Google AdSense & AdWords… what about competitor ads?

At first sight it seems odd to support a website whose purpose is to raise one’s professional profile and attract new clients with advertising from competitors. Yet you’ll find many competitor ads here.

I use Google AdSense which is the other side of the coin to Google AdWords. AdWords users bid on key words and phrases of relevance to their business. So in my case I could bid on ‘public relations consultant’ or ‘copywriter’. Then when somebody searched on those phrases my ad might appear under the ‘Sponsored Links’ section of the Google search results. I’d only pay when somebody clicked my ad, I could bid as little as four pence per click and set a daily budget so I wouldn’t get burnt if my ads turned out to be really popular. And I could restrict my ads so they only appear to people in the UK or maybe just Manchester.

It’s incredibly efficient and cost effective, especially when compared with, say, a direct market campaign. Here I’d have to acquire a mailing list without falling foul of the data protection act, which can be very expensive. Then I’d need to get my mailing designed, printed and posted. It would then arrive on my prospects’ desks amongst a pile of post. Many of my mail shots would be binned (perhaps by a secretary before reaching the prospect) without being read. A five per cent response rate is regarded as superb in direct mail circles.

Google AdWords work because the prospect has searched on something relevant to my business and they’ve clicked my ad. So they’ve already shown some interest and are in the mood to deal. And a campaign can be up and running in fifteen minutes. To join Google AdWords click one of the ‘Advertise on this site’ links within the boxes displaying Google Ads.

Google AdSense extends the reach of AdWords. AdSense scours each webpage for words and phrases that people have bid on and then displays their ads. Google then shares any revenue with the website owner. Up until recently, you could only advertise on a pay-per-click basis, but now Google AdSense allows you to pick out specific websites and advertise per impression.

Yet why invite competitors to advertise? Well, the website makes a modest profit so I’m paid to promote myself. Prospects mostly find my site by searching Google, Yahoo! or MSN. I can’t stop them finding competitors the same way so taking the Google Ads away won’t really help me. Finally, while I have worked for clients in the USA, for example, there are practical limits to remote working. It would be difficult for me to answer calls from, say, a Los Angeles based journalist asking questions about a Los Angeles based business when I pack up for the day just as they begin work. Google AdSense delivers ads local to the site visitor so that LA client’s time won’t be totally wasted.
Contact Stephen Newton

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