Google AdWords

• Overture has a program similar to AdSense called Content Match. This program distributes Overture ads near the content of popular sites. Overture is currently only making promotion partnerships with large web sites.
• Overture offers regional advertising like AdWords does. The Overture Local Match product does not have a minimum monthly spend. Overture Local Match also does not even require you to have a website to participate. It does require you to have a physical address to participate.
• Both Overture and AdWords have amazingly large distribution networks.
• Both Overture and AdWords default to broad match ad listings. Using broad match search terms do not need to exactly match the keyword you are bidding on for your ad to show up.
• Overture has a ROI / bid management tool which can help monitor and improve your listings.
• Google AdWords and Overture both offer free ROI tracking tools.
• Both Overture and Google AdWords have a negative keyword tool which prevents you from paying for clickthroughs on irrelevant terms. Good terms to cancel out are usually: cheap, free, download, cracks, mp3s, wallpapers.. the type of terms where it is obvious the searcher would not likely convert to a sale or perform the desired action.

Difference between Overture and Google AdWords

• Overture is strictly price driven. Google AdWords is mathematically driven based on consumer driven relevancy. The AdWords price is a function of cost per click * ad relevancy (based on click through rate.)
• Overture takes a few days to set up an account - Google is almost instant. (less than 5 minutes)
• Overture allows for different biding on the different matching levels - Google will price them based upon what is best using some value at or less than your max price per click. To set up the different value ranges in Google you would have to set up a direct match at one value and a different account at a lesser value.
• Overture Local Match also does not even require you to have a website to participate. It does require you to have a physical address to participate. Google AdWords does not require a physical address and does require a website.
• Google AdSense ads can appear on smaller sites. Overture is extremely selective with its partners (other than when it partners with companies like Gator / Claria).
• Google allows syndication to be turned on or off so that your ad can appear in front of just Google users, or AOL users too. Since Overture drives most their traffic through partner sites they do not have a feature that allows you to turn search partner syndication off.
• Google only costs $5 to open an account. Overture costs $50 and has a $20 monthly minimum spend.
• Google has automatic approval of all ads - and will list them as long as they follow the guidelines. Overture usually reviews most ads before showing them.