18 months after the launch of Google Checkout, we are now provided with some analysis on the effectiveness of the system.

Google says web shoppers who’ve signed up for Checkout are 10 percent more likely to click on an ad that features a Checkout button and 40 percent more likely to make an online purchase once they reach a site.  In other words, if an online retailer uses Checkout and spends advertising budget on Google, it improves the chance that shoppers will make purchases on its site.

“These are outstanding results,” says Tom Oliveri, product marketing manager for Checkout. “Merchants are seeing the benefits of higher traffic and more sales. Google is bringing those stores better buying experiences.”

As a number of my clients can testify, using Google Checkout in conjunction with Google AdWords makes sense.  Any extra help in generating traffic is always welcome.