Well, not really. It's not that complicated. They are related but they are two different angles of the same thing: advertising through Google. In this article, we will focus on AdWords, but let's first begin by differentiating AdWords from AdSense.

Google AdSense is the option for when you run a website of your own and would like to earn money from the traffic (visitors) of your site. You opt in to have Google's AdSense place ads on your site that are relevant to your visitors and you, in turn, earn money.

Google AdWords is the other angle of the same concept. This time, you are simply an advertiser (as opposed to being the owner/administrator of the site where the ads are placed). You have a product, service, website or otherwise that you want to advertise. And you'd like it if Google would place your ad on sites whose visitors will find your advertisement relevant.

You see, Google cares about you getting results from your advertising. That's why AdWords is better than other forms of online advertising. Google won't just place your ads arbitrarily on the net. They will focus and put your ads in specific handpicked locations, again, on sites where the visitors will find your ads to be relevant to them. These visitors are more likely to be in the market for your product, service, or website. Therefore, you are more likely to see a direct point of sale from this very targeted advertising.

This article was, in fact, not written by anyone working for Google and is simply informative. It is just to help you understand what AdWords is and what it can do for you and your business. Whether you choose to use Google AdWords to increase your bottom line is entirely up to you! Happy advertising and marketing! And may your business flourish, whether through Google advertising or otherwise!