If you are an affiliate marketers who is new to Google Adwords, you have probably discovered two things:

1. Google isn’t easy.
2. Google can burn a hole in your wallet, fast.

Many new affiliate marketers throw away their hard earned dollars on Google Adwords, because they have not had the proper education. However, with some training, you can lower your pay per click advertising costs and increase your return on investment. Below are five Google tips to help get your pointed in the right direction:

1. Consider turning the Content Network off. If you leave the content network on, you will often get untargeted traffic clicking away at your ads out of curiosity. If you do not want to turn the content network off, you should create separate ad groups and use Content bidding, because you can get traffic for much less. For example, a keyword with the Search Network on might cost you 25 cents per click, while the same keyword would cost about 5 cents a click using the Content Network.

2. Use a keyword tool to help generate search phrases. There are some good free keyword tools out there such as Lexfn, The Overture Keyword Suggestion Tool, Good Keywords, and Nichebot. These keyword tools will help you find relevant keywords with less competition.

3. Don't throw a bunch of unrelated keywords into one adgroup. For example, if you are selling ice to Eskimos, don't put "snowman" and "make money with ice" into the same adgroup. Rather, separate these keywords into their own distinct adgroups using common keywords.

4. Use your keyword in your ad, both in the headline and in the ad itself. Not only does this help your ad stand out because the keywords are bolded, but it may also help lower your cost per click, since it may increase your CTR.

5. Don't overspend per click. Divide the total price of your commission by 100 to get the maximum cost you should spend per click. For example, if your commission is $25, divide $25/100 to get a maximum 25 cents per click. This means that if 1 person out of every 100 people who clicks on your ad makes a sale, you would break even.

While your product may convert at 1 in 50 or even higher, there is no way to know what your conversion rates are going to be without testing. Keep in mind that some products do not convert at 1 in 250, so try to be as conservative as possible with your bid costs, particularly when you are just starting out. If the keywords you want are more expensive than your maximum cost per click, try to think of related phrases that might trigger the same ad.

This isn't EVERYTHING you need to know about Google Adwords, but its a good starting point. If you are serious about using Google to advance your affiliate marketing career, it is recommended that you read a good ecourse on how to beat Google Adwords, such as Beating Adwords, or getting personal help and support for through an affiliate marketing membership site such as Wealthy Affiliate.