With Google Ad Words . . .

When a person searches Google for a word or phrase related to your product or something on your web site, the Google search return will display your ad.

When your ad appears on the Google Ad Words page, you only have to pay for the ad if the visitor clicks on it. Even if the ad appears 10,000 times, you only pay if the ad is clicked on.

The cost per click for Ad Words can be as little as five cents.

Google provides extensive reporting showing which words and phrases produce the most click throughs for your ad.

You can set up as many ads as you like, for as many different products and web pages as you like. There is no cost to set up an Google Ad Word campaign - and you can modify your campaigns as often as you like.

Seven tips to getting the most from your Google Ad Word investment

1. Avoid highly searched single words - The biggest mistake made when purchasing Ad Words is trying to buy a single highly searched word. Doing so may seem logical, as more searches means more times your ad is displayed.

But choosing single highly searched words puts you in competition with lots of people who are willing to pay a lot for those same words (often because they have more money than sense). These single words can cost $9-$20 dollars per ad click - making them tremendously expensive to buy.

Rarely can a single word represent your product - so don't invest in these expensive single words.

2. Choose phrases - When people use the search engines, they generally search for specific information or a solution to a specific problem.

They don't search for 'videos', but will instead search for 'video on scuba diving'. So instead of buying the very expensive word 'video', you would want to buy the ad word 'scuba diving video'. Buy phrases, not words.

3. Go for Relevancy - not frequency - When it comes to ads, you want to display your ad only when it is relevant to the search. That's when it will be the most cost effective.

If someone is actually looking for what you have for sale, then that's when you want your ad to appear. The way to get a relevancy to your ad is to choose ad phrases based on the way people search - phrases looking for a solution or an answer.

In almost all cases, searchers use words and phrases that are familiar to them, and not always will they use proper english, the correct technical terms, or the correct spelling. For that reason, choose search phrases that reflect the potential misuse or words or spellings, and choose many different combination of words and phrases that might be entered.

So don't just buy the phrase 'scuba diving videos'. Consider phrases such as 'learning to scuba dive', 'scuba diving training', 'scuba diving dvd', 'scuba diving information' . . . and other words and phrases that someone interested in learning more about the subject matter would use to search.

4. Avoid the crowd - Before choosing Google Ad Words, search each word/phrase you are considering. Check to see how many ads exists for those words, and also check to see what pages are shown in the search results. The best word buys will be with phrases that have no ads - when you buy those words, your ad is the only ad shown - which makes your ad really stand out.

If the ad word has several ads, and more ads repeating on the 2nd and 3rd page of the Google results, look for a better phrase or word.

When I do this, I have two browser windows open - one with my Google Ad Words entry form, and one with Google search. I search for words and phrases, and when I find one with no ads which is relevant to my product, I add that phrase to my Google list.

5. Write your ad carefully - Your Google AdWord Ad is limited to a headline, two lines of text, and a link to your site. Not much to work with, but certainly enough to attract interest and clicks.

Your headline should summarize the benefits of visiting the link, and the two lines of text should include hot button words that further define the link. To see examples of many Ad Words, just search Google - and search for terms related to your product to see how others are using Ad Words.

Don't not use the spam approach in your Ad Words - these are a definite turn off.

6. Set a realistic budget - When you create your ad word campaign, you set your maximum spending budget per day. If you exceed your budget Google will let you know.

7. Check the results and revise the list - Google Ad Words provides extensive reporting features which show the performance of all your words and phrases. By viewing these reports you can quickly see which words and phrases are giving you the best click throughs.

Knowing which phrases produce the best results can help you come up with similar words and phrases to add to your Google Ad Words list - and this can increase click throughs and sales.

Google Ad Words do work - if you follow a solid strategy and don't get into a bidding war with others for single words.

Craige Stacey has been studying search engines optimization as a hobby and has achieved some very good search engine positions in the past for PublisherGate - membership website software