Since being selected as an AdWords Seminar Leader by Google in 2006, I’ve had the opportunity to teach thousands of businesses and organizations how to use AdWords, Google’s advertising platform. I believe in the product; if used appropriately, it offers vast online exposure for advertisers. Unfortunately, most advertisers do not understand how AdWords works or hold it accountable to deliver value to their businesses. Some advertisers make money by dumb luck; others waste hundreds or thousands of dollars each month. I’ve met countless advertisers who gauge the effectiveness of their online campaigns based on gut feelings. I’m generally a proponent of trusting one’s gut, but not in the case of online advertising. In this ....