There are three dominant tools in search engine marketing – Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Google has always had the largest share and that’s why it’s always best to start with Google AdWords.

Simple steps to a successful Google AdWords campaign

1. Create a unique campaign for each general category of products or services you offer.

2. Create multiple campaigns if you need to target several different geographical areas or languages. With Google AdWords, location and language can be selected only at the campaign level.

3. Allocate budget. You can set a budget for each individual campaign and track the effectiveness of each one.

4. Create ad groups. Ad groups break your campaign down, allowing you to target specific keyword phrases for several different ads. You can create multiple ads in each ad group, and one set of keyword phrases.

5. Write the ad copy and test it! Google Adwords allows you to test multiple variants of copy to determine what works best for you.

6. Select keywords. Once you’ve created your campaign and ad groups, you need to target them using keyword phrases. The more targeted your keyword phrases, the higher your chances of a conversion and the lower the cost.

7. Launch your campaign. It’s usually almost instant and at the most it will only take up to 24 hours. Ads will begin appearing within minutes in most cases, and impressions and clicks will begin to show up on your dashboard.

8. Continue monitoring and improving your campaign. Once the campaign is live you’ll have to review it daily. Optimising your ads and website pages is one of the most important activities in making your campaign successful.

There are three important factors to remember: constant monitoring, results analysis, and improvement. You’ll get the best results from your AdWords campaign if you select wisely and continuously monitor the results.

However, maintaining a campaign takes time. So before you start a campaign think about hiring an agency. An agency will help you plan, execute and optimise your AdWords campaign, and most importantly, save you time so you can concentrate on your business.

To find out how Pad Media can help you achieve success with Google Adwords call us on 020 8399 9782 or email info@padmedia.co.uk

England and America are indeed “separated by a common language.”

My first work-related exposure to the differences between American and British English came when I was a technical writer for an accounting software company. Because our product was sold in English-speaking countries worldwide, we had to accommodate spelling differences, such as check vs. cheque, and the –ize vs. –ise words (economize/economise, recognize/recognise).

Those differences can be jarring at first. But, like a pianist, you can learn to “transpose.”

The real fun comes when you encounter concepts that have entirely different words, or words that mean entirely different things, depending on which side of the pond you’re on. I’ve known for years that a car’s hood is a bonnet in England, and our wrenches are your spanners. And thanks to the Harry Potter books I know all about jumpers (sweaters), skiving off (playing hooky), and that delightful verb, snog, which sounds like more fun than making out.

Some of the differences are just confusing, like talking about that scrappy player on the football team. In the U.S., that’s a compliment; in the U.K., not so much. Asking for a sherbet will get you two different things, and suggesting that something be tabled in a meeting has the opposite result, depending on where you say it.

Then there are the words that can lead to embarrassment. We Americans shouldn’t ask for help with our bangs from a British hair stylist (they’re fringes, if you please) just as you shouldn’t tell your American friends that you’ll knock them up in the morning, or ask if you can borrow a rubber.

But despite the potential for confusion, unintentional humor, and downright embarrassment, I wouldn’t want to see our two “languages” become homogenized. Eliminating the differences would make things as dull as dishwater.

Sorry. Make that ditchwater.

Roy Jacobsen says that everyone can learn to write clearly and powerfully. He’s a freelance writer, editor, and writing coach, and the dictionary is his toy box.

Roy blogs at Writing, Clear and Simple

Did you know that on average a busy recruiter spends only 60 seconds reading your CV? Sad but true. Especially when you think of the blood, sweat and tears you spent writing it.

Let’s take a moment to consider what your CV is for. Well, it is the first personal marketing material that a recruiter sees. You want it to get you into the yes pile during that 60 second review. You need it to whet their appetite, make them read on and, ultimately want to meet you.

So how can you make sure yours gets you noticed and increases your chance of landing the interview you really want? Well, first you must make sure that all your best bits are at the top.

Begin your CV with a clear, concise four to five line summary statement or personal profile. This should capture the essence of YOU and what you wish to be known for. For example:

Highly driven and quality conscious Human Resources Business Partner. Extensive HR experience including management of organisational development and change initiatives. Excellent track-record of strategic and operational achievement at regional, national and global level.

Next, bullet point three to four key skills. For example:

• Lateral thinking when problem solving
• Strong relationship building, responsive to needs of disparate clients
• Inspiring, organising and influencing teams across cultures to deliver against demanding goals

You will have filled about one third of your first page. This is a recruiter’s main focus area. So don’t be modest. Sell yourself!

‘Without publicity a terrible thing happens: nothing’

PT Barnum

In the current economic climate a  well-written, standout CV is even more important. For every national press advertisement placed, some 300 applications are received.

You need to stand out from the crowd. All too often people let themselves down in the silliest ways. It’s easily done. I’ve seen some howlers.

A colleague spelt his name wrong on his CV and hadn’t noticed. I could forgive this but it was the first thing I read at the very top of the page. And it wasn’t a name that was difficult to spell!

Furthermore he claimed in his profile to have excellent attention to detail. Somewhat shooting yourself in the foot, I think.

Now here are some more basic principles to think about when writing your CV.

Choose the right format for you

There are several different kinds, with pros and cons to each.

Consider which of the following two would best showcase your career history and achievements. And also which best meets your personal career aims.

INDENT Reverse Chronological and Functional

Reverse Chronological – most commonly used. Lists experience in reverse chronological order, most recent work first. This works well if you:

• Are applying for a role in a traditional organisation/industry
• Are looking to stay in a similar function/industry
• Have worked for prestigious companies
• Want to show a steady career progression

Functional – more  skills-based. Rolls together skills and experience under job function headings, e.g.: Leadership, Change Management, Recruitment and Selection. This works well if you:

• Are making a significant career change
• Have been employed by the same company for a long time
• Want to draw attention to skills you have not used recently

Be a solution to the problem

Read the job advert carefully. Every word is in there for a reason.

What does the job description say? What does the person specification say?

Most people fail to match the skills, achievements and experience they offer, to what the employer wants. You can do a bit of matchmaking here on your own behalf.

Show that you understand what they are looking for by mirroring the essential and desirable qualities. Consider your audience. Are you applying to a  forward-looking, creative company or a more traditional, staid and professional one? Using their language shows you are on a similar wavelength and indicates your likely fit with the company.

This is about correct pitch. It also helps ensure you only apply for roles which closely match what you offer. Why waste time sending off 50 applications when two or three will do?

Using power words

Although it is always best to keep your writing simple, many CVs can be dry and repetitive. Read one and you’ve read them all. You can stand out from the crowd by varying power words to strengthen your writing:

For planned use centralised, programmed, positioned, structured

For provided use executed, formulated, represented

For improved use enhanced, optimised, transformed

Achievements

Where possible always include HOW you have done things rather than list duties and responsibilities. This brings your CV to life more than anything else. Adding specific results and successes gives context and backs up your key skills.

For example:

• Increased sales force headcount by 20% in Q2 2008, driving up quality of new hires in notoriously difficult inner London areas.

Always keep your master CV up to date, adding more and more achievements. It should be a constant work in progress. I review mine every three months.

Presentation

Some of the best CVs I have seen fail to impress for basic reasons. Keep it simple and easy to read for us poor overworked recruiters.

Here are my top tips for good presentation:

• Use bullet points, margins and leave plenty of white spacing.

• Keep to two pages.

• Stick to one tense – past tense preferred.

• Avoid jargon and abbreviations.

• Use good quality white or cream paper and matching envelope.

• Don’t overdo colour, lines, boxes, capitals.

• Use a crisp, clean typeface such as Arial, Verdana, Tahoma.

• Use font size 11/12, no smaller.

• Always get someone else to proofread before sending out.

• Avoid “I, me, we…” (I know that Elaine may disagree with me here!). It’s considered more formal and professional to write in the third person, whereas personal pronouns give a more informal, conversational feel.

• Once again, consider your audience. Certainly a biographical sketch or profile in the first person can be useful when networking.

And finally, think quality versus quantity

Be brief. Use short sentences. Think telegram not novel.

‘There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together’

Josh Billings 1818-1885

You can contact Kate Walker on 0208 287 0158 or 07980 473151.

Email: katewalker136@googlemail.com