I've been using Adwords for about 4 months and traffic and business did pick up. But I don't speak Google very well, the statements I get from them look like jibberish. So for $600 I can go to the two day Google seminar in San Jose. With hotel and gas it's gonna be $1000. So I pay a $1000 so I can keep paying Google for more adWords. Isn't there a better way to become fluent in all this analytics stuff? Anyone been to one of these AdWords seminars? Worth it?

Google AdWords 101 & 201: San Jose Area - Eventbrite (http://google-seminar-mar-1-2.eventbrite.com/)

All I know is that it is complex and ever changing.

I think it might be better in the long run to hire somebody because there is so much to keep track of. If you do it yourself and it does not work, or if it does work, you might not know why or how to repeat the success.

Or, throw the darts yourself as the $1,000 might get you a lot of ads.

My cousin has had good success with small buys for their business. He says it brings more targeted customers and ends up costing less than the yellow pages.

It all sounds good unless it does not work!

I jest, but I agree this stuff is important going forward.

I've been using Adwords for about 4 months and traffic and business did pick up. But I don't speak Google very well, the statements I get from them look like jibberish. So for $600 I can go to the two day Google seminar in San Jose. With hotel and gas it's gonna be $1000. So I pay a $1000 so I can keep paying Google for more adWords. Isn't there a better way to become fluent in all this analytics stuff? Anyone been to one of these AdWords seminars? Worth it?

Google AdWords 101 & 201: San Jose Area - Eventbrite (http://google-seminar-mar-1-2.eventbrite.com/)

I've been in the same place as you. My solution was to save myself the hundreds of hours of trying to learn it just to do a mediocre job at it, and hire an Adwords expert off Elance. Had dozens of applicants, ended up paying (IIRC) $400 for the basic setup and testing, and $100/m for maintenance/tweaking over the next 6 months. Super cheap, and the person was in North America.

This is the route I'd suggest.

All I know is that it is complex and ever changing.

I think it might be better in the long run to hire somebody because there is so much to keep track of. If you do it yourself and it does not work, or if it does work, you might not know why or how to repeat the success.

Or, throw the darts yourself as the $1,000 might get you a lot of ads.

My cousin has had good success with small buys for their business. He says it brings more targeted customers and ends up costing less than the yellow pages.

It all sounds good unless it does not work!

I jest, but I agree this stuff is important going forward.

I've been in the same place as you. My solution was to save myself the hundreds of hours of trying to learn it just to do a mediocre job at it, and hire an Adwords expert off Elance. Had dozens of applicants, ended up paying (IIRC) $400 for the basic setup and testing, and $100/m for maintenance/tweaking over the next 6 months. Super cheap, and the person was in North America.

This is the route I'd suggest.

Well that's interesting, that's there's a cottage industry of AdWordians -- folks who make a living at this stuff. And it sounds like it's already oversaturated with players.