Aug
PPC Campaigns: Alternatives to Google AdWords
Google, of course, is the 900-pound gorilla of search engines, clearly dominating in the number of online searches performed daily. However, Google also equals Garbage, as the site attracts every unserious lookie-loo and teeny-bop with time to kill out there.
That being the case, is Google the best place to start your pay-per-click advertising campaign? Yes, if you do your research and prepare well, Google could well be the route to take. Making Google especially attractive are the offers of $25, even $50, in free PPC clicks offered by certain hosting companies when you sign up.
Still, you may want to get your feet wet elsewhere, as this is a costly proposition, and unless your PPC budget results in traffic conversions (sales) that double–at least–your PPC expenditures, you’re wasting your time and money.
Using a list developed by Michael Bloch, I’ve researched Bloch’s recommendations and narrowed his list of alternative PPC providers to three.
ABC Search offers both geotargeting and so-called click-fraud protection and will match you $100 for $100 when you sign up, but be careful–that generally means you have to agree for automatic renewal at $100 when your first "donation" runs out.
Bidvertiser also offers geotargeting and fraud protection and goes one step further–it allows you to choose the sites on which your ads will appear. You can also get $20 in free clicks as a new bidvertiser.
Search123, though it offers no geotargeting or stated fraud protection, maintains a huge network of partners and offers $20 in free clicks for your first $50 entry. What I liked about Search123 is the care and detail with which they explain their program. I eliminated many other services because they had no explanation, just a form to sign up. (Careful: 123Search is a virus-like copycat that will take over your browser.)
Now, any PPC campaign is only as good as the keyword phrases chosen for bidding. The traditional tools for keyword research are WordTracker and Keyword Discovery, but if you want to use both (a definite plus), join NicheBot, which is the service I use. If you want a good piece of automated software that will assemble your profitable keywords and phrases for you, then use Niche Inspector.
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