Sometimes it feels like Google’s AdWords program has been around since the rise of the internet itself. In fact, the first online advertisement appeared on the web in 1994 and by 1995, a company called DoubleClick was launched, which was eventually acquired by Google in 2008. Everything Google does lately seems to be a long-running success (well, except Google+), and AdWords is no exception. Although it relies on a digital marketing strategy that isn’t as popular these days (pay-per-click advertising), AdWords is still going strong, partially because of the brand name associated with it (Google).

There was a time when small businesses never had websites. The internet was a place for online-only businesses or major corporations. It was too expensive, too technical and far too much work to create a website for the mom and pop donut shop down the street or your local sporting goods store. But the world has changed quite a bit over the last few years. As the internet has become more and more a part of our daily lives, virtually any business can set up a website these days. There are also now a host of companies that are helping companies create websites, no matter how big, small or weird they may be.

It's very easy to look at PPC or pay per click advertising and ask how can this be useful for my company. There is so much that goes into it, such as the research, estimating traffic, and the cost per click. Pay per click is sometimes so expensive that how could it be worth it to anyone? These are the questions that many small businesses have been asking themselves for years.