The Internet has enabled people with even the most eclectic interests to find and buy products that interest them.
Conversely, it has also enabled online businesses that cater towards the smallest niches to prosper.
The reason the Internet has enabled this two way need fulfillment to take place is because of its very nature.
People can search for what they exactly want by typing in words or phrases into search engines like Yahoo, Google, and Overture. These search engines will then deliver back listings of results that contain those words, or pertain to the topic that the searcher is looking for.
Pay Per click search engines allow advertisers to take advantage of this opportunity by enabling them to bod on the exact key words, and key phrases, that they want their ads to be shown for.
But this opportunity is also a double edged sword. How many times have you searched for product, or information on a topic, and been shown irrelevant ads?
Think of the times that you clicked on those ads because you were curious to see what the advertisers were offering.
While as a searcher this is acceptable, the same action from an advertisers point of view is detrimental to his business.
Those clicks are not from potential customers, but from curiosity seekers.
For a Google Ad Words, or Overture, pay per click campaign to be effective, it must receive a high percentage of serious potential customers.
This can only take place if the ads are shown to serious prospects.
How can a Google Ad Words, or Overture, advertiser accomplish this?
He must use phrases that narrowly define his market.
Instead of simply using the word closeout for my site, www.closeoutexplosion.com, I will use the phrase closeout products.
A used car dealer would want to stay away from bidding on the term cars, or even used cars. These words are too generic and do not indicate who might be conducting the search.
Instead the used car dealer would want to use phrases such as, used Honda cars, or used cars for sale.
These phrases will deliver a smaller amount of traffic, but the traffic will be more targeted.
A rule of thumb in online advertising is that the more targeted your traffic is, the more sales you will see as a result.
Donny Lowy has set up http://www.billionfreeads.com to provide free online advertising for small businesses.