Online marketers should look beyond Google's AdWords system as part of their long-term advertising strategy, one expert has suggested.

Writing on the Hard Life Freelancer's blog, Perry Marshall claims that although firms wishing to develop a constant stream of online revenue should at first use the search engine giant's advertising system, they should be aware of a number of other online techniques available.

He advised: "Google AdWords just happens to be the fastest, easiest and sometimes the least expensive way to get the traffic there. But once again, it's not about Google - it's about your website."

Using AdWords, he reported, can help firms manage their campaigns and target specific audiences.

Mr Marshall claimed that once companies are getting a steady flow of internet traffic through AdWords they should look to invest in other advertising tactics including search engine optimisation, email promoting and affiliate marketing.

Launched last month, Google's new AdWords 3.0 software allows companies to target certain users by focusing on websites based on criteria such as language and location.