What Is Search Engine Marketing?

Buying keywords and managing campaigns can seem confusing and overwhelming. Just start small and keep it simple at first. Try buying one or two keywords on one search engine.

Paid search has become the ad vehicle of choice for many small business for good reason:

• You can try out paid keyword search for as little as $20.
• It's easy to get started — all you need is a credit card. Fill out the application on the search engine's site and start experimenting and learning.
• Feedback is very fast, so you can test your ads and keep testing until you hit that buyer hot button that generates the sales you need.
• Search providers provide easy, free analytics tools to help you track the response to your ads and calculate your return on investment.
• You only pay when it works -- that is, you pay only when somebody clicks on your ad. So if your first keyword tests are a disaster, and nobody clicks, it doesn't cost you anything. It only costs you a fortune when you're making a fortune.