6.1 Finding Money With Search

What happens when your visitors can't find what they want on your website?They might be bored, probably they're hungry for more or they might wantto refine their search. If you have a Google Search Box, you can now retainthese 'quitters' — and make money from ads they click from their search results!

The Google Search Box isn't just an added convenience for your visitors — itcan actually make you money!

If your AdSense ads are being ignored, add a link at the bottom of theAdSense ads, inviting visitors to try Google search. A simple note should dothe trick. Try something like: "Can't find what you're looking for? Try GoogleSearch!"

A Google Search box allows your visitors to specify their exact search terms,thereby "pulling" more relevant ads to your page. Using the Search feature,you can pull up on-demand AdSense ads at the top of the search results.

6.2 Learn How To Add Google Search To Your Web Page!

Adding Google Search to your Web page is very easy. This Step-by-StepTutorial shows you how:

1. Log in to yourAdSense Account and clickthe "AccountInformation" tab.

2. From theAccountInformation Page,click on "Products"and then the "EditInformation"button to Subscribeto AdSense for Search.

3. Click the "Search Settings" tabto specify your search preferencesand results. Paste the html code onyour web page and start turning thoseclicks into AdSense cash!

6.3 To Search Or Not To Search

Putting a Google search box on your site brings advantages anddisadvantages. The big plus is that all the ads the user sees are going to berelevant. The user chooses the keyword so the results are going to be rightin line with what the user wants.

On the other hand, that means you’ve got no control over the keywords theychoose so you can’t try to promote high-paying keywords. You have to takewhat you’re given. You could have a high click-through rate but low revenues(although there’s still no guarantee that the user will click on an ad ratherthan an unpaid listing on the search results page.)

But your users will leave your site at some point anyway. Why shouldn’t youtry to make money when they do click away? Even if Search doesn’t bringyou huge amounts of money, you should still use it as an added revenuesource and to bring extra functionality to your users. I look at it this way. Ifa visitor doesn’t find what they want on my site, I’d prefer that they leavesome change in the “tip jar” on the way out the door!

6.4 Home Page Searching

One way to increase your revenues from searching is to encourage yourusers to use your site as their home page.

Many users have Google as their home page. If you’re offering the sameservice as Google, using their search box and delivering their results, there’sno reason why they shouldn’t be searching from your page — and giving yourevenue from the ads.

Just encourage your users, especially users with Google as their home page,to switch to you, and you’ll be able to make the most of your search functionand your ads.

5.5 Customizing Your Search

Google lets you customize the search box to match your site in the same waythat you can customize your ad units. But a different principle applies here:

you want to prevent your ads from looking like ads; you want your searchbox to look like a search box.

You can certainly make the box look like part of your site so that it looksattractive but as I said, keep the button grey.

People trust Google to deliver results that they want. If the search boxreminds them of Google, they’re more likely to use it than go to Google.comand search from there.

6.6 An Innovative Search Script

Bob Rankin of http://www.tourbus.com/ shares a custom-made javascript thatallows you to suggest additional search terms for your users. Note that is aviolation of Google’s Terms of Service to modify the search code. However,this script is independent of the search code, though it does dabble with the input.

Simply replace ABC, DEF and GHI in the script below with whatever searchterms you wish to provide as suggestions for your visitors.