As you may already know, running Google AdSense on your website is one way of monetizing your website content.

How?  Here’s a sample scenario:

Let’s say I have worked at a window tint store for the past 5 years and have acquired some valuable  knowledge on the subject.

So I decide to start a website to share with the world all of the valuable information I have learned about window tint.

After picking out a domain name and getting a hosting service to store the information for my website, I create a 20 page website about window tint.

I create content about  the  types of window tint, the colors, the thickness, the energy savings, why one tint is better in certain situations than others  etc..

After some time I notice that the number of visits to my website are increasing and before I know it, I’m getting some significant website traffic (not an overnight process!).

I then hear that Google has a program called AdSense where people that are selling products (like window tint) can advertise their product on my window tint website, and I could earn money if a visitor to my website clicked on one of the tint seller’s advertisements.

I sign up for the AdSense program and begin publishing ads on my window tint website and start to earn commissions when a website visitor clicks on an advertisement.

The advertiser, or the actual person selling the window tint had signed up for Google AdWords so they can create advertisements that show up on a window tinting website like mine.

Many website entrepreneurs use both Google AdSense to monetize  their website traffic and Google AdWords to drive website traffic to their websites.

Using the Keyword Tool In Google Adwords

If I were starting a new website about Window Tint one thing I would do is to type in the phrase “Window Tint” in the AdWords Keyword tool. This would give me some estimate of how many searches for window tint were done each month.

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As you can see in this Chopped Up print screen by typing in the phrase “window tint” I can see how many monthly searches there were for the phrase both globally and in the United States.

This term was typed in with “Broad Match Type” checked under the “Match Types” option the other two are “Phrase” and “Exact” which would produce lower local and global monthly results.

Viewing the Estimated CPC

To view the estimated CPC (Cost per Click) of a given keyword or phrase click on the Columns tab.

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The screen will take a little time to refresh and then you will see the Estimated Cost Per Click for that particular Keyword or Phrase.

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So what does the Estimated Avg CPC tell us?

As you can read in the explanation below the Estimated CPC gives the AdWords publisher (The person selling the window tint) how much it may cost to display their advertisement higher up on the Google “Sponsored Results” within position 1-3. There’s many variables to this formula, therefore as the name indicates, this is a Estimated Cost per Click that the advertiser would have to pay.

How does this help you if you are a AdSense Publisher?

Well if I were the person starting the Window Tint website, I might be interested in how much I would be paid if a website visitor clicked on one of the advertisements.

Does this mean the owner of the Window Tint Website would earn $2.61 each time an Ad was clicked?

No it does not, like all Google algorithms there are many factors that determine what  a publisher will be paid.

So where is the value in knowing the CPC for an AdSense Publisher?

In this case it’s not too valuable, but if I were a website entrepreneur that was interested in various topics or ideas for a new website, I might want to see what topic or idea within my field of interest and knowledge would potentially earn more CPC then this information would be very valuable.

As you can see in the print screen above to read a definition of any of the column headings in the AdWords Keyword Tool just click on “About this Data” and you will be able to read about each heading that is available.

One of the easiest ways to improve your website search engine visibility is to optimize your title tags.

The title tag is the text that appears in the Search Engine Result Pages and is also shown at the top of your browser window when you are viewing a web page.

The title should be up to 65 characters in length although it’s possible that a  search engine may display more than this.

As you can see not only does your title tag contain the content that is related to the search (Title Tags) the person reading the search result page can read your title and can click on the link that will take them to your website.

Having a descriptive and relevant title for your page is essential, for example, in the image above the title tag on top is much more descriptive than the one below it. This gives the person searching for the information a better idea of what they will find if they click on the link.

Title Tag Code

The title tag code for the page above is listed below in red.

<head>
<title>All about the Title Tag for Search Engine Optimization</title>

Although there are many factors that determine where your page ends up in the search engine results,  it is always a good practice to include the keywords or phrases that are relevant to your page in the title tag.

In other words if I was creating a web page about “title tag optimization”, I would want that reflected in my title along with other relevant keywords and phrases.

An organic search engine result is not something you pay for directly,  it occurs as a natural result of the search terms used and their relevance to terms and content on your website.

First page organic search results are desirable for obvious reasons, although this is not an easy task if you have just launched a website and are looking to rank for a term such as “Alaska Cruise”.

Other companies such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Alaskacruises.com are owned by companies that currently have a solid footing on the first page search results for this popular term for many reasons, including domain popularity (incoming links) , age, name, original content and many other factors.

Not to mention deep pockets for advertising, as you can see by the graphic, even though alaskacruises.com ranks Page One organically for “alaska cruise” they still show on the right under “Sponsored” search results.

So they’re probably hoping you will choose their services from the Organic results rather than clicking on the Sponsored link since they are charged  “Per-Click” for the sponsored results on the right or on top above the organic results.

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This is where you need to be realistic about your chances, if you were seriously considering going after the Cruise market for this term (alaska cruise) your best bet would be to use “Sponsored”  or “Paid” search.

I’m not saying that an entrepreneur couldn’t get first page search engine results for “alaska cruise” at some point, but this takes lot’s of original content, incoming links and time.

This is one extreme example to make a simple point, if you are just getting started be realistic about your goals.

If you have a niche picked out, Great check out the competition and see how you can differentiate yourself,

What can you offer that they don’t already offer?

What new information can you bring to the index that already isn’t there?

How can you repackage existing information to provide a more comprehensive view of the subject?

Finally,  if you’re creating a website about something because you have a passion for it, by all means start posting and see how it goes. Just make sure and learn some SEO basics and research your topic thoroughly prior to creating the content.