Forrester states that 93% of online experiences start with a search, and Google leads with a 90.1% share, including Google Images. YouTube, also owned by Google, comes second, followed by Yahoo, Bing, and Amazon. To reach potential customers, your brand needs a strong online presence on search engines. Paid advertising is key to this strategy. If you’re new to PPC (pay-per-click), these Google Ads tips will help kickstart your campaigns effectively. Ensure it fits your business and consult this guide to run a successful campaign.
Why Google Ads Are Essential
Google Ads is a top PPC platform due to its vast reach. Google dominates the US search market and many other countries. PPC through Google Ads can significantly reach prospects. Google’s research shows that, on average, businesses earn $2 for every $1 spent on Google Ads. This makes it a valuable tool for revenue growth.
Increasing PPC Use
With over a billion websites online, competition on search engine results pages (SERPs) is intense. This makes it challenging for smaller businesses to rank for important keywords. PPC with Google Ads can help gain necessary attention. Here are 26 tips for starting your PPC campaigns:
Building Your Ad Group
- Optimize for Negative Keywords: Exclude irrelevant keywords (e.g., “free,” “jobs”) to save budget and target the right prospects.
- Remove Duplicate Keywords: Avoid mistakes and confusion by eliminating duplicate keywords.
- Bid on Competitors’ Names: Bid on competitors’ names to attract their potential clients while following Google’s rules.
- Monitor Quality Scores: Track and improve Quality Scores for your keywords to maximize reputation and minimize costs.
- Manage Ad Group Size: Keep ad groups to a manageable size for better performance and relevancy.
- Track Conversion Keywords: Monitor what keywords lead to conversions and add them to your ad group.
- Remove Underperforming Ads: Regularly remove ads that don’t meet performance expectations.
- Supplement Organic Efforts: Use Google Ads to boost visibility for high-priority keywords while waiting for organic rankings to improve.
Designing Your Campaign
- Align Landing Pages with Ads: Ensure landing pages meet users’ needs and reflect ad messages to avoid wasted budget.
- Select Keyword Match Types: Choose between broad, broad match modified, phrase, and exact match types to control your audience reach.
- Adjust Match Types Over Time: Start with broad match and refine as data comes in for better audience targeting.
- Use All Available Text Space: Maximize ad text fields for URLs, headlines, locations, and descriptions.
- Utilize Ad Extensions: Use sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets to enhance ad performance.
- Employ Location Targeting: Display ads to specific geographic areas for precision targeting.
- Use Shopping Campaigns for eCommerce: Showcase products with descriptions and prices to attract purchase-ready customers.
Tracking and Implementation
- Test Keywords from Organic Efforts: Use PPC data to inform organic campaigns and vice versa.
- Track Multiple Goals: Evaluate clicks, leads, qualified leads, and revenue to understand ad performance.
- Monitor Keyword Spend: Track costs and returns to optimize keyword selection.
- Use Remarketing Lists: Target past visitors with tailored ads to encourage conversions.
- Prioritize Budget for Top Campaigns: Focus funds on high-performing campaigns and adjust as needed.
- Test Ad Variations: Run multiple versions of ads to find the most effective.
- Adjust Ad Schedule: Target ads during peak performance times based on data.
- Analyze User Locations: Create location-specific campaigns based on top-performing regions.
Mobile Optimization
- Consider Mobile-Only Campaigns: Develop mobile-specific campaigns for keywords driving mobile traffic.
- Select Mobile-Friendly Keywords: Choose keywords that match voice searches and shorter typed queries.
- Optimize Landing Pages for Mobile: Ensure mobile pages are user-friendly, with readable fonts, playable videos, easy navigation, and minimal typing.
Final Takeaways
Google Ads is a powerful tool for enhancing your brand’s strategy. It complements organic efforts to increase recognition and brand awareness. While setting up Google Ads can be daunting, these tips will help you create strong campaigns and build brand recognition effectively.
