The Pay Per Click Dilemma

There has been a lot of talk lately and a lot written about Google's latest change to their Adwords algorithm. There have also been a fair share of casualties from this change. Some people I've spoken to are complaining that their per click bids have rocketed to unsustainable levels.

One web site owner I spoke to, in particular, highlighted the fact that up until recently he had been paying about $0.50 per click for a particular keyword. Since the change at Google, his average cost has risen to about $4.50, which is a massive increase to say the least.


So let me try and clear the air a little bit and give you some clarity on what’s going on. A lot of folks have created specific Adwords web sites. What this means is that you get to a web site with advertising (using high priced keywords), you click on the ad only to be taken to another page with ads and so the process goes on. Another problem is that a lot of these sites do not distinguish between the content and the sponsored links. The publisher of the web site profits handsomely by only targeting the high paying keywords and not really having relevant content or a decent user experience.

More often than not the user gets frustrated and loses trust, over time, in Google ads and will never click on a Google ad again. This isn’t good for Google’s long-term plans and in-turn it isn’t good for the publisher’s of these web sites.

Google is steadfast on ensuring that web sites or more specifically – landing pages, have relevant content and provide a unique user experience.

So what is happening now, is that owners of web sites which are specifically made for Adwords, are being penalized. The problem is that legitimate sites have also suffered as a result of the changes at Google.

Google aren’t saying much about the recent changes but a good point of reference is Google’s Adwords Guidelines.

The main points of the guidelines are:

• “Provide relevant and substantial content”
• Treat a user’s personal information responsibly”
• “Develop an easily navigable site”

I personally regard point number one as being the most crucial, because if you cannot get your content right then you stand no chance. So before all you SEO Analysts and marketers out there start scurrying and redesigning, just remember that Google is not unreasonable. As long as you remember the fundamentals, follow their guidelines and behave as a responsible net citizen – then I don’t see why you should have any problems.

Time will tell how these changes will affect Google’s bottom line, as a result of reduced Adword sales. But I think it’s the right thing to do to ensure that Internet users benefit from relevant, reliable and targeted content.