The Best Google Adwords Tool?

I've been asked several times to divulge the tools I use for optimizing my Google Adwords campaigns. It's not a secret and if you are savvy (hint: READ A LOT), you don't even have to pay a penny to find a great tool that will get you lots of targeted traffic at a minimal cost.

Keep in mind the rule of thumb that unless you have a bazillion dollars to spend, don't even think about going up against the guys who target one or two word keyphrases. Those are sucked up as soon as they're hot and there s plenty of traffic to be had amongst the three or more keyphrases or long-tails as I call them.

The best Google Adwords tool also happens to be completely free. It's Google's own keyword research tool. Laugh if you will, but if you know how to use it, you can find those profitable long-tails that sit there in the pile, largely unnoticed. Google's keyword tool even tells you how much you can expect to pay to get to the top three (above the fold) in results for long-tails. With a few guidelines, you can profit significantly with Google Adwords.

My experience tells me that you need to pretty much ignore any long-tails that give you less than a thousands searches a month. Also, pay attention to the search volume trends graphs. If there are a few minor dips over a year, thats to be expected, and you are looking for consistency over a long period. If the long-tail has been spiraling downward over several months, take the hint and AVOID IT. It's probably at the end of its usefulness to you and a waste of good money.

Lastly (but not leastly), think about your cost per click and how high it is in proportion to the traffic it brings. If you have Micro Niche Finder, this is easy to figure out, since the tool has already provided you with a green light if a long-tail is going to be worth the price. If you use Google's Keyword Tool, you can still visually assess whether the CPC is worth a go. Use common sense. This isn't rocket science or some secret formula. If a long-tail is bringing in a thousand searches a month, assume a 5-7% clickthrough, and multiply the CPC times 5-7% of the number of searches per month. Keep in mind, the deeper you dig, the more you will find those bargain bin priced long-tails with a grand of searches a month.