With Adwords Profits 2, Jacobo Benitez joins the myriad of Ebook authors writing on the subject of Google’s popular Pay-Per-Click program. But, rather than just rehashing the usual PPC advice, Benitez attempts to stand out by discussing how Adwords can be used as a basis for a home business model.
On the whole, AP2 succeeds in its goal, and the concept described is a sound strategy, based on testing and taking a long-term view on results.
I’m always pleased to review a training product that promotes an online business philosophy of reasonable effort and realistic expectations; so reading AP2 was a pleasant experience.
AP2 is a total of 57 pages and makes good use of screenshots to break up the text. However I couldn’t escape an overall sense that their wasn’t really enough content to tackle the subject in a depth that a complete beginner would require. Free updates for customers are promised by the author, but readers with some existing knowledge of PPC – and internet marketing in general – will probably find the AP2 strategy much easier to implement.
However, the main problem that AP2 runs into is that which afflicts most PPC ebooks – the subject is just too broad to do it justice in just one volume. There are dozens of different elements relating to PPC, any one of which could be the subject of an entire book. When writing a more general book about Google Adwords, authors have to struggle with the problems of which areas to focus on, and the order in which to present the material.
AP2 tackles this better than most, but still struggles occasionally to present information in a logical sequence. In this instance, the brevity of AP2 actually works in its favour because it doesn’t take too much effort to read and absorb all of the material, at which point you should have enough understanding to be able to piece the puzzle together.
In terms of originality, AP2 fares well, pointing the reader towards a good variety of resources, while describing them in a level of detail and familiarity that gives the clear impression that these are the exact tools of which the author himself makes use. The focus of these recommendations seems to be geared towards free or low cost services; a consideration that will probably be gratefully received by most readers.
The section I was most keen to read was that which discussed the PPC adverts themselves and how to improve click-thru rates and costs per click. Some of the old favourites were present – techniques that have worked for many years and of which most advertisers still seem blissfully unaware.
There were one or two key ommissions that I was surprised not to see included in the strategies section, but Benitez makes up for this with a couple of real gems – ideas that were new to me and that I’m keen to try. I would have liked to have seen more information in this area, but what’s there is enough to give you a very good start.
As already suggested, I would be more inclined to recommend this ebook to a online marketer with some experience, rather than a complete beginner. If you have some existing understanding of PPC and online marketing, and you’re looking for a solid business model to try, then AP2 is a reasonable choice.
But if you’re very new to PPC, then you don’t necessarily need to be excluded. It’s a little known fact that Google has an Adwords Learning Centre – a free and extensive set of lessons on everything related to using PPC, including a quiz at the end of each module so you can test yourself.
Combine what you can learn at the Adwords Learning Centre with Adwords Profits 2, and you have virtually everything you need to start your online business.
Go To – Adwords Learning Centre
Cary (The Job Killer) Richards, The Marketing Mentor Institute
January 8, 2009 at 7:41 am
Good review,
haven’t read the book so I can’t really comment. However I’d like to suggest that If you are a beginner, that PPC is not really were you want to be starting. It’s VERY easy to get in over your head and cost yourself hundreds of dollars in clicks and get nothing for it but a good lesson. (Ask me how I know this!?)
I believe that starting a blog just like or similar to this one and using some good solid, up to the minute Viral, social media SEO techniques is a much better way to start.
Have you tried some of the new social media SEO strategies?
How often do you post, how often do you join other conversations?
let’s have a conversation. leave a reply at http://www.marketinginst.com
David Congreave
January 8, 2009 at 11:27 am
I’m inclined to agree that most beginners would probably find PPC a tricky area to use to get started – but I think it can also depend on your interests.
If done right PPC can be more reliable, and safer, than any other marketing method available, because you can approach it mathemtically and measure EVERYTHING.
But you have to really enjoy the art of measuring, split-testing, CPCs, etc.
Most people will be fine with PPC as long as they do a bit of research first – at least enough to know how to turn on the daily budget
Shelagh Jones
January 8, 2009 at 11:50 am
Seth Godin makes a very telling point on his blog http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/do-ads-work.html
He says:
Digital ads are different (or they should be). You should know cost per click and revenue per click and be able to make a smart guess about lifetime value of a click. And if that’s positive, buy, buy, buy.
And if you don’t know those things, why are you buying digital ads?
When Amazon was at its key growth peak, the mantra there was $33. They would buy unlimited ads, of any kind, as long as they generated new customers for $33 or less each. There was a risk that $33 was too high a number for the business to sustain, but the ads were no risk at all. As long as they came in under that number, there was unlimited money to buy them.
How often do you hear the marketing person say, “that’s a neat idea, but we don’t have the budget this year”?
Shouldn’t she say, “We have an unlimited budget for ads that work”…
Cary Richards, Marketing Mentor Institute
January 8, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Hey, Seth Godin rocks,
But I don’t think he was necessarily talking about beginner Internet marketers when he said those things.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-PPC
I’m just saying you can do all the same things regarding testing and tracking, plus learn a lot more about what you’re doing regarding who your customers are and how to relate to them by using some of the latest social media, organic SEO techniques.
Plus, other than the time input, which I agree can be substantial, It’s FREE!
That’s the thing, Most new internet marketers have way more time than they do money. SO why not spend the thng you have the most of and learn more to boot.
I would recommend Colin “Google” McDougall’s white paper called “Constant Conversation” as a great resource on this subject.
You can get in for free at http://www.marketinginst.com
Cary Richards, Marketing Mentor Institute
January 9, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Another quick word about PPC versus social media organic SEO…..
What you need to do to be successful with PPC is spend a lot of time and probably money researching and testing to find out who exactly your customer is and what exactly they are thinking so that you can find out what the exact key word or words are that will trigger them to come to your site and then stay there long enough to actually buy something!
This can be very successful if done properly.
On the other hand, with the social media SEO technique all you have to do to find those things out is get into a conversation with your potential customers and ASK THEM!
Oh by the way. IT’S FREE!
Everybody talks about SEO can anybody tell me what VEO means?
Find out at http://www.marketinginst.com
David Congreave
January 12, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Cary – Thank you for your comments, but your arguements would probably have more weight, if it wasn’t blatantly obvious that your main goal is to promote your own website.
I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it’s just a rookie mistake, but please keep your website out of the comments – it’s not good netiquette. Having it linked to from your name is quite sufficient.
Thank you.
Cary Richards, Marketing Mentor Institute
January 13, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Hi David,
My Bad,
I have a tendency to get a little to salesy on some of my comments. Thanks for the reminder.
Cary