Do you want to advertise on Google but don't know where to even begin?
Don't worry. We can help you understand how to use Google Ads so that your money helps you reach the best part of your target audience.
Google Ads is a powerful tool with an expansive network that allows you to take your business marketing to the next level.
Want to know more? Then read on and discover how advertising on Google can help you and your business.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads, previously known as Google Adwords, is a paid advertising platform provided by the search engine giant.
The service allows anyone to purchase advertising on Google on a pay-per-click basis (PPC). This means that you only pay when somebody clicks through to your website via your advert.
It is a great way to drive customers searching for your product or service to your site and ensure that they are a good fit for the content you are providing.
Paid advertising is the flip side of organic traffic, where users come to your website naturally without any additional cost to you. In addition, Google Ads are a cross-network solution so that you may see them on YouTube, Blogger, and other properties in the Google Display Network.
You will have seen Google Ads yourself if you have ever made one of the 3.5 billion searches on Google every day. They appear above and to the side of the organic results for your keyword and are clearly labelled ‘Ad'. They are placed prominently to encourage users to click them.
Google Ads have a clickthrough rate of almost 8%, making them an effective method of reaching your audience. With a successfully optimized campaign, you can reach a successful ROI with Google Ads.
How Do They Work?
Every time a user searches for a keyword, they will see adverts on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) related to that keyword. If you have targeted your keywords and audiences correctly, then the customer may click your advert and be taken to your website.
That's the principle, but of course, you will not be the only marketeer looking to advertise your product or service on that keyword. This is where keyword bidding comes into play.
You have to compete with others to ensure it is your advert that displays. You do this by placing a bid on a keyword, the amount you are prepared to pay per click. Remember – Google Ads is a PPC model. If your maximum bid is the highest, then you will receive the ad placement… usually.
There are actually a couple more factors at play than just having the highest bid. Google keeps its bids and bidding process a secret, so much has to be worked out by savvy marketeers for us to understand how it works.
As well as your highest bid, Google will also give your website a quality score. If your website's landing page matches the keyword in the most relevant way, you may be given a higher quality score than the highest bidder. In this case, your advert would be displayed instead of theirs!
It is a little bit of black magic to getting your website to the top of the pile, which is why you must optimise your landing page with Search Engine Optimisation as much as possible.
Picking competitive keywords will result in a lot of keyword bidding. It is better to try and target the less competitive long-tail keywords for your google advertisements. This will make it easier and yield better results.
Different Types of Google Ads
Google allows you to create a variety of different ad types to help your online advertising campaign. They are:
- Search
- Display
- Shopping
- Video
- App
Search campaigns are the standard text adverts that you see surrounding the search engine results. They are only text, very common, and what people usually think of when referencing Google Ads.
Display campaign ads are picture-based adverts that appear on other websites across Google's network. These tend to be the adverts that people can sell space to when they wish to make extra income on their site.
Shopping campaign ads appear in the Google Shopping tab and also sometimes above the results on the Search Engine Results Pages. They show a small image and a price for a specific purchasable product.
Video ads are specific to YouTube and have to be designed especially to fit either a pre-roll or mid-roll in a video, much as you would see on TV. App ads are similar to display ads but appear inside mobile applications. They can be banner ads or interstitial, appearing after a user has completed an action.
How to Use Google Ads
There are lots of ways to get started advertising on Google. We are just going to look at a straightforward getting started guide, but if you want to take a deep dive, Google themselves provides many resources to help you.
1. Go To The Google Ads Homepage
Click the large Start Now button in the centre of the page to begin your campaign.
2. Define Your Goal
Think about what you want to achieve. Is it more calls? More website visits or more visitors to your brick-and-mortar store? Choose whichever goal works best for you.
3. Fill Out Your Business Details
Try to be as accurate as possible. Also, include the landing page that you will want your customers to go to.
4. Enter Your Keywords
You should spend the majority of your time thinking about which ads your want to target. Do they match up with your landing page? Are they relevant? Make sure that they are specific to your product or service.
5. Choose Your Audience
You can target a specific region or somewhere local to you if you're looking for more traffic for your physical business.
6. Create An Amazing Ad
Here's the meat of the process. It is time to craft an eye-catching ad. Think about the language you want to use. Create a catchy headline.
7. Set Up Billing
You will need to enter your payment details at this stage.
8. Submit
That's it! Your ad is away, and now you have to wait and see how successful it is.
Next Steps
Google Advertising is a complex and detailed process. Hopefully, this beginner's guide to how to use Google Ads has given you a taster for what is possible.
If you are itching to dive and get started, go for it! The best way to learn is by getting your hands dirty! Or, if you would like to find out more about the world of online advertising and digital marketing, why not get in touch?
We can help you with your goals to advertise online and coach you through the process. Head over to our contact page and get in touch to see how we can help you.
