netmeg - 7:13 pm on Jul 22, 2008 (gmt 0)

I believe that AdWords has become too complicated and intimidating for a lot of small business owners.

I've taken over accounts for small businesses who just couldn't afford the time it takes to learn how to do it right, and the various nuances of the search network, the content network, quality scores, etc.

Sure, Google offers that 'starter edition' - but basically that's just Budget Optimizer, and that lumps Search in with Content, no geo targeting, and sets an absurd maximum CPC amount. I recently took over two small business accounts that were 'starter editions' - one was for a local roofer, and the other for a small skydiving business. Both were on the verge of giving up AdWords completely, because they were racking up all these costs and didn't know how to set it up correctly, nor how to analyze the results and fine tune. In one case, I found the 'auto' generated bids set to $3.82 per click; when I took it out of starter edition, I was able to set all the bids to $.30 and maintain a #2 ad position with great quality scores. That's just irresponsible on Google's part - no wonder the clients give up on it.

I went to an AdWords seminar last year that was billed as an intermediate-to-advanced course, but it was filled to the brim with end users who knew it was going to be above their level, but it was the only seminar that's come to our area so far, and they were *desperate* to learn more about managing their AdWords accounts. All of them had regular jobs to do, and not enough time to devote to a system that just grows more and more complicated and that feels weighted against the small business person.

I ended up giving out more business cards and getting more business myself out of that one seminar just on the basis of the questions I was asking.

No, I don't think it's the economy at all. Small businesses are *desperate* to be able to join the party. But I think Google has made it too difficult, costly, and intimidating for them to join, or keep going with their accounts. Not all of them can afford people like me to help out.

(And I realize pointing this out is somewhat against my own interests, because it's for this very reason that I get clients, but on the other hand, I'm booked solid, and this is something Google really needs to pay attention to)

My opinion, anyway.