Good News for Google Advertisers: the New Google Transparency Rule

Have you hired a company to handle your online advertising? Here’s some new information straight from Google that you might not have heard yet. Google now requires that every company who is managing a pay per click, or AdWords, campaign as a third party (for someone else) must reveal to their client exactly how much of their money is being spent with Google. The great news is that you’ll be able to make some smart comparison decisions with this information.

http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=152979

Up until now, these companies have been collecting large sums of money to maintain an online presence for small companies who don’t have the time to do it themselves. The problem is that these third-party companies had no regulation and they have been pocketing up to 80% of the money and advertising with the rest.

How does your current company stack up?

Now you may have been with your current company for a long time and have a great relationship with the rep. But is that worth spending more for fewer leads? It is not uncommon to find out that for the $3000 a month a company has been spending, they are only getting $1200 in advertising. Imagine the huge grin I see on their faces when I tell them that we can get them $2500 in advertising without spending a dime more than they’re already spending.

What can you do?

Even though this rule went into effect February 1, 2011, your advertising provider may not be anxious to share this information with you unless you ask. Call your rep today and find out the exact dollar amount that is being spent for your Google Adwords account and then when you compare that amount with another company, you’ll either know that you’ve already got the best deal or you’ll know it’s time to look for a new provider.

If your provider will not provide this information, you should lodge a complaint with Google – http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/request.py?contact_type=gap_complaint

Diane Hibbs is an internet marketing professional focusing on business owners to assist them in winning the game of search marketing. Her free Lunch and Learn Webinars are full of tips and methods that help business owners to learn ways to increase website traffic. To register or to learn more cost-effective marketing strategies for your business, visit Page One Marketing today.