JamieTurner - 10:30 am on Apr 16, 2009 (gmt 0)

Very strong post. Lots to appreciate and consider.
In particular, I agree with Yoshimi's comment:

"In every area of business you make a decision, is this something I want to devote time to? Do I have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to do this right? Will hiring a professional to do it for me pay off (increased ROI, time to do other things etc). You then have 3 options, 1.learn
2.hire someone
3.don't do it."

Good pragmatic advice.

I also wonder about some of the 'difficulties' some folks have complained about here:

"I still to this day do not know what a "quality score" is or how to get one. I also can't recall whether it's adwords or adsense is the one that you put on your hompage to make money."

And, "Heck, I even have trouble with the basic terms Adwords and Adsense!"

Maybe writing down the answers when you find them onto a reference sheet would help. Then you could read what you remembered learning, and so improve in your knowledge for the effort.

Or, "I used to read manuals when they made them (1980's). Nowadays I expect software to be intuitive. And if I look at a help screen I expect it to tell me how to do what I want to do."

Errr? Manuals can be found far easier than ever before. They're just digitally bound and stored 'virtually' everywhere you can imagine...even at libraries. And for a fraction of the 1980's cost.

And if you 'expect' solutions for a major profit source to be dropped onto your screen because you want it to be so, then maybe it's the 'work ethic' that should be called into question. Great rewards do not come easy or by way of shortcuts. If they did, the rewards wouldn't be so great.

There is an abundance of resource materials, blogs, websites, books, etc. to help anyone who wants to learn, will spend a little effort, and can read.

If a person isn't willing to look for answers in Google's help files, forums, etc, then what more can be offered to the horse who will not drink? Google adwords is not a quick study for success, and a "fast-food" mentality of "I want it my way now!" is foolish, and smacks of entitlement.

Yes, it's a challenge. Outsource if you don't want to put the effort and time in, or if you can't for any number of legitimate reasons.