Short Definition: Google’s paid advertising service based on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model.

What is Google AdWords?

Google’s AdWords platform is for businesses looking to advertise with Google’s ad network. This flexible platform allows businesses to set a daily budget for their ads and only pay when people click those ads, or by a variety of other methods. AdWords focuses primarily on using keywords to the target audience.

When creating an advertisement for AdWords, businesses should think about how people will search Google for their products. Targeting the right keywords will cause your advertisement to show up in a relevant search query, depending on your bid. AdWords ads appear near the top of Google search results under the heading “Sponsored Links” or on the right side of the page. When a web user clicks on the link, they’ll be directed to your website.

Types of Keyword Matching

When you set up your AdWords campaign, you’ll have several types of keyword matching options available. Here are the different types of keyword matching:

• Broad Match– This will reach the most users by showing your ad (and bidding) whenever your keyword is searched for.
• Negative Match– This option prevents your ad from showing when a certain word or phrase is searched for.
• Phrase Match– This will show your ad when someone searches for a specific phrase.
• Exact Match– Your ad will be shown only when the exact phrase is searched for.

You can combine many of these keyword matching options in your campaign to create a specific AdWords operation that works for your business.

Advertising Networks

Google has two main networks which you can use to show your ads. Depending which one you choose, your ads will be shown to different customers.

Google Display Network– The Display Network will show your ads to millions of websites, and uses contextual targeting based on your keywords or campaigns topic to place the ads. You can show your ads to specific websites, online videos, mobile website, and even apps. You can even create remarketing campaigns to target users who are already interested in your products. The Google Display Network allows you to send your ad across the Internet.

Google Search Network- The Search Network is Google’s group of search-related websites and apps where your ads can appear. If you choose to advertise on the Search Network, your ad can show near the search results when someone searches for terms related to one of your keywords.