Anyone manage there own Google adwords campaign?

My sis-in-law worked at Google doing ad consulting. It's rather simple really. Make sure your keywords are uber relevant, make sure the geographic area that sees your ad is not bigger than your service area, set limits on your bids(I think I'm at $4 now), limit your daily budget, and make sure that your website is going to get a reasonable percentage of folks to actually call(make it good).

My website is mediocre, but my phone number is in the ad itself. I get 1-2 clicks a day, but I'm just starting a biz so it seems to not be leading to much quite yet.....so, don't listen to me.
 
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I would like to know more about google adwords.

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Me, too.

Jamin, aren't you using it? Where you been?

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Sorry mang!
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Been busy. I haven't been on the Buzz that much.

But, I have learned that if you want business, you must pay the google monster.

I was doing $3.00 per click for a while. I was getting so many clicks I had to back off. The reason was, my turn over rate really sucked. What that told me was my web site needed to be improved. Becuase when people are/were landing on my site, they weren't staying there and clicking on my, very noticible, green button that reads "get a free estimate."

I lowered the CPC to $2.00 and my over all clicks went down like crazy... So, I moved it back up.

I'm learning by trial and error. I wished there was a concrete science to this, but there isn't.

But, if you want clicks, you must pay the Google Monster.
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I was getting around 10 clicks per day. You'd think business would be really great, right? Na. The people landing on my site weren't following through.

One theory (and has been validated by customers) is that our business name is confusing to locals in my area. There is a Parker, CO just south of Denver.

We're speculating that I'm not converting people because they see Parker Tree Service they think I'm not local and/or I'm a huge company that is all the way up in Longmont...

So, we added text to read that I was a Longmont resident and that Parker is a family name. FWIW: my name is Jamin Parker Mayer. My middle name came from my paternal grandmother's maiden name... Parker is the name of my first-born son. Therefore, I named the business after my first-born son.

My motives were good for naming the business after my son, but it is not google friendlly for my area and it scares away potential business.

So, for a number of years I have been thinking about changing the name. We will be changing the name soon.
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And then... If you are getting people to click to your website, you may want to present an image tha will convert people to actually call you.

I wanted and created an image of being a family man. I did it very well too. But, in the long run, I think it communicates that I'm maybe inexperienced or not competent. I think there is a weakness to my current image I'm presenting to potential business. Little do these people know that I can and do throw down work larger crews/businesses do.

Hence, I'm creating a new image that will say it all.

I hope and suspect my conversions will be much better with the change.

My point?
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Your image portrail is important to convert the people landing to your site. So, we have a website... So what? Does it get the phone to call?
 
So far I've had four leads that I know how they found me:
Mother-in-law
Woman who helped me set up my biz account at the bank
Craigslist
Yellowpages

Craigslist is my biggest job(16 white pine removals, hourly), and, it's free.
 
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It will be interesting to see how your son Parker does with his new name. You will be keeping the name the same for both, won't you?
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LOL. I will announce and launch the new business name with gusto my friend.

FWIW, you know when kids are sort of in trouble and parents say their first, middle, and last names of a child. Well, I kid you not, I'll sometimes say (with a stern voice) Parker Tree Service get over here!
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I'm crazy...
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And it pays to be on Google for free.

Oh yea, the free side is great, in Google Places I even have a coupon for a free Nancy Pelosi T-Shirt. No calls yet, but I'm by the phone.
 
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I manage our google adwords campaign, but I have having problem running a successful campaign. Please send me a pm if you manage your own account. Thanks

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Typing for that stuff eats up too much of my time, for how little, or slowly the input is provided. Phone calls are much better because the exchange is speedy and streamlined.

If you call me some time, I can give some feedback. Used to have Adwords, but don't need it now.

These days, I'm in reverse. Got a check from Google last month for over $300 (Adsense - the flip side of the coin) which comes in handy.

These days, I can spare about 10 minutes on a call. But since I plan to work on SEO and website stuff with our older son professionally this coming year, it would be counter-productive to be on the phone for a hour at a time off-the-clock so to speak.

One thing I will introduce here ... folks need to really think through whether to get put on sites of related content. There is a pro and con side. And this is also related to your own content. Content is probably the big Achilles Heel of most sites. It's either skipped or ignored. But if extra content is added, and you decided to be on the Adsense side of Adwords, vocabulary on the page is crucial sometimes.
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