Google AdWords for Dummies

I think a slightly better title for this book would be "Online Marketing with AdWords for Dummies". I say that because the book goes beyond just AdWords to talk about the peripheral systems involved. Personally, I was after purely AdWords information, so the extra stuff was just something to be ignored and bypassed. That added material aside, if you want a VERY thorough walk through AdWords, this book will serve your needs quite well. It is dense, full of very useful information and techniques. The author also includes a great deal of supporting info and tools on a support website, which helps to keep things up-to-date. All in all, a fantastic investment.

I bought both Adwords for Dummies and the Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords and they are both good books but the Dummies guide has proven more useful. First off, the Dummies guide is about 90 pages longer, feels more comprehensive, has more step by step instructions and has many more screen shots than the other guide. What's more, the Dummies format makes it familiar once you open the cover, so it's easier to digest information with familiar icons, tips and warnings throughout, especially if you're not an expert at this stuff. Secondly, the $25 Google Adwords gift card (which was actually $30 for me as it also covered the $5 sign up fee) was great and easy to use. Make sure you apply it to your Adwords account when you sign up or within 15 days of signing up. The Ultimate Guide to Adwords cover says it has details on a "Free Google Success Toolkit" ($85 value) inside, but I have yet to find it. Looked in the index, intro, front and back covers, kind of irritating.

I usually don't buy the Dummies books, but I decided to buy this one because of the good reviews and the fact that it was the most current title on adwords available. I had already signed up for adwords before buying the book and I really didn't know a whole lot about it. I was just trying to understand all the options offered but didn't really know how to use them to my advantage. This book explained it all and really showed me how to run an adwords campaign the right way. With the $25 credit for google adwords it really is basically free...but I'd say that even without the credit. The information is more valuable than the price of the book.

When I started flipping through the pages of this book, I started to feel a sense of relief that someone finally made the complex system of Adwords simple. Even for someone who knows the system well, like myself, to be able to have a book like this is like a breath of fresh air.....because it targets and highlights the key elements you need to know. Sometimes we end up knowing too much on something, and the real key is knowing EXACTLY the most important elements. Howie did a brilliant job of making this book user friendly and at adding in more content that ties directly to Adwords...like conversion and landing pages. I even found a quick tip I implemented immediately on my site at UnlockTheGame.com...I added "7 days a week, 24 hours a day" next to my phone numbers and my inbound calls leads have dramatically improved. Something so simple, which most online marketers miss. Thanks Howie for a great resource.

I've played around with purchasing ad words for several years, but I've never really understood enough to get the results I was hoping for. Despite the high potential, it's a subject that can very quickly get complicated. Then along came Howie Jacobson's wonderful new book, and suddenly it all began to make sense. In typical "Dummies" style, this book makes it clear how ad words work and how to set them up to your advantage, and miraculously, it does it all in a painless (okay, enjoyable) way. If you've been wanting to take part in the biggest thing to hit advertising since the invention of the 30 second TV commercial, but didn't know how or where to start, buy this book and you'll be on your way. You'd be a dummy not to.