Adwords: Money for nothing or works?

[Edserv]

If you really want to learn how to get a positive ROI from adwords, learn everything you can from Perry Marshall (just google "Perry Marshall.") He also (I believe) released a book about adwords. (You should be able to find it on Amazon, and at your favorite bookstore.) But you can also Google PM and download some of his best stuff for 30 ro 40 bucks (plus or minus). I did Adwords in 2005/6 for a non-sign related web site, and his advice got me into the black for adwords almost overnight. Adwords is addictive and immediate, and can also drain your bank account really fast if you don't know what you're doing. I've stuck with the "organic" or "free" key words for the last 4/5 years. Harder work up front, easier on the wallet. Our best key word is "vinyl banners" in Google. We normally rank on the first page for Lets Go Banners (just "google" vinyl banners). I can get to number 1 or 2, but being in Hawaii, we are getting killed on shipping, so until I pair up with a mainland company, I'm not in a hurry.
Good luck
Chris
Lets Go Banners

 

[signmeup]

Chris, you came up 29th on my search. (#1 is for a site that is "out of service") I looked at the source code and you have 7 keyword phrases on the homepage and none on the other pages. I'm trying to learn this "SEO" thing and I look at source code on top ranked sites. They all seem to have about the same amount of keywords as your site. I see no real super duper differences amoung any sites I look at. The #1 site typically has pretty much the same keywords as the 129th one. What am I not seeing here? The number 2 site has keyworks like "quick" in it. If I google "quick" I'm supposed to find this guy's banner site? I don't get it.

 

[CES020]

What you are not seeing is the rest of SEO. You don't get to the top of the google search by using relative keywords for your business. There is MUCH MUCH more to SEO than adwords and keywords. You won't find the secrets in any source code on anyone's pages because the core of SEO doesn't rely as much on that as other things.

SEO is not magic. It's work. Hard work, lots of research, and then the ability to work on it every week to make any changes needed.

You can have the most relative keywords in all of Google, but if someone that has poor keywords did all of the other things, they'll beat you every time.

If you are really serious about getting your site to the top, PM Dan (or contact another SEO company) and see how much he's charge to help you. I suspect it's not as expensive as you might think.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Thus lies the problem in me responding too much here; either I'm bragging, or I'm trolling.

A bit off topic...

I believe that by paying for a merchant member account, Dan is entitled to promote his business in any way he wants. I don't see him being all that pushy though. There are many people on here that post their website layouts and I cannot recall him ever hard-selling his services.

There are not too many people in his position that personally take the time to post here. As said before, we should be honored to have his presence at signs101. My guess is that he would do just fine if he never renewed his membership and quit posting here.

Not too many people are going to give up inside information that makes their business successful

 

[miltondavis]

There are not too many people in his position that personally take the time to post here. As said before, we should be honored to have his presence at signs101. My guess is that he would do just fine if he never renewed his membership and quit posting here.
Not too many people are going to give up inside information that makes their business successful

 

[CentralSigns]

Back to the start and a Big Sorry to Dan. :U Rock: I did purchase a small amount of adwords. $30 a month, they called it 71 cents a click and cost me a $10 set up fee. Got a ton of words and word combinations to add to my organic areas.

As it sits I haven't had a click, nothing. I've had the site up for close to 2 weeks and my site comes up right away with adwords campaign and it hasn't cost a cent more than the $10 set up fee. Is there customers using the internet for signs? I get as good with organic listings in Yellowpages or by Google Maps or Search. It is slow time of the year up here maybe Canadians don't shop the same as you all due down south. Kind of discuraging.
Thanks for the lively replies though.

 

[CentralSigns]

Thanks Dan for all your help. I'll never think about adwords the same again. Your ideas are bang on. As a sign shop I never would have thought that way. Again thanks for your help

 

[darkdan]

I've got a customer that does internet advertising and marketing.

His opinion on adwords is they're great if you're converting sales online. If you're not, then they are a waste of money.

So if you have an online store selling yard signs, adwords are for you.

If you have a store front sign shop trying to get more web traffic, adwords are a waste of money for you.

 

[leerees]

Adwords isn't the thing for sign companies in my opinion in fact, it's a complete waste of money unless you are going to spend money on owning mutiple blogs and sites. Basically when you enter the world of adwords you are competing with millions of other webmasters. You need to approach it from a different angle.

I get A LOT of work by advertising my site in free business directories. Here in the UK there are a lot of online business directories and since submitting my site I get daily phone calls. We always ask where new customers heard from us and it's always so and so directory.

The directory that gets us the most work is http://www.touchluton.com/business/list/bid/6196384. Search for Sign Makers Direct and you will find us. They offer a featured listing for a fee but we never bothered as we get enough hits from them as it is.

 

[CentralSigns]

Not ????

A update on Adwords works or not. I've had 3 clicks since my last post one got me a $600 job. The other 2 dropped. The Adwords campaign is Canada wide, from east coast to west coast, my name is listed in top 10 on left. I started with $40 and now have $27, it's been 6 months. Lots of talk about weather I was wasting money, I would get clicked to death, did I waste money, can't tell. Will I ever spend my first months money, at this rate it should last to 2015 or beyond. Organic words have got me more clicks, Striker was right on word associations. Do Adwords work, I would have to say that they don't either way.
Maybe I just have a poor web site, although I get compliments for locals on it. Must not be a market for signs in Canada via a website. If any help or suggestions lay out there, I'll thank you for speaking out. I am definately disappointed with the Adword results.

 

[CentralSigns]

Bump

 

[signmeup]

Chances are pretty good that you will get 1/10th the result of a US company because there are 1/10th as many Canadians to do the clicking. So where you sold one job your US counterpart would sell 10.

I think that selling a $600 job for a $30 investment is better that a poke in the eye. BTW, I keep getting coupons from Google for $100 in free adwords. Are you getting these?

 

[CentralSigns]

No never got one. $100 would keep me going for another year at least.

 

[signswi]

A lot of discussion in this thread about local search. Might want to check out Google Places as part of your marketing strategy.

 

[Finalcutprox]

So we should just start sending all those banner and sign requests we get in emails to you, since you are local?

:U Rock: LOL I'm really tired of those guys calling and emailing our business with those 50+ banner orders. I almost fall the first time...