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I just started managing some really large Google Ad campaigns. It made me stop and think about the best way for someone to start managing good ads. In the beginning of this new marketing medium it was simple, you just buy a few keywords, decide on a fair price, and start taking in sales. Now Google AdWords is a different monster. It is a circus of changing methods and options. You need to work smart rather than hard with this new medium.

First, you should note that there are 3 main platforms in which your ads can be served.

1. Directly on the Google Search Engine. These are the searches that originate mostly from www.google.com’s front page.
2. From web sites that have partnered with Google to provide ads on their sites. A good example of these sites are www.toledo.com and www.cnn.com - both of these sites show Google Ads.
3. On specifically targeted web sites that match your market segment, but don’t compete against your site. For instance, if you are a manufacturer of sport graphics for cars, you might advertise on hotrod.com.

I just want to expose beginners to this before they jump in. At launch, using all 3 of these platforms is sure disaster. You can’t launch a program on all 3 of these and have a good ROI. You need to start slowly and put together a method for selling online. This method will save you 1000’s of dollars in learning and playing the odds.

All of these platforms have different costs and different results. Call me and I will help you with some quick free advice on how to get started using the right ones - to much to write in the few minutes I have.

Always Remember: The key is conversions or a.k.a. “sell through”. This is when you get a landing on your site and convert them to a buyer or filling out a contact form (doing what ever makes you money).

Cheers! - Ian Hartten, ian@toledo.com