you’ll enjoy huge profits.

[Ed. Note: Why not make starting your own Internet business one of your goals for 2007? With ETR’s special End-of-the-Year Biz Op Bundle, you’ll have everything you need to get it off the ground - and make it hugely profitable.Order now. This special deal won’t last long.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.