Google turns seven

Seven years ago, Google first opened its door in Menlo Park, California. The door came with a remote control -- because it was a garage door. Thanks to all of our users, we don’t have to work in a garage anymore.

To celebrate our birthday, here’s our gift to you: 7 AdWords tips -- tried, tested, and true:

1) Identify your goals
Decide what you want to achieve so that you can build effective campaigns for your business. For example, a party supply store might decide to drive sales of their birthday candles.

2) Build a relevant, targeted keyword list
Choose specific keywords, like ‘dripless birthday candles,’ rather than broad ones such as 'candles.'

3) Use the right keyword matching
Take advantage of our various matching options to choose the ones that make sense for you. Use negative keywords like ‘wholesale’ to filter out unwanted party store traffic.

4) Organize your campaign
Create separate Ad Groups based on theme. Put all of your party hat keywords in one Ad Group and all of your birthday candles keywords in another.

5) Write clear, compelling ad text
Write separate ads with targeted text for each product line. Emphasize unique aspects of your product or service and include a strong call-to-action such as “Check out our wide selection” or “Buy party supplies today.”

6) Choose useful destination pages
Send users to landing pages that relate directly to your ad text to help turn prospects into customers. Make it easy for someone looking for purple crepe streamers to find them.

7) Track results frequently and modify your campaign
Assess your stats; measure your successes. Use Google’s tools to help you.

Posted by Arielle & Vivian, Inside AdWords crew