If you have a paid ad running on Google, or if you’re thinking about running one in the future, then  LISTEN UP!  

Recently there was an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Scheduling Online Ads” by Kelly Spors. It was an important article for anyone who has steered clear of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising because of a fear that their money will be wasted by bored web surfers or fraudulent clicks instead of serious consumers.

 So Google came up with a great solution to help advertisers protect their money and keep away those pesky “Midnight Marauders”.

 Adwords now lets you schedule the display of your ads using "Ad Scheduling."

 Researchers found that there are proven times during the day when consumers are looking to BUY, and other times, such as the middle of the night, when they’re more likely to surf, click, and leave.

 Most online shopping happens on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and then in the late afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Knowing this information could help you optimize your conversion rates and stop needless spending.

 What I like most about the ad scheduling feature is that the interface is simple and extremely user friendly,  unlike SearchIgnite, a program that can confuse advertisers into turning their ads OFF when they should be ON.

 I applaud Google for implementing a much needed feature! I can only hope that Overture and MSN follow suit and create their own ad scheduling programs too.