Posted on Jul 17, 2018

How to Get the Most Out of Google AdWords

More often than not, a customer’s first touchpoint with your brand is online. They search for a service you offer, they find you, and you get new business. Unfortunately, this cycle isn’t feasible for every business. 

Why? The top spot on a Google search is a tough, often uncertain place to land, requiring constant keyword research, optimization, content creation, and link building efforts. 

Google AdWords allows you to break through the limits of organic searches and reach prospective customers in different types of advertisements. Currently, Google offers four main types of ads: search ads, display ads, video ads, and universal app campaigns. Here’s how each of these four ads works and why businesses rely on them. 

A Quick Guide to Google AdWords and How It Works

There are 4 types of ads you should can leverage within the Google framework. It’s important to understand how each of them work, how they will display your content to the user, and the advantages of each for the advertiser.

1. Search Ads

Search ads show up at the top of search results, above organic Google search results, giving your business a high level of visibility to prospective customers. They are often a business’ first kind of Google AdWords campaign due to their low cost and effectiveness. 

2. Display Ads

Combining images and text, display ads let businesses pick where their ads run based on its prospective audience’s interests. You may see display ads in a banner format, in mobile apps, or in custom Gmail ads. 

3. Video Ads

More dynamic advertisements include video ads for YouTube. This multimedia advertisements lets you select your audience based on gender, age, and interests. When your audience hits play on a video clip, your ad will play before that video clip. 

4. Universal App Campaigns

For companies that have produced a mobile application, Google AdWords’ Universal App Campaigns creates a custom ad preview for Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store. It also lets you create an in-app mobile ad for your business. 

Why do so many businesses rely on these four types of ad campaigns? Google AdWords, in addition to using a highly targeted approach to reach new customers, is well-regarded for its economic benefits. 

You get to pick what you want to spend each month. You only pay when people interact with your ad—namely, when they open the link within your ad and then call your business directly.

Despite how straightforward this sounds, it takes a carefully constructed strategy to maximize a Google AdWords campaign. The key is to focus on ad conversion while limiting your spending. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

Begin with Search Ad Campaigns

Search ads are the least disruptive product in the Google AdWords suite. No banner ad is draped across a web article your customer wants to read. No in-app ad distracts your customer as they scroll through an otherwise clean, user-focused mobile application. 

Your prospective customer has already searched for the exact service your business offers, and your ad simply presents your business as a more obvious solution than those featured in an organic search result. It solves a problem. 

Search ads are also valuable from a marketing perspective because they can inform which keywords you should use on future display ads. 

Determine Your Audience

Develop marketing personas for your ideal prospective customers. Figure out their demographic information, including age groups, gender, and geographic location. Pinpoint some of their personal interests and which times of day they are searching for your services. Even a very basic understanding of your audience will help you target new customers. 

Set Your Budget Low to Start

For first time Google AdWords users, it can be very difficult to gauge what your campaign’s daily budget and cost-per-click should be. If your ad gains popularity immediately, you could realistically burn through your monthly AdWords budget and never achieve a healthy conversion rate. 

Per Google, cost-per-click (actual CPC) is the final amount you’re charged for a click. You’re often charged less — sometimes much less — than your maximum cost-per-click (max. CPC) bid.

Start by setting your daily budget low, maybe 25% of what you expect to spend each day. Similarly, start with lower cost-per-click bids and gradually raise your bids depending on how well your keywords perform. 

Schedule Your Ads During Business Hours and During Peak Engagement Times

To make your budget stretch, schedule your ads carefully. Do not run them during dead times like the middle of the night. Choose times that are relevant to your business, when your users are online. 

For example, if you run a high-end restaurant that opens at 5pm, you do not need to run ads during the morning. You may, however, run ads in the early afternoon and during the time your restaurant is open. This strategic placement allows prospective customers to find you when they really want your business. 

Use Google AdWords’ Keyword Planner to Locate Relevant Keywords

AdWords has a tremendous suite of helpful features, including a comprehensive keyword finder. Instead of arbitrarily launching an ad without recent keyword research, take advantage of the Keyword Planner to determine the most relevant terms you can afford to add to your campaign. 

Keep in mind that certain competitive terms could cost you more, but will not benefit you. Before you put money down on any keywords, examine the Auction Insight Report. You will want to have a clear idea of which keywords will be rendered obsolete from high competition and subsequently result in a less advantageous search position. 

Remember to search for and develop a list of negative keywords. These are words, phrases, and questions that are not relevant to your search terms. When someone types in the terms on your negative keyword list, Google AdWords will not produce your ad. This is a critical way to help you save money, since you will be charged for a click, even if it is irrelevant or accidental. 

Customize Calls to Action for Mobile Visitors

Most of the people who interact with your ad will be on mobile devices. Craft your calls to action accordingly. Ask them to call you right now or to call you today, and embed your business’ number directly into the ad. That way mobile users will read your call to action, click on your ad, and call you for services—a perfect, seamless conversion. 

Leverage the Power of Google AdWords

Build brand awareness and reach a new audience with a targeted Google AdWords campaign. Every iPage web hosting plan helps you get started by giving you a $100 Google AdWords bonus. This free marketing tool is an important first step toward growing your company’s online presence and using data-driven advertising. 

We encourage you to speak with one of our marketing experts prior to launching your company’s first Google AdWords campaign.

Feature Image: Photo by Caio Resende from Pexels

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