The New Google Transparency Rules and What They Mean For the Business Owner
Have you hired a company to handle your online advertising? Here’s some new information straight from Google that you might not have heard yet. Google now requires that every company who is managing a pay per click, or AdWords, campaign as a third party (for someone else) must reveal to their client exactly how much of their money is being spent with Google. The great news is that you’ll be able to make some smart comparison decisions with this information.
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=152979
This new rule was put in place to prevent the “wild wild west” tactics that some companies have been using. Many of these companies have been collecting your campaign dollars and then they have turned around and spent only about 20% of that money to advertise for you. The question I hear next is “Where does the rest of it go?” And the answer – to their overhead – doesn’t sit well with the business owners I talk with every day.
How does your current company stack up?
I recently talked to a client of one of these other companies who was SHOCKED to find out that only $1200 of his $3000/month campaign was being spent on Google. He was then ecstatic to hear that for that same $3000/month, we would be spending $2500 on his Google exposure – and in turn, double the new prospects he has, which is the ultimate goal of any marketing.
What can you do?
Even though this rule went into effect February 1, 2011, your advertising provider may not be anxious to share this information with you unless you ask. Call your rep today and find out the exact dollar amount that is being spent for your Google Adwords account and then when you compare that amount with another company, you’ll either know that you’ve already got the best deal or you’ll know it’s time to look for a new provider.
If your provider will not provide this information, you should lodge a complaint with Google – http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/request.py?contact_type=gap_complaint
Diane Hibbs is an internet marketing professional focusing on small business owners to become more profitable using search marketing. Her free Lunch and Learn Webinars are full of tips and methods that help business owners to learn ways to get more online traffic. To register or to learn more cost-effective marketing strategies for your business, visit Page One Marketing today.