Do you click?
A few months ago, I received an offer in the mail at my press address: start advertising with Google Ad Words and get a $75 credit to the account. Well, always interested in new marketing approaches that will get my book some visibility with more readers, I decided to take advantage of the offer.
The way it works is that Google will match your ad wording and your keyword triggers to Google searches or Google paid-placement ads. Your ad will be displayed if certain criteria are met, and if a person is interested, they will click on the ad, which links to a pre-specifed page (mine is my Amazon book page). If they click, then I pay a fee, up to a pre-specified limit.
I created a few ads, selected some keyword triggers, and then tracked the status online, via the Google Ad Words user interface over the course of a couple of weeks. Here’s what I found:
1. I can’t conclusively tell yet whether sales went up or down on the paperback edition, but I suspect they went up (at least a little) on my ebook. I don’t have up-to-the-minute tracking capability for these electronic sales, so I will have to wait until the end of the month to know for sure.
2. One ad worked MUCH better than the others in terms of getting clicks. But not noticeably better in terms of book sales (as far as I can tell). Evidently the product didn’t live up to the advertising.
So, here’s what I want to know from you guys:
1. Do you pay attention to the ads displayed to the right of the Google search listings? Or the Google ads on blogs?
2. Do you ever click on them?
3. Have you ever purchased anything as a result of clicking on a Google ad?
Also, do you have any suggestions on how I can improve my ad? Here’s the one that’s worked best so far:
Sweet & Sexy Romance
Discover debut author
Alyssa Goodnight!
www.amazon.com
And a few others:
Witty Regency Romance
Discover debut author
Alyssa Goodnight!
www.amazon.com
Debut Romance Author
Discover Alyssa Goodnight!
Available in paperback or ebook.
www.amazon.com
Three lines only (character limited), plus a link.
Thanks for any feedback or suggestions!
04/19/2010 at 12:16 pm
Have never used Google Ads and only clicked on them for a blogger friend (who eventually stopped using them). But if you're seeing some positive results, stay with it. When it comes to marketing books, pull out all the stops!
04/19/2010 at 1:55 pm
I never click on those ads, I guess just to protect myself and my computer. You never know what your clicking on until you get there
04/19/2010 at 6:16 pm
Sorry, I never click on the ads.
04/19/2010 at 6:32 pm
It's such a subjective thing, books, but I would pay attention to "Witty Regency Romance" simply because that's my taste. I've never clicked through and bought that way, though.
04/19/2010 at 7:26 pm
I have to admit…I never click on the ads either. Just figured why not give it a shot?
04/19/2010 at 7:41 pm
I purposely don't click on the ads because I know they are ads. That being said. If I do like what I see in said ad, I would go find it myself…but that has actually never happened. 😉
BUT – If I were trying to sell something, I believe you must try every possible channel.
04/19/2010 at 8:59 pm
I do look at the ads and I have them on my blog. It's fun to see what is paired up with my crazy mind. I like the first one the best.
Would you like to do a guest blog at my place in a week or two to promote you book and offer a link. I have an interview today and another guest post next week so I'd like to space it out but I'd be happy to help get the word out. for you.
04/19/2010 at 9:23 pm
1. Not really.
2. Sometimes but mostly only when I don't realize they are ads.
3. Probably but again I probably didn't realize they were ads.
04/20/2010 at 4:42 am
thx u very much, i learn a lot
04/20/2010 at 4:54 am
I don't click on the ads. I like your first one best. )