Here are a few handy tips to help you cope in such a scenario—and help you grow your business whether Google continues sending you lots of traffic or not. Loads of keyword-rich content will help you rank in the search engines—and possibly avoid the nightmare scenario I outlined above—while valuable news and information can help your customers learn more about your business. Historically, most businesses have paid for media in terms of cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM). But don't forget cost-per-action/acquisition (CPA). by Tim Peter. MORE >>

Which AdWords reports are the most critical, and how you can take full advantage of the information they provide? How is AdWords Quality Score calculated, and how can you improve that score in your campaigns? How can you calculate the potential advertising value of AdWords before making a costly investment? Find the answers to these questions and others here in more of the best articles and blog posts on maximizing the value of Google AdWords from the past year. Rich Media and Video templates in display ad builder by Inside AdWords. Find Out! Digg this! MORE >>

What common mistakes made by AdWords marketers should you avoid in order to optimize your results? What are some AdWords myths you shouldn't believe? How is the AdWords quality score calculated, and what can you do to improve scores in your campaigns? Discover this information and more, here in the first set of the best posts about Google AdWords from 2009 (so far). Common AdWords Myths Absolutely Destroyed by Search Engine Journal Brian Carter demolishes five common misconceptions about AdWords, explaining the real story in detail. Find Out! MORE >>

100 Tiny Tips to Create and Maintain Loyal Customers by Bootstrapper This must-read post for every small business owner and marketing professional provides tips on everything from where to find new customers (not only in the obvious venues like on Facebook and at industry conventions, but at volunteer events and other places) to how to effectively network, communicate and build relationships (e.g., " Send a thank you gift when a customer renews a contract") , to easy-to-use tools and services (such as FreshBooks ) to help your business run more smoothly. MORE >>

The previous post on this topic advised search engine marketers to bid on their own company name and branded terms, keep keyword lists clean and cross-pollinate SEO and SEM efforts. Here are three more tips for optimizing results from SEM programs such as Google AdWords. Though the click-through rate (CTR) is generally lower on content than on search, the cost per click is generally lower as well, and conversion rates are often quite respectable. Their AdWords budget is modest and produces only a few leads per month, but is very cost-effective. MORE >>