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Google Ads

Introduction to Google Ads 2023

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As a digital marketer, I understand the importance of using Google Ads to reach a wider audience and increase conversions. Google Ads is a powerful platform that allows businesses to display their advertisements in front of potential customers who are already searching for products or services they offer. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through the process of unlocking the true potential of Google Ads.

Benefits of using Google Ads

There are numerous benefits of using Google Ads to promote your business. Firstly, it is a cost-effective way of advertising as you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Secondly, Google Ads allows you to target specific keywords and demographics, ensuring that your ads are shown to the right audience. Thirdly, Google Ads provides detailed analytics that allows you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and adjust accordingly. Fourthly, Google Ads is highly customizable, giving you the ability to create ads that fit your brand’s unique style and messaging.

Understanding the Google Ads platform

Before you start creating ads on Google Ads, it is important to understand the platform and how it works. Google Ads is an auction-based advertising platform that allows businesses to bid on specific keywords to display their ads in front of potential customers. When someone searches for a particular keyword, Google will trigger an auction, where advertisers bid on the keyword. The highest bidder will have their ad displayed in the top position of the search results page.

To use Google Ads, you need to create a Google Ads account and set up a campaign. A campaign in Google Ads is a set of ad groups that share a budget, location targeting, and other settings. Within a campaign, you can create ad groups that contain specific keywords and ads.

Keyword research and selection for Google Ads

Keyword research is a crucial step in creating effective Google Ads campaigns. It involves identifying keywords that are relevant to your business and have high search volume. The goal is to find keywords that potential customers are searching for and that have low competition. There are several tools available for conducting keyword research, including Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, and SEMrush.

Once you have identified your target keywords, it is important to group them into ad groups based on their relevance. This will help you create targeted ads that are relevant to each keyword group.

Creating effective ad copy for Google Ads

Creating effective ad copy is essential for a successful Google Ads campaign. Your ad copy should be engaging, relevant, and contain a clear call-to-action. It should also highlight the unique selling points of your product or service.

When creating ad copy, it is important to follow Google’s ad policies to ensure that your ads are approved. Google has strict policies on language, formatting, and content. Violating these policies can result in your ads being disapproved or your account being suspended.

Bidding strategies for Google Ads

Bidding strategies are important for optimizing your Google Ads campaigns. There are several bidding strategies available in Google Ads, including manual bidding, automated bidding, and target CPA bidding. Manual bidding allows you to set your own bids for each keyword, while automatic bidding lets Google set bids for you based on your campaign goals. Target CPA bidding is a smart bidding strategy that automatically sets bids to help you get as many conversions as possible at your target CPA.

Ad targeting options for Google Ads

Google Ads provides several targeting options that allow you to reach your desired audience. These include location targeting, device targeting, audience targeting, and keyword targeting.

Location targeting allows you to target specific geographic locations, such as cities, regions, or countries. Device targeting allows you to target specific devices, such as desktops, mobiles, or tablets. Audience targeting allows you to target specific audiences based on their interests, demographics, or behavior. Keyword targeting allows you to target specific keywords that are relevant to your business.

Measuring and analyzing the performance of your Google Ads campaigns

Measuring and analyzing the performance of your Google Ads campaigns is essential for optimizing your campaigns. Google Ads provides detailed analytics that allows you to track the performance of your campaigns, including clicks, impressions, conversions, and cost per click. You can also track the performance of specific keywords and ad groups to identify areas for improvement.

To analyze your campaigns, you can use Google Analytics, which provides deeper insights into user behavior and website performance. By analyzing your Google Ads campaigns, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your campaigns accordingly.

Tips for optimizing your Google Ads campaigns

Optimizing your Google Ads campaigns is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. Here are some tips for optimizing your campaigns:

  • Test different ad copy: By testing different ad copy, you can identify what resonates best with your target audience.
  • Use negative keywords: Negative keywords are keywords that you don’t want your ads to be displayed for. By using negative keywords, you can avoid irrelevant clicks and save money.
  • Optimize landing pages: Your landing pages should be optimized for conversions. Make sure they are relevant to your ads and have a clear call-to-action.
  • Use ad extensions: Ad extensions allow you to add additional information to your ads, such as phone numbers, location, and links.
  • Monitor your campaigns regularly: Regular monitoring allows you to identify areas for improvement and adjust your campaigns accordingly.

Common mistakes to avoid when using Google Ads

There are several common mistakes that businesses make when using Google Ads. These include:

  • Not conducting proper keyword research: This can result in your ads being displayed for irrelevant keywords, resulting in wasted ad spend.
  • Not optimizing landing pages: If your landing pages are not optimized for conversions, you may not see a good return on your investment.
  • Not using negative keywords: Not using negative keywords can result in irrelevant clicks and wasted ad spend.
  • Not monitoring campaigns regularly: Regular monitoring allows you to identify areas for improvement and adjust your campaigns accordingly.
  • Violating Google’s ad policies: Violating Google’s ad policies can result in your ads being disapproved or your account being suspended.

Resources for learning more about Google Ads

Google Ads is a complex platform, and there is always more to learn. Here are some resources for learning more about Google Ads:

  • Google Ads Help Center: The Google Ads Help Center provides detailed information on how to use the platform and troubleshoot issues.
  • Google Ads Academy: Google Ads Academy provides free online courses on how to use the platform effectively.
  • Google Ads Community: The Google Ads Community is a forum where you can ask questions and get advice from other advertisers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Google Ads is a powerful platform that can help businesses reach a wider audience and increase conversions. By understanding the platform, conducting proper keyword research, creating effective ad copy, and optimizing your campaigns, you can unlock the true potential of Google Ads. Remember to monitor your campaigns regularly and avoid common mistakes to make the most of your ad spend. With the right strategy and tools, Google Ads can be a valuable asset to your digital marketing efforts.

 

Google Ads And SEO 2020

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Google ads And SEO – which is better for my business?

Over the years there has been much debate about the relative merits to your business of Google Ads. and SEO. Both are vital ingredients of any digital marketing campaign and therefore excellent strategies for helping to drive traffic, but which is better for you? The answer is not as easy as the question in this case! Your marketing strategy is influenced by factors including budget, product, industry, and revenue to name a few. Here, we take a look at Google Ads and SEO to help you decide which is best for you.

Google Ads and SEO

Google Ads (previously Google AdWords)

Google Ads is an advertising platform which, as its name implies, is owned by Google. The PPC (pay per click) platform allows marketers to reach leads. 

Google Ads works by displaying an advert in Google search results which is triggered by a keyword search e.g. when someone uses one of your target keywords in your target geographical location, your site will appear as a paid ad. in the results. If someone subsequently clicks on your advert, Google will charge you. This cost may deter many but, statistically, 60% of all clicks are received by the sites in the top 3 ad. positions, so a lot of business can be gained through PPC. 

Google Ads focuses on device bidding. This means Google separates bids on desktop, mobiles and tablets, allowing them to be distinct from each other while still dependent on one another. This focus allows you to have a distinct marketing budget for each type of device you run your campaign on, giving you greater freedom and flexibility with your budget. 

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

SEO is the process used to get your website rankings higher in all major search engines, unlike Google Ads which is dedicated to Google only. 

In order for your website to rank well in searches, SEO will optimise your site content so that it appears higher up on the search engine results page (SERP). How high up you rank is dependent on many factors, including keywords and quality content, site security and user experience, as well as mobile compatibility and load speed. 

An effective and successful SEO campaign will improve your site’s expertise, industry authority and user trust, increasing organic growth and gaining higher search rankings. 

The roles of Google Ads and SEO

Google Ads and SEO each have a different role to play in your marketing campaign which are unique yet complementary. Used properly, these two platforms can work well together. When you look at each side by side, you can see how they compare:

FEATURE GOOGLE ADS SEO
Placement Ads placed in search results of Google owned and partner sites only Placement only in search results
Traffic Traffic generation for campaign duration only Ongoing traffic generation
Cost Charges for every click on your listing No cost for people to click on your listing
Time Faster results Results take longer to achieve but may be longer lasting
Tracking metrics Tracks instantly Tracking takes longer
Keyword selection Works for all keywords Works for all keywords

Once you have established campaign goals and budget, whether you decide to follow the SEO only route, or the Google Ads route is a matter of choice. However, when used in conjunction with each other, SEO and PPC Ads can increase your visibility as both will increase the opportunity of searchers finding your page. The two together will also boost traffic to your site – PPC creating immediate traffic and SEO attracting long term traffic. And, Google Ads keywords can be used to optimise SEO as bidding for the same keywords that you target with SEO means double the exposure for those keywords. Google Ads can also be used to test keywords, helping you to determine the keywords which are the most effective for a SEO campaign.

Don’t view Google Ads and SEO as competitors but allies in your marketing campaigns. Used well, the two together will only be an advantage for your website by combining their individual merits to bring you better search results.

What is Google Ads, formerly known as Google Adwords?

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Google Ads, originally known as Google Adwords is Google’s online pay per click advertising where advertisers produce adverts for their own list of keywords for users to click on. Using Google Ads can help you get to position 1 on the Google search engine with a day, without having to go through months of SEO work. Google Ads usually sit at the top of the SERPs (search engine results page). You can see an example below of where the paid for, shopping and organic listings all sit.

Google Ads

Search adverts for Google Ads are shown against keyword searches based on an auction model – the advertiser bids a maximum that they’re prepared to pay. The priority with which Google shows adverts takes into account aspects such as the relevance of the landing page, the advert copy and the click through rate. The algorithms that determine adverts placing are always changing so it is necessary to stay on top of the updates. Google shopping adverts are usually based on a feed that is generated from the backend of the website and is then sent through an API to the Google Merchant Center. Once there the Merchant Center will use the feed to produce the shopping ads. Google will then show the product ads based on the keyword searches that the customer uses.

What are the challenges when using Google Ads search for eCommerce?

  • Increasingly complex to manage as scale and sophistication grows – bids can vary bids by device, repeat visits, location, gender, age, audience remarketing etc
  • Cost per clicks can rise significantly year on year (YOY)
  • Return on investment (ROI) can be hard to maintain as spend grows
  • Revenue increases YOY become harder and more dependent on other factors such as on page category merchandising, product pages and website customer journey.

What are the challenges when using Google Shopping for eCommerce?

  • The success of the product ads is closely tied to the quality of the data feed
  • Influencing the products chosen to be shown can be difficult due to Google’s own search algorithm
  • There are usually 3 types of customer browsing the product adverts – low intent to buy, medium intent to buy and high intent to buy. The idea is to create different shopping campaigns based on the users different intention to buy. This is a very difficult process and involves a lot of work with all the various keyword searches the potential customer types in
  • Increasingly competitive (expensive) environment due to success and also false offering websites
  • The need to have a high impression share and be competitive is strong due to the ability to influence sales further down the buyer funnel

If you have any questions regarding Google Ads please don’t hesitate to contact me.