Just mention Google to any small business owner and chances are their eyes will light up! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, and a sizable one at that, you know that ranking high on a Google search engine query can transform your business’s website into a marketing machine. But, the waters can be treacherous for business owners who haven’t done their homework. If you don’t already know Google AdWords are those small pay per click ads that are displayed on the right side of Google search results. The ads provide highly targeted text or image ads based on what words people use to search your product. To ensure success you must follow a few tried and true steps.

1) Open a Google Account: Simply go to Google’s website and sign in.

2) Focus on keywords and keyword phrases: Think of the main keywords someone would enter into a search engine that relates to your product or business. The use keyword tools like Google’s AdWords Suggesion Tool or Wordtracker.

3) Create Ad Groups: Create an ad group for each primary keyword. Use Google’s AdWords Suggestion Tool to find other keywords and make ad groups. Create ad groups for each keyword.

4) Check the number of AdWords campaigns - enter any of your main keywords in the Google search engine and see how many ads are displayed on the right side of the search results. This will tell you how many AdWord campaigns are running already. If there are only a few Google Ads displayed and your targeted keyword is in high demand (high number of searches) you have the opportunity to create a winning ad.

5) Write the ad copy using your keywords and keywords phrases. These ads must be short so make them concise and to the point .

6) Test and monitor your AdWord campaigns - start with 3 adgroups, then keep the other ad groups for later as you monitor your current campaign. Make the necessary changes to your ad copy, keywords or bid prices to improve your clickthrough rate. Google automatically tracks the click through rate for each of your ads.

7) Google Analytics will track your ads for you showing you what’s working best and what isn’t

Last but not least, check your ads account a couple of times a day. Tweak ads that aren’t working.

This will get you started on your way to a successful Google AdWords Campaign. Good luck.

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Twitter is abuzz this morning with the thought that Twitter might supplant Google as search king sometime in the future. While I think the possibility of taking over search from Google is far fetched I do see the potential for an erosion of Google’s search dominance. Furthermore, as the internet continues to expand and change I believe Twitter poses a real risk for Google.

From where I sit I can easily see Google becoming the new Microsoft: a sleeping giant that grew so fast and so big it was unable to stay out in front of changes that ultimately made it irrelevant. As we all know getting to the top (as Google has done) is one thing, but staying there is another. The internet fuels innovation and is a beacon for brilliant and talented people with boundless ideas relative to how people communicate and interact with each other. These innovators are thinking day and night. Their creativity is flowing and generating excitement. THEY ARE GOOGLE’S REAL COMPETITION. However, it’s impossible to fight them on every front.

Google must act now regarding Twitter. Make them an offer they can’t refuse. Don’t waste a minute. What I know instinctively as a professional who works every day with clients and their PPC and SEO efforts, is that there is a shift happening. SEO/PPC seem “old” and my clients want to talk about leveraging social marketing as their new frontier.

The internet is essentially a human experience, thus IT IS FICKLE. They loved you yesterday, but there’s a new boy in town. He’s fresh ,fun and exciting and everyone is talking about him.

I still love you Google. You have a proven track record and you’ve been good to me. BUT, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION! Your real competition is here right now. Act quickly.

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Facebook Values Itself at $3.7 Billion (Or Less)

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