There has been a lot of debate in recent months about Google AdWords. When the Big G cut off access to organic keyword referral data, most SEOs believed it was an effort to force businesses into the PPC arena. And from there, the debate has focused on whether or not AdWords can work for a small business on a budget. The bubbling AdWords for small business conversation reached the mainstream media in mid-February in the form of a piece from The New York Times that concluded that AdWords is completely ineffective for small business and startups.
The article focuses on the cost of AdWords. The internet has given consumers more choice and more buying power than ever. As such, AdWords has become an extremely competitive sandbox in which to play. The Times piece quoted Kate Finnegan, founder of shopping app Hukkster. She said that it was just too expensive to test keywords to determine what drives traffic. And another business owner, Jennifer Blumin, of Skylight Group, cited an inundation of unqualified leads as the source of her frustration with the platform.
These are viable frustrations. It can be very expensive to operate on the AdWords platform. And if you don’t quite know what you’re doing, it truly can be a waste of money.