No Brainer

The secret is out. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has reported in its story Google 'key word' ads undercut eBay a situation I have known to be true for a year and have written about several times.

Using AdWords to drive customers to off-eBay shopping pages is an easy and effective way to make online sales happen. Combined with Search Engine Optimization, the ads work even harder, because if you can come in at the top of the search result and show up as an AdWord, most people will click on your search result, which is free since AdWords are pay per click. Your ad provides additional reinforcement of your brand and credibility.

Also, AdWords are now syndicated through Google's new AdSense program, a new twist on the AdWords model that places content-specific AdWords on content pages outside Google, and pays the Web site owners for the clicks generated. Some content sites are already reporting four figure monthly checks from AdSense ads.

If you've read some of my posts on the eBay message boards, or my July 18 column in myEZSale, you're familiar with the pitfalls of driving traffic to eBay using Google AdWords. Keywords by eBay may be a viable alternative for those who don't want to, or don't know how to set up their own commerce sites. Watch for more info on my results testing the two against each other in a future issue of MyEZSale.