Use Google Analytics, AdWords Conversion Tracking and the free website optimizer to improve understanding. For example, at the firts level we might use AdWords Conversion Tracking to tell us which keywords are resulting in any sales. Spend more on those and less on the rest ;)

Google Analytics can refine the understanding, though it may take a bit of digging and delving - but you may find that some keywords have a really high bounce rate - indicating that the web page doesn’t address searchers needs very well - meaning that a new page might help improve sales response.

I think that I’d be investing effort in measurement and analysis at this point - with a view to improving the web site and optimising bidding.

THAT’S the hurdle I face.

I wouldn’t avoid AdWords. Why would you avoid the major route to market? But do exercise caution and don’t hope to pay $0.01 per click on high volume keywords - unless you run a household brand name, that is ;)

Do any of you experienced PPC marketers have a book or post to recommend?

Should I “Stay Away From Google?!”

Thanks,

Scott

I do think that this is effectively a *new* AdWords. The behaviour shows some marked differences from pre-March responses. More like “Zombified”, than “Dead”. There’s still some sign of activity…

also I think we have to take a look a way deeper than a single result to reach and understand how happened to have basically only three private companies to control the most public domain. More about at my http://adwordsfraud.com/

Drazan

Google unexplainedly issue a beating is simply Google’s way of welcoming you as a new advertiser. You’d think that a marketing savvy organisation would find a gentle way to suggest that your ad copy, keywords or landing pages could be improved, wouldn’t you?

If you’re happy with a public response to what I suspect is likely to be wrong or suboptimal, post back here with your site details and a representative keyword (e.g. company name), and I’ll take it as a (free) worked example, posted in the blog. Private advice is chargeable, though.

Google does do a lot of dubious stuff. But, IMO, their biggest error with the $5.00 MinCPC slam is a poor explanation of what it is, why it is and what you can properly do about it. It is better this year than when they first introduced it, though it is still pathetically underdeveloped as a way to encourage new advertisers to stay with AdWords, isn’t it? :(

It is a solvable problem, usually - or there is a fundamental reason why that site shouldn’t be found by search e.g. aggregating other people’s duplicated blogs in order to host AdSense, is unlikely to find favour with Google or users.

Fantastic article. I signed up for Google AdWords a few days ago and have been thoroughly disgusted with its performance. Every keyword I chose to include in my list was carefully decided upon using both common sense and Google’s own “advice” — they are as “high quality” and specific as I could make them. Out of 21 keywords, currently a full 20 are “inactive”, and I’ve been told I need to increase my minimum bid *per click* to $5.00 or “improve quality” to reactivate them, which is absurd — especially since I pre-screened each using the keyword tool and was told that none would go for over 75 cents. Curiously enough, I was told I needed to raise the bid for my own company’s name in order to activate it as a keyword. After hearing so many great things about AdWords, I was worried that I was the only one disenchanted with it. It’s nice to know other people have noticed this clear drop in value to advertisers as well.

They’re All Scams
These websites are absolute scams
I will show you the two that work
www.ScamInsider.com

this was the ad
checking on the sender of a a spam email from somone offering to buy my home. It led to blogshack.com and then to domainsponser.com.
Anyway I found your article / research posted to be very interesting. It does not surprise me that even googlee is overly greeedy and now way over valued and underwhelming in its search results compared to what it used to be.
Keep up the good work