WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE MARKETING.

What's online marketing?

Before you take advantage of all that online marketing can do for your business, make sure you know the basics. Check your knowledge with this short quiz.

Let's say someone conducts a Google search for products or services related to your business while you're advertising with AdWords, Google's online advertising platform. In which section could your ad appear?

My ad can appear in section 1

You got it! AdWords ads can appear in section 1, on the top, side, or bottom of the Google search results page next to or under an "Ads" label. Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.

Section 2 is made up of "organic" search results. These are unpaid links to websites with content related directly to what the person searched for. The more relevant the site is to the search term, the higher the link will appear in the list. Your related website could appear here, but your ad won't.

My ad can appear in section 2

Nope. Section 2 is made up of "organic" search results. These are unpaid links to websites with content related directly to what the person searched for.

The more relevant the site is to what the person searched for, the higher the link will appear in the list. Your related website could appear here, but your ad don't.AdWords ads can only show in section 1, on the top, side, or bottom of the Google search results page next to or under an "Ads" label. Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.

My ad can appear in sections 1 and 2

Good guess, but not quite right. Section 2 is made up of "organic" search results. These are unpaid links to websites with content related directly to what the person searched for. The more relevant the site is to the search, the higher the link will appear in the list. Your related website could appear here, but your ad won't.

AdWords ads can only appear in section 1, on the top, side, or bottom of the Google search results page next to or under an "Ads" label. Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.

My ad won't appear in sections 1 or 2

Oops, not quite. Your ad could actually appear in section 1, on the top, side, or bottom of the Google search results page next to or under an "Ads" label. Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.

Your ad wouldn't appear in section 2, which is made up of "organic" search results. These are unpaid links to websites with content related directly to what the person searched for. The more relevant the site is to the search, the higher the link will appear in the list. Your related website could appear here, but your ad won't.

There's a lot that's different about online advertising compared to traditional advertising like newspapers, TV ads, or billboards. Select the true statement about one of online advertising's key benefits?

Advertising online can help improve where your website appears in organic (non-paid) search results

Nope. Running online ads has no impact on where your website appears in organic search results. Organic search results are determined by how relevant a website is to what someone searches for. The more relevant the site is to the person's search term (among other factors), the higher the link can appear in the list.

Try again to find the key benefit of online advertising.

Online advertising requires a minimum budget

Good guess, but this statement isn't true. AdWords doesn't require a minimum budget. However, we recommend new advertisers start with an average budget of $5 to $50 per day so that your ads have more opportunities to show to potential customers.

With AdWords, you decide how much you're comfortable spending and set your budget accordingly. This makes online advertising accessible to businesses with limited advertising budgets.

Try again to find the key benefit of online advertising.

Online advertising lets you target your ads to the type of customers you want, and filter out those you don't

That's right! When you advertise online with AdWords, you can use different targeting methods to reach potential customers right when they're searching for your products or services.

When you advertise alongside search results on the Google Search Network

, you select keywords to help target your ads to people searching for related terms. You can also choose to show your ads at certain times of day, and specify a location and language.

When you advertise on websites that show Google ads (called the Google Display Network

), you can get even more specific by choosing the age of the people you want to reach, the types of sites they visit, and their areas of interest.

These different ways to target your ads help make sure you're putting your advertising dollars towards reaching only the people most likely to become your customers.

Reach more customers with AdWords

Here are a few more key benefits of advertising online with AdWords:

Control your budget

You decide how much you want to spend, and pay only when someone clicks on your ad.

Know what works

Quickly track your ad's effectiveness and easily make changes to improve results.

Reach more people in more places

Connect with customers no matter where they are—on their computers, tablets, mobile phones, even in apps!

Tailor ads to your goals

Take advantage of different ad formats and features to customize your ads to your different business goals, like adding a clickable "Call" button to your ads to get more phone calls, or using video ads to showcase your brand.

You can pay to have your ad placed at the top of organic search results

Nice try, but this is incorrect. Ads on Google will only show on the top, side, or bottom of organic search results, next to or under an "Ads" label. Ads will never appear within the organic search results themselves.

How much you're willing to pay for your ad could impact where your ad appears in relation to other ads when a person searches for a particular term. However, your payment will have no impact on the organic search results that person's search produces.

Try again to find the key benefit of online advertising.