AdWords: Google's business model

Google introduced its AdWord system in 2000. AdWord is an artificial word made up of 'advertising' and 'keywords'. Google's customers pay for their advertising to appear to the side of the results form in the form of snippets with a link - whenever the user of the search system calls up a specific keyword.

Until 2008, the AdWords system was billed as Cost-Per-Click (see CPC); since then, a complex model has emerged that also takes into account loading times, the quality of the ad and the type of device used (mobile, PC), among other things. In the blog 'Inside AdWords' (also in German since 2008), Google provides continuous information about changes on its most important advertising platform worldwide.