This is quick checklist for small business owners who think content marketing might be for them. It’s a step-by-step set of instructions for combining Google Adwords and content marketing. This type of campaign is for small business owners who are just getting interested in search engine marketing (SEM) and content marketing.

The concept is simple. You’re going to offer a free whitepaper to prospective customers who give you their name, e-mail and whatever other information you ask for. You’re going to advertise the free whitepaper through AdWords and collect the information from your landing page.

1. Set up a Google AdWords account.

• Choose a set of keywords that will cause your ad to appear.
• Use the AdWords keyword tool to gauge the competitiveness of common keywords.
• Choose keywords that are not the most competitive but still get a significant number of searches.

2. Write the copy for your AdWords ad.

• Spend extra time on writing the headline
• Include an offer or some other call-to-action. In this case, offer a free whitepaper.

3. Design and write copy for a landing page. (This is the page people go to when they click on your AdWords ad.)

• Include a form to capture names, e-mails and other information you want from prospects. (Note: The more information you expect to collect, the more valuable the offer needs to be).
• Use keywords that you’ve identified to help with organic search and PageRank.
• Include contact information, and an offer or some other call-to-action.

4. Write a whitepaper or report about a subject that’s important to your prospective customers:

• Example: If you’re a accounting firm, write a whitepaper called “Ten Easy Ways to Avoid Getting Audited by the IRS.”
• Example: If you’re a law firm that specializes in contracts, write a whitepaper called, “How to Safeguard Yourself in Contract Negotiations” or “Ten Contract Clauses That Will Protect You and Your Assets

5. Design and layout the whitepaper in PDF form.

6. When someone requests the whitepaper, send to them immediately.