Adwords on a resource website

[PumpkinHead]

I started a resource website (With Adsense/Amazon Links) a couple of months back, which is fully indexed by MSN, partly indexed by Yahoo! and not listed at all in Google (Not even by domain name).

I'm thinking of starting my first adwords campaign for two reasons:

1. Bring in more quality traffic and hoping that my visitors will bookmark my site for future reference.
2. To gain some Adwords experience

I have some questions...so any input would be appreciated:

1. Should I even bother with Adwords if my site isn't indexed with Google?
2. How much money will I need to start off with? It's only an experiment really.
3. How do I calculate how much to bid for my keyword(s)?
4. Does Adwords work for resource websites?
5. Do Google provide tools for monitoring Adword clicks?

Thanks all :)

[Steve6]

1. Should I even bother with Adwords if my site isn't indexed with Google?

Yes, you should. Since most people use Google to search, if you use AdWords then they will see you. Otherwise they will not.

2. How much money will I need to start off with? It's only an experiment really.

You will pay a $5 setup fee. After that, you will pay a minimum of $.05 per click. In other words, without knowing more about what you're selling, it's impossible to know how much it will cost to advertise it.

3. How do I calculate how much to bid for my keyword(s)?

Figure out how much you earn for a "conversion." Multiply that by your expected conversion rate. (Our conversion rate last month was 17%, but we consider a sales lead to be a conversion. If you only consider a purchase to be a conversion, then your conversion rate may be lower.) Now you know what a click is worth. Bid this amount. Most of this is a wild guess until you monitor the account for a while.

4. Does Adwords work for resource websites?

Adwords works for any site where the owner is willing to pay to get people to visit. How much are you willing to pay to get people to visit your web site? Don't set your daily budget much higher than that.

5. Do Google provide tools for monitoring Adword clicks?

Yes. If you can paste their conversion code in the appropriate page, Google will monitor your conversion rate. You can also monitor the clicks by scanning your web logs for accesses to your Adwords landing page.