Google vs Amazon

It is somewhat difficult to compare Google vs Amazon, but overall they work in a very similar manner.

The big difference for most bloggers is that Google pays per click, and Amazon only pays per sale.

I do know much has to do with the CTR when using things like Google and even though Amazon works similarly, I have found that a penny or two beats nothing. I say this as I have not had any luck in about a month with Amazon. The CTR is merely the click through rate which is the percentage of visitors that will click on an ad. Amazon ads that I use are set up where the items match the information on the page where they are located. I find that both companies work well and relate well. Interestingly enough, both of them seem to get a very similar CTR.

I much prefer the way the different types of advertising and site navigation work with Amazon. It just seems much less complicated for the amateur blogger who wants some type of advertising on their site when picking certain specific items to help their visitors.

My actual results indicate that I just might not keep the Amazon ads on my site. So far I have to admit that because any websites I have are very low volume as far as visitor traffic, that Amazon isn’t working for me.

To be fair, I get between 100 and 300 visitors per day on my websites. I might go one step further and say that the click through rate for both types of advertising are similar on my sites. This rate is about 1 – 2%, which is low, but from doing some research is not far from normal on a great many blogs.

On a low traffic blog or website, I can’t recommend Amazon. I do know there is much said about it making massive amounts of money for website owners, but I do know it hasn’t worked for me. It has only been a month so I might try moving the ads to different locations on the pages, but without high volume numbers on your traffic count, I am finding it would be better for me to try something different.

Amazon does send an occasional e-mail to help it’s associates and I love their site for it’s simplicity of setting up a store front, or just their different types of advertising.

On one of my sites, I did pick certain items that do not change on the ads. I did this because I felt that the ads contained the information that most people would be looking for. It provides prices for items that I would actually recommend. Being honest, that is the reason for the ads that I have. Just to show visitors what might help them because of the interest in the content of my site.

It isn’t fair for me to say you can’t do very similar things with Google ads, but I do know it isn’t as easy to navigate their site, or at least it isn’t for me.

If I was to have one type of ads on my site or one company, I have to give it to Google because of the way they work. I just feel they are much better for blogs and websites with lower traffic. They work to a small degree for me and this “small” degree seems to coincide with what I read on other blogs, so I recommend them.

For providing products and pricing related to your site, Amazon is at least as good, or maybe even better than Google.

As with any opinion, I am sure others have different opinions. It must be remembered that this site is not selling any product or pushing to sell a product. It is just a hobby which allows me to have my opinions seen by others. I am sure that sites that are selling and promoting certain products have much different results than are found on a “personal” site such as this.

I merely try to state my findings so that if someone does read something, they things they read are “free” of the hype and misleading advertising which is so prevalent on so many sites.

My conclusion is that pay per click is far superior than pay per sale on a low traffic site.

I welcome other opinions, mostly because I seek information, more than I try to provide it, therefore I ask that anyone that has some time, drop a line and help to enlighten those that, like me, aren’t professionals at running a website.

Tags: Google vs Amazon