My response is usually, “How much are you willing to spend?”

As you can imagine, this doesn’t get either of us very far. So here is a partial solution that will give you the numbers you’re looking for.

It’s the Google’s Traffic Estimator and I’ll show you how it works.

Getting Started

Once you arrive at the site, you’ll find a form that asks for:

• Keywords
• Currency & Cost per Click (CPC)
• Daily Budget
• Select Targeting
• Available Countries & Territories

You don’t have to fill this form out completely. All you need is a:

• Keyword
• Language
• Country

If you want help with a keyword list, you can use Google’s Keyword Tool.

When you’re ready, click “Continue” to display your results.

The Results

The results of your search look like this:

They tell you a keyword’s:

• Search Volume
  How frequently this keyword is searched for compared to others.
• Estimated Avg. CPC
  How much it would cost for one click. Since we left most of the fields blank, the tool assumes you want to be in the top 3 results.
• Estimated Clicks / Day
  This is the average number of searches that take place for a keyword.
• Estimated Cost / Day
  Given the information we’ve provided, Google estimates how much we’d have to spent each day for the keyword “wine.”

If the budget Google estimates is too high, you can experiment with the max CPC and daily budget. This allows you to see how these changes affect your average ad position and cost.

A Partial Solution

Why do I call this a partial solution? Because Google is including all available data. Whether you’re an AdWords expert or novice, the results you receive are based on the average of everyone.

This means that the average CPC for your campaign, if properly optimized, can be much less.

Nonetheless, these numbers will help you make decisions regarding budget.

But, like all of us, he has his quirks, and I’m no different.

One of mine involves the acronyms that describe Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). People don’t use them correctly!

It’s not their fault, but just like a doctor has to explain a diagnosis, I thought I’d take a few moments to do something similar. Be part of the solution.

It’s very simple and will make for fascinating holiday conversation.

Let Me Tell You a Story … About Alex

Alex is extremely detail oriented. If you ask him one question, he’ll fire back with several of his own. And, you know it’s time to pull up a chair when he begins with his famous line, “Let me tell you a story …”

Alex is (usually) always willing to help … but he’s an experienced professional. He knows what information he needs and asks for it upfront instead of wasting time asking sporadically later.

That’s a good thing.

But as you’re answering him, he points out any statement you make that isn’t 100% true. He’s the IT version of the tyrannical English teacher who always comments on your use of “who” and “whom.”

This can be a bit frustrating when all you want to do is address the problem.

If you don’t know him, you might think he’s intentionally being difficult, arrogant, or just doesn’t care. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Over time, you begin to enjoy this quirk and respect him for it.

Why tell you this story? Because I’m the same way when it comes to Internet marketing!

There are countless times I’ve wanted to point out when people use SEO, PPC or SEM improperly. I don’t, for fear of leaving an “Alex-esk” impression, but it’s a quirk of mine nonetheless.

Instead, I’ve decided to offer some brief definitions below.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

In our SEO Geek Camp we defined search engine optimization as:

“A set of principles and practices that include formatting site code, structure and content to naturally achieve top ranking on today’s most popular search engines”

SEO optimizes your website’s structure first and then moves to particular phrases. Our goal is simple, appear in the Top 10 search results for a targeted keyword phrase.

The biggest drawback to SEO is the time it takes to see results. Search engines are constantly gathering and ranking new information. Don’t be surprised if it takes 3 months or more before you begin reaping the fruits of your labor.

If all goes well, your website will begin appearing in the top natural or “organic” results.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

PPC, the subject of our upcoming Geek Camp is a bit different than SEO. As the name implies, pay-per-click allows you to pay for ranking on a per click basis. Position #1 is only a credit card swipe away. It is also much faster than SEO, taking anywhere from a day to five minutes to see results.

Like SEO, targeted keyword phrases are important. However, instead of optimizing website structure, you optimize a campaign. PPC offers precise control over all aspects of your search engine marketing including desired ranking, ad copy, the time of day your ads are available and a host of additional items.

This control can come at a hefty price. Worse yet, if not done properly, can end up draining your budget and offer little or no return.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM is the easiest to define. It describes any type of marketing that involves search engines and includes SEO and PPC.

Clear As Mud?

See … SEO, PPC and SEM are easy to understand. So you can imagine how I cringe when hearing them misused.

If you are one of the “guilty”, don’t feel bad. There are some in the field who don’t get it, which is probably where the problem started.

Thanks for letting me clear my mind and “tell you a story.”