Google AdWords – An Introduction

Having just recently entered into the field of pay per click advertising, I can relate to those new to AdWords who feel that it's a difficult and complex beast to master. In studying towards the completion of the AdWords certification exams, I have discovered a few official resources that aid in bringing this beast under control.

AdWords certification Program Learning Centre

The first of many sections in the Learning Centre

This should be your first stop when learning how to use the AdWords system. It features a comprehensive and lengthy guide that walks you through each and every setting available in the interface, from broad starting points such as adding campaigns and ad groups, through to advanced features like automated tasks and linking a Google Analytics account.

A typical overview of a website in Google Analytics

The Learning Centre also contains an extensive section on using Google Analytics and the AdWords Editor, which is the desktop version of AdWords. Google Analytics provides you with essential data to help you analyse the ins and outs of how AdWords visitors are behaving on your website; while the AdWords Editor is a desktop program that allows you to manage and make changes to your AdWords accounts and campaigns in a much more efficient manner.

By reading through and studying this resource, you should develop a fairly solid understanding of the features of AdWords and will set yourself up to be able to tackle the more advanced tasks associated with the program.

AdWords Agency Help

The AdWords Agency Help page features more advanced topics that are targeted at users operating on an SEO/PPC Agency level. It covers areas such as the My Client Centre, Third-party Reporting Requirements, competition analysis and proper usage of the keyword tool and the statistics it produces.

Engage for Agencies

Engage for Agencies is a series of AdWords training webinars that guide you through the advanced uses of the application. It begins with an introduction to online advertising which goes into detail about the online world and Google's place in it, followed by guides on generating business through AdWords, account optimisation and account management. Each video is quite informative and good to watch, especially after developing your base knowledge through the Learning Centre mentioned earlier.

Google AdWords and Analytics Blogs

Wrapping up my list of official Google resources are the Adwords and Analytics Blogs. Each of these contain a wealth of information for both applications and should be one of the first places you look for any new developments or insights.

Are you also new to google AdWords? Do you have suggestions for additional resources or have tips and tricks that could help anyone new to application? Contact us and let us know!