Google AdWords Seminar Aids Local Organizations

Google AdWords, an Internet marketing tool, was the subject of a special community seminar designed to support businesses and non-profit groups in Lenoir and Caldwell County.

Google specialists were on hand at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center on Thursday, Nov. 15 to explain the capabilities available through the online advertising service.

Google's Lindsay Stradley and Matt Dunne presented separate no-cost seminars, one for businesses and one for nonprofits. They surprised business people attending with $100 gift vouchers to use for their AdWords campaigns.

Non-profit groups, as always, are eligible for special Google Grants, a program supporting organizations that share Google's philosophy of community service in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts.

"The Google Grants Program is a tremendous opportunity for nonprofit organizations in our community to deliver their messages to the masses," said David Barlow, mayor, City of Lenoir, who addressed attendees at the seminar for non-profit organizations.

Designed for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, Google Grants offers free AdWords to organizations that apply to the program. Google facilitates AdWords seminars in major cities throughout the United States and teaches nonprofits how to apply to the Google Grants program. Google's new data center in Lenoir prompted the company to bring the Google Grants program and AdWords seminar to Caldwell County.

Available to all types of businesses, AdWords allows companies to deliver messages on the Internet to as broad or specific an audience as possible by utilizing Google's search engine—the most popular in the world. For example, American Meadows, a Vermont-based supplier of flower seeds, used AdWords to make sure individuals searching for words like "wildflowers" and "wildflower seeds" saw its advertisement. The company has grown from a local business to one of the largest suppliers in North America.

"We're glad they've taken the initiative to share their ideas with others here in Lenoir and Caldwell County," said Faye Higgins, chairwoman, Caldwell County Board of Commissioners, who briefly addressed attendees at the seminar for local businesses.

As in all of its places of business, Google is committed to giving back to the community in a number of ways, including special events such as the AdWords seminar.

"This community has done so much to welcome Google," said data center manager Tom Jacobik. "It's a pleasure to now welcome community members to learn more about how Google's services can help them."

To apply for Google Grants, non-profit organizations can visit www.google.com/grants. At the bottom of that page, click on 'Program Details.' Please review the 'Who is Eligible' section.