Google Seeks New AdWords Express Customers With Promised "Free Month" In December

Google Seeks New AdWords Express Customers With Promised “Free Month” In December

Nov 28, 2012 at 1:13pm ET by Greg Sterling

To get more small marketers to test out AdWords Express, Google is offering a “free month” of advertising to new customers. If new advertisers sign up before December 16, Google will provide a credit in January “worth what you spend between now and the end of this year.”

However some limitations apply.

Advertisers must be new customers and not existing AdWords advertisers. AdWords Express users must spend at least $125 but the maximum credit they can receive is $125. So the offer is more like a subsidy or discount unless you carefully set your budget cap for just over $125.

I don’t have any perspective whether $125 will get anyone meaningful exposure. However my guess is that advertisers would have to spend a good deal more to be visibile during a competitive holiday season.

The offer is only valid if the advertiser billing address is in the US.

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords

About The Author: Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog Screenwerk, about SoLoMo issues and connecting the dots between online and offline. He also posts at Internet2Go, which is focused on the mobile Internet. Follow him @gsterling. See more articles by Greg Sterling

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Jami Broom

I think Google does more harm than good by trying to reach directly to businesses — if the SMBs don’t know how to set up their accounts correctly they end up wasting a lot of money, they don’t see an ROI, and they don’t want to use Adwords again. Meanwhile, if they were to hire a professional they’d spend a lot more money in the long run. I don’t know why Google still doesn’t get this or lend more support to reaching out to small businesses via Google Partners and MCCs through the Google Engage program.

In addition, I get a lot of clients who already have Adwords accounts sending me these emails, saying “can you set this up for me so I can get $125 of free advertising.” And then I have to explain no to them and why not. What a headache!!
http://www.stanleyoppenheimer.com searchengineman

The Coupons are becoming as annoying as AOL CD’s circa 1995. At least I could use those CD’s as coasters! Any SMB who jumps into Adwords Express naked, will be in for a rude awakening.

Doesn’t Google know that you’ll poison the well (Customer Base), for short term gain? And to top it off to do it during Xmas! Why don’t you just throw gasoline on that kid who decided to try out those nifty matches… Once burned. Those potential clients are 10x harder trying to convince them PPC acually works– after dismal x-mas results…. sigh.

Here’s an idea Google. Why don’t you offer a significant coupon (Not the $200.00) chump change. But only if it’s managed by a Google Qualified Partner/Google Engage Agency. It’s no guarantee but it avoids the disaster scenario. (Win/Win)

Searchengineman
http://twitter.com/chouriomoreno Juan Carlos Chourio

It Is a great news. A little help is always served ..
davidquaid

It depends – we have accounts where we can close sales worth €1k in profit on as little as €5 – so technically you could make €25k back :)
Alan

Google is all about short term gain at the moment. Long term is something for other search engines to deal with.
treepodia

Thanks! I’ll share this article with some of my friends and clients.