We build a fire and all repeatedly bow in the direction of the Googleplex chanting over and over: "Increase my ROI. Increase my ROI." (I hear there's a similar AdSense secret group that chants, "Don't kick me out AdSense. Don't kick me out of AdSense.") Then after a round of secret handshakes, we whisper the secrets to each other just in case we'd forgotten them. I think that's a side effect of those Maltese hops.
There's a web page where you can fill out an application for this group, but naturally, it's a secret.
Hard work, trial and error and reading this forum.
My 'secret' is very much like sem4u's: The more you work at it, the better you'll get at it.
While it is certainly possible to create an account rather quickly, and then 'set it & forget it', this'll probably bring an advertiser only moderate results at best.
My secret, said another way: keep learning, monitoring, experimenting, adjusting, and improving. And, possibly, expanding.
AWA
[edited by: ElizabethReynolds at 7:28 pm (utc) on Mar. 24, 2005]
I didn't reply because there really isn't a lot of "fact" published anywhere about how AdWords actually works. Lots of theories and rules change from one day to the next.
I would NOT recommend the popular book "Building your Business with Google AdWords". Lots of outdated and incorrect information. The rest is so obvious, you don't need a book to figure it out.
"Secrets" I'll let out (and the last thing I would do is meet in the park with the guys):
1) Including prices helps.
2) A broad match is not what you think it is. It will behave like an exact match until the broad match gets 1,000 impressions or something.
3) No matter what Google says, be sure to include plurals, articles, numerals as well as the words for them.
4) Aim for the top of the column or the bottom of the column (if there are 6 or so ads).
5) Make your offer as clear as possible in the ad. You don't want them clicking just to find out what you're all about.
patient2all
One other thing, though keywords are not spidered as much anymore, they are still very important to content relevance. If you stray off topic you'll turn people off very quickly.
My Secret: Get some $100 adwords vouchers from the google booth and run tests on things you would be scared to spend your own money on. Repeat after every trade show.
My curiosity is getting the better of me, werty. How have these 'risky' ads worked out for you? Had it been "real" money, would you have come out ahead?
Sounds like this would be best done with vouchers from the WebmasterWorld conference in Las Vegas!
;) AWA