Should you use Google AdWords or AdSense?

I get a lot of questions about whether to use Google Adsense or Google AdWords on a Website or Blog so I decided to put out a short post on the topic. It is sort of a personal need or preference for me and my focus is on budget.

The first thing to know is that Google AdWords is a paid promotion service. You pay for clicks on your ads that are placed in high ranking with Google. AdSense is an affiliate program whereby the site owner is paid to market goods and services through ads on their site.

Both programs are free to sign up to but AdWords will bill you accordingly when your ad clicks reach a certain amount. If you have a product site that does a lot of retail or services, AdWords is probably good for you in terms of revenue vs advertising costs. 


If you have a brick and mortar business and need more traffic to your store where people can physically see and touch your in-demand products or services, then AdWords is an excellent idea and should be explored. Ads can be targeted geographically to find customers right in your community, city or state.

For myself, I own an information and resource site so I opted for AdSense. Mainly because I don't have any or enough product to sell to cover the costs of clicks on my ads. When site revenue is worth the investment, any and all advertisement is good. I explain it this way to most who ask about it. It is a practical matter and if the end justifies the means or the end can afford the means, go for it.

One thing you have to consider is the volume of traffic you will most definitely get from Google AdWords. Can you handle the influx of customers or the demand for your product or service? Do you have enough staff for your restaurant or chairs in your salon? One should ask him or herself this question before spending money for advertising of any kind.

Of course getting a ton of traffic and potential customers is great but if the wait time is 2 hours to be served or get assistance from your staff or you keep running out of product, it may hurt your business in the short and long run. Consumers are always recording good experiences in their subconscious. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and in business, your first impression is an on-going effort or should be.

I hope this short article sheds some light for those who are confused about the 2 programs offered by Google, AdWords and AdSense. Google has excellent tools and programs for anyone with an Internet presence. They have Webmaster Tools, Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Google AdWords, Google Blogger, YouTube and several others. 

All of these programs or "channels" offer ways for you to promote your business and or content to virtually the world while giving you resources to analyze your traffic and site trends.

By
Allan Whitney
Owner/Administrator
MindVisionMedia.net