Meet the Globe's Top 6 Google PPC Experts

Understanding the nuances of pay per click marketing, Google AdWords, and SEO is not something that happens overnight. There is the complexity of how individual visitors choose to interact with websites, in addition to the way keywords influence the frequency rate and position of advertising on popular search engines. The importance of any given keyword can change literally in the span of a day, and dramatically impact the effectiveness of a particular ad campaign. Of course, without extensive study, practice, and knowledge, it’s impossible to accurately predict or even simply react to daily changes in metrics and other analytical data.

After conducting our research, we’re determined that the 6 individuals profiled below have distinguished themselves as being experts in one of the fastest paced, arguably most important technological marketing fields currently in existence. Each person on this list has earned his or her spot because he or she favors a unique yet winning approach to internet marketing. Each of our top 6 has either authored an acclaimed book or created a groundbreaking website. They’re regularly quoted in well-known news and literary publications.

Some take a hard-line sales approach; others come from academia, or spend their time focusing on developing the most transparent training techniques possible. Still others believe in emphasizing particular search methodology, such as a focus on scale or organic placement. Almost everyone has years, if not decades, of experience. And yet, no two people favor the exact same approach, yet all have experienced remarkable success with their particular strategies. This is a collection of people who don’t simply love what they do; they are what they do.

With that said, we’re happy to present the Top 6 experts in the realm of AdWords, SEO, and PPC.

Brad Geddes

As the founder of bg Theory and internet marketing training site Certified Knowledge, Brad Geddes is not someone who spends very much time sitting around. He’s spoken at over 30 conferences and 50 training sessions around the world. He’s one of only two approved Google AdWords seminar leaders. Most impressively, he was making money from websites back in 1998, when most people were still offline. Essentially, Brad is one of the few people working in the field who not only understands PPC, but has been making a living from it for over a decade.

His success in the field can be partially attributed to his breadth of experience with a wide range of companies. He’s worked with organizations that have budgets stretching anywhere from $17.50 a month to millions annually, including giants like Amazon, DEX Media, and World Directories. By not focusing on a particular financial strata of the market but instead choosing to embrace all types of paying clientele, Brad has developed the ability to correctly interpret larger analytical trends. This ability allows him to successfully advise companies on their PPC strategy, regardless of their industry or size.

His prolific output and unrivaled real-world success in internet marketing have cemented his reputation. In all of his work, Brad favors an educational approach in an attempt to “demystify” the process. As part of this demystification process, Brad spends a great deal of his time authoring books, blog posts, and lectures. He’s the author of “Advanced Google AdWords” and the technical editor of “Winning Results with AdWords”.

Perry Marshall

For those who have never used Google’s AdWords before, the system is surprisingly complex. It utilizes a variety of confusingly worded variables that need constant configuring. Perry Marshall has built his reputation and firm around determining how best to manipulate these variables so that individual users and businesses can get the most out of their particular AdWords experience without bankrupting themselves in the process.

Originally trained as an engineer, Perry’s first working experiences were in sales. This combination of experiences helped him to pair real-world dynamics with highly analytical techniques, a strategy ideally suited for internet marketing.

Perry’s expertise is recognized nationally. He is frequently quoted in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and other national newspapers and media outlets. He has published books, including “The Definitive Guide to Google AdWords” and created in-depth tutorial videos that take people through the process, step-by-step. His seminars are attended by companies and individuals from cities around the world. In addition to his seminars, his company also offers “elite” training courses, which are custom-tailored to each company’s marketing goals. He continually updates his texts, lectures, and online materials to keep pace with changes in AdWords.

Andrew Goodman

With his background in academia, Andrew Goodman developed his expertise in Google AdWords by accident. He started writing about search engine portals in 1999 through a website called “Traffick.com”. Unlike some of the other Top 6 internet marketers on this list, Andrew honed his understanding of how search engines compile information primarily through extensive studies and research, gradually segueing into consulting as a full-time enterprise. His experience in the “real-world” is not as extensive as some of his contemporaries, but his insight into the importance of what he terms “realities” is astonishing.

Andrew emphasizes that companies should not place as heavy an emphasis on initial ROI on PPC as much as on creating an extensive presence online through both “organic” and “paid” efforts. His understanding of how to use AdWords to lure in a few very lucrative customers as opposed to dozens of fly-by-night visitors is a key component that helps companies realize tremendous long-term profits.

Andrew has written two books on Google AdWords, the first of which was published in 2002. The second book, “Winning Results with Google AdWords” updated the insights of the first and tackles some larger existential questions, including the very future of search itself. This type of long-term framework is beneficial to both other writers and business owners who want to anticipate the future of attracting consumer interest.

Geordie Carswell

As the primary founder of PPCblog.com, PC Helpsoft Labs, and Network Management Software, Geordie Carswell has earned his spot in the Top 6 by continuously creating money-generating enterprises that are web-based. PPCblog in particular trains people on how best to market themselves and their companies on the internet by using a variety of innovative, custom-designed tools.

The PPCblog keeps an eye on all search engine results and offers unbiased accounts of what techniques work best, and for whom. The result is a powerful monitoring station that allows different methodologies of search to compete with one another. The work of PPCblog has been featured in The Atlantic, Gizmodo, FastCompany, and numerous other technology oriented publications.

Geordie’s approach is also notable because through the auspices of PPCblog, he has created several internet marketing specific tools that give users a highly crafted advantage when creating their campaigns. The local keyword tool, for example, helps regionally specific campaigns by pulling all relevant information within the radius of a particular zip code, such as city names, communities, and state codes. This type of rapid information gathering makes it incredibly easy for campaigners to begin creating highly targeted keywords within a very short period of time.

Geordie’s focus on the web in general sets him apart from others who have authored books specific to Google AdWords. His approach — to author a plug-in that automatically helps users convert their information into a ready-made AdWords campaign — is a sort of clever marketing campaign in of itself. Geordie doesn’t appear to be slowing down, either. If his past is any indication, he will continue to create new companies that address the needs of a constantly evolving virtual industry.

Aaron and Giovanna Wall

As two of the co-founders of PPCblog, Aaron and Giovanna have helped develop some of the most useful and insightful PPC tools in existence with Geordie Carswell. Aaron and Giovanna are also married.

Aaron Wall is also the author of an SEO training book program. He is regularly featured in Wired Magazine, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets.

His analytical background, in combination with his hands-on experience with teaching others how best to use SEO, has given him exceptional insight into plotting effective strategy. He understands how to transform a company’s vision into keyword friendly verbiage, and how to best position those keywords to garner the largest results on a variety of platforms.

His concentration on SEO specifically distinguishes him among the Top 6. Although each component of internet marketing is influenced by SEO, only he has dedicated his entire attention to understanding how to craft the most effective keywords.

Giovanna has a background in small business which informs her prolific posts on PPCblog. Her ability to simultaneously visualize the complicated effects of keyword usage and the mindset of a typical small business owner makes her posts both accessible and extremely useful. Being able to bridge this gap is no small feat. Many small business owners are so consumed with the daily rigors of keeping an enterprise in motion that they have difficulty understanding how best to promote themselves online. Giovanna’s been an independent paid and organic search specialist since 2005, in part because she places PPC in its appropriate business context and cuts out the highly verbose and often confusing techno-babble of die-hard internet marketing enthusiasts.

Giovanna’s focus on PPC and how it interrelates with small business makes her yet another highly individualized presence on this list. Small businesses must distinguish themselves in a way that differs from larger corporations or organizations. Her contributions to the field have helped to create an altogether new way of marketing that will doubtless shape numerous future campaigns.

The Future

Each of these 6 individuals has charted the course of internet marketing from its initial debut to its present-day incarnation. As the market becomes simultaneously more competitive and diversified, the specific selection of keywords and the methodology of SEM will grow and change with it. PPC and AdWords may be over a decade old, but they are both still growing. You can count on these 6 people to help predict, analyze, and chart the new directions of this rapidly changing and commercially vital medium.

Guest post by: Daniel Barnes is a PPC manager who loves learning SEO and has a passion for creating new online business ventures.

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