Tracking online ad campaigns: A primer

The fundamentals of using Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Google Website Optimizer, affiliate program software and banner ad serving software are discussed, and if these fundamentals are followed, both sales and profits should increase.

Abstract

Anyone can engage in online ad spend, but it is only when the marketer tracks and optimizes ads that the advertising can be paid for and the business can still be profitable. This paper includes a number of suggestions to help accomplish this task. After defining basic ad effectiveness indicators, the paper discusses the fundamentals of using Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Google Website Optimizer, affiliate program software and banner ad serving software. If these fundamentals are followed, and if the web marketer continues to develop his/her ad tracking expertise, both sales and profits should increase.