Since being selected as an AdWords Seminar Leader by Google in 2006, I’ve had the opportunity to teach thousands of businesses and organizations how to use AdWords, Google’s advertising platform. I believe in the product; if used appropriately, it offers vast online exposure for advertisers. Unfortunately, most advertisers do not understand how AdWords works or hold it accountable to deliver value to their businesses. Some advertisers make money by dumb luck; others waste hundreds or thousands of dollars each month. I’ve met countless advertisers who gauge the effectiveness of their online campaigns based on gut feelings. I’m generally a proponent of trusting one’s gut, but not in the case of online advertising. In this world, it’s all about the data.

It’s in Google’s best interests for advertisers to use data to make decisions about their campaigns. If AdWords is working for a business, and the numbers prove it, that business is likely to continue advertising and potentially allocate more of its budget to AdWords. Conversely, advertisers can use this data to identify what’s not working, so they can try something else or stop wasting money.

The AdWords platform includes free, simple tools to track and measure performance, down to the individual keyword level. This book is intended to help new and existing advertisers improve the quality of their advertising campaigns and quantify the value AdWords brings to their businesses.