This month is a big month for AdWords, because this now important feature of any SEO campaign turns 15 this month. Officially, AdWords had its birthday on October 23, But Google has decided to celebrate the milestone today. What’s funny is that Google isn’t big on birthdays, since they marked AdWords’ 10th birthday on November 8, 2010. Come on Google, let’s get our dates right.
Regardless of the exact date of their birthday, I think it’s pretty safe to say that AdWords has had quite the impact on the advertising industry with its self-serve keyword bidding system. This very system is what helped propel Google to become the multi-billion-dollar business that they are today. Back in 2014, Google reported ad revenues totaling over $62 billion. That’s a nice chunk of change.
Back in October 2000, AdWords started out as a month-long beta that was used by 350 advertisers. With the launch of the beta, Google’s co-founder and CEO, Larry Page, ahd this to say about the new product:
“AdWords offers the most technologically advanced features available, enabling any advertiser to quickly design a flexible program that best fits its online marketing goals and budget.”
AdWords, which was Google’s second advertising program, came only a few months after their first program, Premium Sponsorships. the ads from the first program were sold on a CPM basis. These ads appeared in the top spot in the search results, while ads stemming from AdWords appeared in the right rail. Eventually, after a few years, the AdWords system subsumed the premium program.
To learn more about AdWords on their special day, check out Ginny Marvin’s post on Search Engine Land, which you can check out by following the link provided below.
Search Engine Land: Google AdWords Turns 15: A Look Back At The Origins Of A $60 Billion Business