If I had to choose only three words to describe Google, I would choose "money making factory". That company just can't make enough it seems. According to today's infographic (courtesy of WordStream.com), the search giant made a whopping $37.9 billion last year, most of which came from their Adwords advertising program. Although it is not as much as say Microsoft or Apple, almost $38 billion is nothing to sniff at.

Did you know that Amazon spent just over $55 million in 2011, advertising on Adwords? Ironically, Microsoft also spent a serious chunk of change (just over $16 million) also maintaining a presence on Adwords. I say ironically because Microsoft has their own advertising platform and you would think they would be more focused on pushing their own brand, instead of dropping $16 million on their fiercest rival.

Oh and if you really want to see the clicks coming in, apparently "funeral flowers arrangements" is the most commonly used keywords in search.  But to dominate the funeral flowers online business, you would have to pay Google nearly $21 per click.  So you would have to sell a lot of flowers at a high markup to pay Google and also make a profit for yourself.

Do you advertise on Google Adwords?  I'm sure you're not at the same level of financial commitment as Amazon and Microsoft, but do you see Adwords as a wise financial investment?

Image Source: Scott Robbin