With over 3.5 billion searches on Google every single day, the chances are that your ideal customer is already searching for you.
All you need to do is pop up in their search results.
Google Ads is one of the most effective ways to do this in the short run. Many businesses have leveraged Google Ads to kickstart their growth.
In this article, you will find out:
- How Google Ads works.
- 5 of the most important tips for using Google Ads.
- How to stop Google Ads and if that should matter when deciding your marketing strategy.
Let’s dive in…
How does Google Ads work?
To begin with, you need to understand how Google Ads (previously known as Google Adwords) really works.
Every time someone types a search query into Google, they see a list of search results. And research says that 75% of users only click on the first page of search results. Your ranking in these organic search results depends on a number of factors from keyword optimization to content quality.
However, Google also has another path for websites to appear on the first page of the search results. This is Google Ads.
There are two main ways of advertising using the Google Ads platform, Search Ads and Display Ads.
Search Ads
As you can see above, when you search for iPad Pro, the usual search results are present. But there’s also a number of ads you can see on the top and on the right-hand side. Google Ads allows users to decide the keywords for which they want to display their ads. And you only pay when someone actually clicks on the ad and comes to your website. If you have the kind of product or service that people usually find through an online search, Google Ads is a very effective way to reach prospective customers. These are known as search ads.
Display Ads
There’s also another type of advertising in Google Ads which is display advertising. With display ads, you simply figure out the likes and dislikes of your audience. Google will display your ad to the relevant audience through its different media channels.
5 Important tips for using Google Ads
#1. Understand Google Ads pricing
The key to mastering Google Ads is understanding how much they cost so that you can maximize your ROI. This will help you run the ads on a sustainable basis. Here are some things to keep in mind about how Google Ads pricing works:
- Google charges you only when someone clicks on your ad and goes to your website.
- Google Ads rewards businesses that have better campaigns with lower costs and better placement of the ad.
- You can keep your audience as narrow as you like in terms of location, devices, and other demographics so that more clicks result in more conversions.
- The average cost per click (CPC) is between $1 to $2 on search ads as they are far more likely to convert. For display ads, the cost is usually below $1. Of course, the cost for your campaign depends on many factors, including the keywords you are targeting.
#2. Use Google Local Service Ads for businesses looking for customers nearby
Did you know that 46% of all searches on Google are looking for local information? Even more importantly, 18% of local searches actually generate sales on the same day. Plus, with local search, you can use keywords that are specialized (in terms of location, specific services, etc). This will reduce the cost per click and actually help you convert local customers with a greater ROI. Another great way to capitalize on local searches is to add the contact number of your business in the ad copy. That way local customers will be able to call you directly.
#3. Leverage Google Ads Academy and Google Ads Certification
With Google Ads Academy you can navigate the complex world of Google Ads at your own pace. They have bite-sized training videos that you can watch at your convenience from your laptop or mobile. A Google Ads certification is also a great way to learn Google Ads in a step-by-step manner. It’s also a great thing to have on your CV as it signals to prospective employers that you have a thorough understanding of Google Ads.
#4. Combine branded terms with modified broad keywords
Google Ads determines both the cost and placement of your ads by the quality of your ad. One of the easiest ways to get a high-quality score is by including the name of your brand in your ad copy. However, by only using branded terms, you may end up excluding those users who are not searching for your brand. You can get the reach of generic terms along with the quality score of branded terms by combining the two. Set the generic term to a modified broad match and leave the branded term as a broad match. So if people search for your generic terms then the branded terms in your ad will still show.
#5. Optimize your Google Ads campaign for mobile devices
You need to optimize your Google Ads to focus on mobile users. One way of doing this is by adding sitelink extensions to mobile-based ads. This can help increase your CTR (Click Through Rate) by leaps and bounds. Here’s an example:
How to stop your campaign on Google Ads
While it’s true that Google Ads run in an automated manner once you set them up, it’s always possible to pause your campaigns whenever you want. The good thing is, even when you pause your campaign, it still remains in your Google Ads account so you can always just start it up again whenever you want.
You can either pause your entire campaign, or just pause an Ad Group, or even just a particular ad. You simply need to go to the particular Campaign/Ad Group/Ad tab, click the dropdown menu next to the status icon, and then click “Paused” to put the campaign on hold, or “Removed” to permanently stop the campaign.
Wrapping up
Google Ads continues to be one of the most on-point digital marketing techniques. Especially with search ads, you can really narrow down your target audience and create an effective campaign that converts.
Given the complexity of managing Google Ads, it becomes easy to get lost in the details sometimes. Use the tips discussed in this article to make the most out of your Google Ads campaign.
Guest author: I’m Pawel Tomczyk. I’m a technology enthusiast and a marketer for the past seven years. I love science fiction books, as well as subjects such as futurology, fin-tech, and the economy. I help people with anything from content creation (infographics, social media posts, articles, press releases, guest posts, etc.) to crowdfunding projects, marketing audits, and digital community building.
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