Same Game, New Rules: Online Advertising with Google AdWords API
Youve probably heard over the grapevine something called Google AdWords API. Just three little letters and yet, it is a big thing to those who know what it means. But just before youre told what API means, heres a quick description of what AdWords is and how it works:
When you conduct a search on Google, you will find that along the listings on the results page are text ads. These ads are what Google calls AdWords. These ads are placed by businesses, which have signed on with Google on the AdWords program. The kinds of ads shown are relevant to the topic you looked up.
Google, however, does not charge for simply showing the ads. The advertiser will pay only when a Google user clicks on the ad. The cost per click (CPC) is determined via bidding where the advertisers value a keywords CPC depending on how popular and how often the keyword is used. Basically, the principle is that the more popular the keyword is, the higher the CPC becomes.
This setup has made it so that business, big and small alike, can conduct an effective and cost-efficient advertising campaign online. However, even...