According to Google, Adwords cost is as much or as little as you would like to spend. In reality, it may not work out that neatly to get the results you are hoping to get, but there is a wide variety in spending options.

The basic costs are a $5.00 activation fee (US dollars) and the minimum cost per click (CPC) on your ad, which is $.01. The minimum cost per thousand impressions, or thousand times your webpage is loaded by a user (CPM) is $.25.

Google offers two options for payment. One is to prepay a certain amount, set up your campaign, then let it go until you have reached the end of the money. In this way you know your Adwords cost before you begin, and can control it easily. The minimum amount for a prepayment is $10.

If you are less concerned with the budget, you can opt for the post-pay method to pay your Adwords cost. With this method, your campaign runs, then at the end of the billing cycle, you are charged the amount that has accrued.

For either type of payment, you’ll need to enter an appropriate credit or debit card or bank account information to activate the account. Google only accepts U.S. bank accounts for bank transfers.

They accept American Express, JCB, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards, and any debit cards with a Mastercard or Visa card logo on them.

Fees per click or per impression can go much higher than the minimum. Google gives you tools to control that aspect of the Adwords cost by allowing you to set either limits on the amount you’re willing to spend each day, or a limit on how much you’re willing to pay per click or per thousand impressions, or both.

It’s possible to project Adwords cost by using the Google keyword tool and get a general idea of how much things will cost.

You can see if you will be able to get the results you’re hoping for with the amount you’re willing to spend, and if not, can find out what you need to spend.

It is easy to predict the amount you’ll spend each day, since you can post a maximum budget for daily spending after establishing the framework for costs.
After that, you’ll want to evaluate your keywords, adjust text, look at ad placements, and generally tweak your campaign in order to make the most of the program.

Using tools can add to your Adwords cost if you choose to utilize third party tools, but some of those may pay off for you by increasing revenue.

You’ll need to know enough about how your campaign is going and what it needs to improve so that you can evaluate what tools will best help you have a successful experience with your Adwords campaign.

Keeping a careful watch on your search parameters and keywords, controlling the amount you’re willing to pay and setting a daily budget can help you keep your Adwords cost under control.