A Look Back at the History of Adwords [Infographic]

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If you’re a successful internet advertising company, you know that regardless of any other factors, there is one thing that always remains true: Adwords is King.  In the last decade and a half, Google has grown Adwords from a small, highly misunderstood service, to being one of the largest and most successful advertising platform in history. Google has been innovating since the advent of pay-per-click advertising, and is constantly finding new and improved ways to monetize the internet.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the success of Adwords, but one that cannot be overstated is its accessibility. While entire marketing departments and firms are devoted to large Adwords accounts, it has a scalability that allows even the smallest business to advertise online and see results. With just a few hours and help from their extensive educational material, anyone can build their first Adwords campaign and start getting clicks. The firm commitment they’ve shown over the years to creating a fair, competitive advertising environment has prevented a stranglehold on the market, encouraging small users instead of trying to alienate them. Big or small, you have a place in Adwords.

It hasn’t always been an easy path, but the end result speaks for itself. In 2012 Google advertising revenue reached $42.5 billion^[1], which might easily have sounded like an impossible number barely ten years ago. In this infographic, we take a look back at the history of Adwords and the road which lead to its current success. We will chronicle all of the ups and downs, the features, acquisitions, and changes that have shaped Google Adwords into the advertising behemoth that we all know and use today. One thing is for sure; it’s been quite a ride, and we’re not done yet.