AdGrok Helps SMBs With Website Marketing

Search engine marketing is hot right now, but doing it effectively can be a challenge for small businesses that don't have the time or resources to learn its ins and outs. That's why a number of companies are coming out with products that simplify SEM/SEO for SMBs.One of the latest players to enter the space is AdGrok, whose new tool helps businesses manage their Google AdWords accounts. AdGrok is built on top of AdWords, giving users visibility into the Google product without having to navigate its interface (deemed "clunky" by AdGrok execs).

"Our goal is for AdGrok to be the TurboTax or QuickBooks of online marketing--the [gold standard] of SEM," says Antonio Garcia-Martinez, CEO of AdGrok. "This product is easy to use because it's 'in context.' Our 'GrokBar' is in the browser, so you don't have to flip back and forth between your website and AdWords."

According to Garcia-Martinez, companies can use AdGrok to see exactly what's going on with their SEM campaigns: They can see how much traffic a particular keyword or text ad is generating, how much a keyword is costing them, and how much revenue they're making. Also, AdGrok can analyze a company's campaign for ways to improve it.

And AdGrok isn't just for companies looking to break into SEM. The product is also beneficial for companies that are conversant with SEM but have hundreds or thousands of landing pages to manage. A feature called Grok-O-Matic allows a company to have its entire product catalog in AdWords with just one click of the mouse. A Shopify application can identify which products a company is selling, how many are in inventory, and what webpages they're on. And Groknoculars helps users find poorly performing keywords and easily change keyword bids.

Companies can opt for the "self-serve" version of AdGrok, or they can choose GrokMe instead. With the latter, a Google Certified Professional takes on the setup and daily management of the account. Customers receive a weekly report on campaign performance, and they still get the GrokBar for transparency and control over AdWords.