Have you noticed google ppc going down?

I try to stay on top of my Google AdWords campaigns, ClickThroughRate (CTR) of my ad variations and of course the amount I spend on bidding. I'm always surprised by the amount of $ I spend a month - the kind of surprise you feel when dropping over that first hump of a roller coaster.

I went today to check on the results of one of my .20 cent keywords. Usually the CTR on this keyword is a good %. I checked the keyword-analysis tool and saw something that kind of pissed me off - but also made me happy (roller coaster happy).

What made me happy?

1. I saw that the cost to be on the first page of results dropped from .20 to .05
   
2. I could lower my top bid and save some $

What pissed me off?

1. I was being charge on average .13 cpc. hmmmmmm - correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't google say that your "bid" is the MOST you'd pay? So if I was offering .20 but the top bid was .05 I should be charged .06 for the top spot?
2. You have to know where to look to find the bid to be on the first page. Even then you don't see the top bid amount. hmmmmmmmm

This is why I miss "back in the good ol'days" when .01 cent bids were the norm (I've been online too long?), when you could see not only WHAT the top bid was - but also WHO was bidding it. When you could ACTUALLY track your ROI.

Now I'm left wondering if the drop in bids is due to

• todays horrid economy or
• the shift we see to social media as a viable alternative to search engine marketing.

:/