Supposedly over 30% of searches by prospective shoppers, result in one of the top three Google Ads boxes being clicked. It is simple to use Google Ads and just takes some time to set up and then to monitor its performance.
You can do the advertising with Google Ads yourself, if you are curious and have the time. Or you can just pay someone to do it. It can be very cost effective if done right. And very expensive if done badly.
Introduction to Advertising with Google Ads
Google Ads, previously known as Google Adwords, is a complex platform. Many people who sign up to Google Ads Manager enter a keyword or key term, accept all the suggestions, and then broad match suggestions from Google. When they add a credit card to the account and add the keywords, they think that enquiries or sales will start coming through the door. In other words, it’s almost like people think if I pay this tax to Google then I will get business. However, that is not the way it works. It is far more complicated than that. If it was that easy any idiot with money would be doing it.
The truth is a lot of people with more money than sense are using Google Ads campaigns poorly. Including our Government Departments using Taxpayers money.
As a result, Google is making a fortune because of this lack of understanding. Also, there are people who are so desperate for sales that all of their money will go into the Google Ads campaigns. Or worse still, they build the campaign on their credit card thinking that they will pay off the credit card when they get loads of sales and make loads of money eventually from their Ads campaign. It can, however, be extremely expensive to make mistakes or use this platform poorly.
Either learn how to use Google Ads well yourself or pay someone competent to do it for you. There is no simple way of saying, “I’ve got loads of cash, so send me the customers”. Although plenty of companies do use Ads to generate sales this way, many of the sales are not profitable. Some companies even lose money on a sale, in order to increase customer acquisition. They hope that the LTV or Lifetime value of the new customer ensures that they make a profit eventually.
Next Steps when Advertising with Google Ads
Firstly, you can go to Google Ads set up an account and place an advert ‘Campaign’. You will need to set up a Gmail account and use a Credit Card to pay for the costs of all ads clicked. Then add your Campaign content as in –
Websites for Sale 5% off Click here or Call 01 969 6060 www.meanit.ie.
You get 4 lines. 1. Headline 25 characters max (soon to be 30), 2. Description Line 1 35 characters (soon to be 80), Description Line 1 35 characters, and 4. URL or website name www.meanit.ie
Add extensions to add a line for Location, Sitelinks Call or Social and soon Coupons.
SERPS
Ideally, you will have a website so that people can click through to a Landing page for more information on specific offers. Failing that, just include the phone number in the short advert. When placing your ad, you get loads of choices to allow you adjust the ad to be seen by your own Target market. You can advertise in Search & Display Networks or in Search only (Google generated search engine results pages or SERPs) or in Network only (Googles network of partner websites where the ads appear). You can advertise to pc computers as in Desktop or mobile as in smartphone or Tablets, in any or all countries, in specific cities or counties, by age, sex, or interest. Start small and work out from there when you get some success.
We could advertise in Letterkenny which is our town or Donegal which is our county and only for SEO or website design or whichever keywords we think make sense. We can use the Google Keyword planner in Adwords to see how many people search on average each month for ‘website design’ in Letterkenny or County Donegal. The shorter the term, the more competitive the space will be. So “Web Design” will cost more than “Web Design Donegal”. And “Web Design” will get a lot more clicks. So it will cost a lot more. Make sure that if someone living a long way away, will not find your website. Otherwise, the clicks will cost a lot, just to get people who do not want you, due to proximity. Plus your ‘quality score’ or ad rank will drop, if people click an ad, get to your website and then bounce away again.
Settings when advertising with Google Ads
There is a wealth of settings options available. Like most Google interfaces, the whole platform is complex and not very intuitive. However, you can learn just enough to do what you have to do. Or you can get your head around what you want to achieve and then pay someone competent to manage the settings for you. You can choose to have your ads appear in the search network only or it can also appear in the Display Network, which is where Google ads appear on so many other websites. These partner sites make some cents when an ad is clicked, when it appears in their website. Online newspapers often have these ads appearing. They have high traffic, so if their audience clicks the Google ads, then they get a few cents every time.
Landing Page when advertising with Google Ads
It is a good idea to create a designated custom landing page on your website to allow you see when Google Ads bring paid traffic to your website, if that is possible for you to do. Sometimes, you will have more than one page, which makes it a bit more challenging, but it is not usually a big deal either. Have a dedicated landing page for each campaign, rather than just having people click and land on your home page, which is harder to measure and track. Add the landing page url such as https://meanit.ie/google-ads-landing-page/ in to Settings in your Ads Campaign. You can set the url in the ad to look like something else. In our case it is set to https://meanit.ie/Wordpress/websites
Tip: Test organic results before doing any Ads. If you have a page that is not converting, why would you pag Google to bring more people to that page? Once you tweak the page, to a point that it converts reasonably well then you can consider investing in Google Ads to increase the number of visitors.
Locations
You can set locations for this ad, so we have a Campaign called Donegal and we set the location to just County Donegal. This campaign is to track how we do with only potential Donegal clients. We can create a different Campaign for our Dublin office or one for nearby Derry or Sligo or we could go Ireland. When you set locations be realistic about how far away you can travel or whether people 400 kilometres will actually deal with you.
Price Per Click and Budget
You can set the max price or cost per Click CPC, but Google will tell you how much that ad will cost per click to be ranked on the first page or best spots on page 1 – it is an Auction. Forget about being number 1, try being number 3 for a while and work your way up as you see how much it will cost you. You can set a Daily budget or Lifetime budget for the advert. The lower you set the Click maximum the less chance of being seen (impressions). You can set your max CPC for each keyword or key term. Google will give you the lowest price it takes to win each auction.
Keywords
You need to create the Keywords list – these are the words, that which when searched, will make your ad appear. We would use phrases like “Web Design Letterkenny” or “Web Designers Dublin” “Web Design Donegal” or “Website Support service” rather than single words like “web” or even short terms like “web design” which would be very competitive. So we choose donegal+website+design to create a term. Google will even suggest Keywords based on your advert, so by all means use any that make good sense and ignore the ones that do not.
Initially keep it pretty tight to find out what works. You can also add Labels to help group or filter your ads. You can select as many Keywords or Key terms as you like and likewise set as many Negative keywords or terms as you like too. Use obvious ones such as jobs so that you do not have unwanted attention from jobseekers.
Choosing the right keywords is crucial to receiving insights. If you fail to chose terms that people actually search, then you will, as a result, fail to receive views and “clicks”. In the end, the better the keyword, the more business you will attract.
Demographics
You can choose to have ads seen by age, so 18-24 or 25-34 up to 65+ which might be handy if you are targeting a specific age group.
Placements
Google owns Youtube so you can have your ads run there as well as in Search. Plus you can have your ads seen anywhere that Google Ads appear in its Network, such as online news outlets etc. That includes BBC who also show Ads from Taboola Network.
Goals
You can set a goal, so in our case it is more website visits, but it could be to get signups or telephone calls.
Time and Date
You can set your ads to run for specific times of the day such as 8.00 am to 8.00 pm in our case and particular days of the week and run within certain date parameters. This is useful if you are running an ad for Christmas or Monday to Friday only. You may choose to have ads stopped when you are away on holidays or when the office is closed.
Devices
You may choose to be seen on Desktop, Tablet or Mobile or all three. If your website was not responsive, you might choose not to be found by mobile users. Likewise your website may not deliver well on tablet, so you might decide to exclude tablet users. Google uses Cookies on Desktop and Maids on mobile devices. Mobile Ad Identifies are the cookies of the mobile device world.
Overview
When you log in to your Google account you can visit your Google Ads page and see how your Campaigns are going. The number of times the ad appeared , the number of times it was clicked and what it is all costing per click and in total. Allow one or two hours to get it all set up the first time. Then review it hourly the first day and daily for a few days then once a week. This ensures you are not spending needlessly. People who get any of the settings wrong regularly get a nasty surprise on their credit card statement when they find they spent hundreds or thousands of Euros. Just because their settings were incorrect.
Google Ads Performance Planner
Performance Planner is a tool that lets you create plans for your advertising spend, and see how changes to campaigns might affect key metrics and overall performance. Using Performance Planner, you can:
– See forecasts for your campaigns.
– Explore outcomes by adjusting campaign settings.
– Understand opportunities in seasonal periods.
– Manage budgets across accounts and campaigns.
For more details see HERE.
Google Ads Guides
Google have a short introduction guide at Google ads guide https://ads.google.com/home/resources/how-to-setup-googleads-a-checklist/
When you are ready, follow these instructions https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6366720?hl=en
They have a few help videos too at https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2375497?hl=en
You can get the full Google Ads guide here http://www.google.ie/ads/#subid=ie-en-ha-aw-bkhp0~19263677815
Tip: Remember to see Google Places or Google My Business to get seen in Google Search it is FREE and make sure that your website is well optimised to get found see https://meanit.ie/digital-marketing-tips/what-is-seo
Google Ads changes in 2016
Google changes mobile advert structure:
It was always going to be just a matter of time before we find out what Google intended to do with all the white space in the SERPs which appeared early in 2016. They have been playing about with local search to improve the results. Now that they think they know what they are doing they are soon to offer us the benefits. This will allow advertisers pay for promoted pins on maps, so you can be seen in results. Advertisers will be able to use Google maps to advertise. Also we can pay to have our result highlighted on the page. And the text in Adwords will be more prominent with the 25 character headline being upped to 30 characters. The description will have 80 characters in a block instead of 35 spaced over several lines.
Amazingly, tests have proven that giving more information to people increases the likelihood of a click through. Of course, that will result in less results on the page at least until Google moves to a single scrolling page rather than multiple individual 10 result pages – personal prediction only.
Mobile Pricing
It also looks as if Google is going to increase the price of mobile advertising which is growing much faster than desktop and will continue to do so. Location related mobile searches are on the increase and partly because Google are making them so much better and relevant. As long as your telephone provider indicates to Google your precise location then your search experience should be improving all the time for local suppliers. Advertisers will have the option to add coupons or special offers in the results page. Book now button will probably be available in the new look to help advertisers see that Google Adwords is working for them.
Be aware that advertisers will no longer be able to manually enter a URL in the advertisement, but rather Google will take it from the final link to ensure that what you advertise is what people get when they click. More control for Google, better protection for searchers – maybe.Advertisers will be allowed to select the device type they want to promote their advertisement in, whether that is smartphone or tablet. Because of these changes it is critical that all businesses ensure that their Google My Business details are filled in correctly and completely. Mobile changes everything. This is now a mobile first world.
PPC Pay Per Click
PPC Pay Per Click is Googles title for its internet advertising used to get traffic to your site. Advertisers pay Google, when the advert is clicked. Every click is a cost – so get the wording right. As Advertisers you bid on each keyword phrase that they want. Put your keywords or important terms in “inverted commas” “web design ireland” to get people searching for that term or one that contains those words. To be laser specific use [square brackets] to focus on people searching for exactly that term [Web Design Ireland]. The description should be something like Best Web Design Ireland. The url link should contain that term as should the landing page. Use Social Media at the top of your funnel and PPC to targeted sectors of your audience.
“PPC is like going to the shop and buying some food to eat for the week.
SEO is like planting a garden. Gardening takes much more work and waiting, but in the end, it is cheaper. But if you’re hungry (i.e you need sales and money now), then go to the shop, don’t plant a garden”
Google Ads 2021 Update
Changes to Broad Match Modifier
At the beginning of 2021, Google announced that it would be simplifying match types. To accomplish this, Google is combining the control of phrase match with the expanded reach of broad match modifier. What does this mean? In late July, you will no longer be permitted to generate BMM (Broad Match Modifier) keywords using +keyword notation. Any existing BMM keywords will be updated to utilise the new phrase matching behavior. Meanwhile, you will be permitted to edit the bid or status of your BMM keywords, but must transition to phrase match if you wish to edit the keyword text. Ultimately, these changes will create a more user friendly experience.
Google’s Guide for Adapting to these Changes:
– Utilise the “remove redundant keywords” recommendation
– Evaluate performance and make budget shifts when necessary
– Routinely check your recommendations page
– Consider combining broad match with Smart Bidding
New Smart Bidding Features
Smart bidding already generates good results, but Google has decided to make it even easier by adding several new features to the function. With these new features you will be able to:
- See additional insights with top signals for target ROAs – drive your performance and maximize conversion values
- Administer seasonality adjustments at the manager level – automatically set bids at auction times to optimize campaign performance
- Execute maximize conversion value bidding with recommendations
- Anticipate performance with Target Impression Share Simulators – learn how target bid and budget changes affect performance
Increased Control of Where your Ads Run
In mid-April 2021, Google announced its plan to implement a new feature that will help advertisers feature their ads strictly alongside content that lines up with their campaign. Googles advertiser controls allow users to decide where their ads appear, the format of their ads, and the audience they wish to reach through their ads. The update to these controls also allow advertisers to protect their ads from running in conjunction with unrelated content. The controls permit users to block certain websites, content, or topics from their ad campaign – significantly driving your ads’ performance. Google also announced the introduction of dynamic exclusion lists, which will allow advertisers to schedule automatic updates when new web pages or domains are added, simplifying the process of maintaining specific ads.
Google notes that it is important to review its AdSense program policies to avoid creating unsupported content in your ads.
Image Extensions
In 2020, Google announced its introduction of image extensions and now, in 2021, they are available globally. Today, consumers prefer a more visual experience when browsing services and products online. Image extensions accommodates this preference, allowing advertisers to create more visually captivating ads. Advertisers are given the ability to adds relevant photos of their products and services to their ads, so visitors can visualize what they are actually selling and advertising. Recent results have revealed that advertisers see a 10% increase in click-through rate with ads that feature image extensions, demonstrating its effectiveness. Google also introduced a feature called dynamic image extensions that automatically chooses the most relevant images from your ads’ landing page and attaches them to your ad. For the best results and to see an increase in insights, it is recommended that you utilise image extensions and dynamic image extensions together.
Google Ad Affiliates
Google also allows you place your advert in other peoples websites, sites that are deemed to be related to your target market. Those sites get a small fee for every click, a share of the income. They are referred to as Affiliates. You can follow your visitors around and re-market to people who visited your website or who already clicked on one of your adverts in PPC.
What is SEO ? | SEO Costs | Google Adword Planner
Never use Google Ads unless…..
You can lose a fortune on Ads, unless you do a bit of planning and observe some rules or tips. You should only pay when someone clicks on your ad and goes to your website. If you do use Ads and increase the number of visitors to your website, but the visitors do not convert to customers, then you need to focus on the content of your website, before investing any more in Ads. You can test conversion rate with 100 visitors per day or week as easy as with 1000.
Things to consider:
1. You have Maximum Bid set
2. You have a Maximum Budget set
3. You have targeted the geographical area you cover
4. You have targeted the demographic you want
5. You have the text written to attract client you want
6. You have the text written to attract client you do not want
7. Get the keywords right – do the research
8. Use multiple ads as in one for each product or service
9. Each Ad should have copy that relates to that one single product or service
10. Ensure conversion in your website from visitors
11. Use the correct Match, Broad Match or Exact Match or Phrase
12. Do use Negative Keywords to avoid some unwanted attention
13. Do Bid on your own Brand, as someone else will do it otherwise
14. Check your Ad position and how it looks
15. Link back to an appropriate landing page
Do the Keyword research first, then craft your advert which should bring a visitor to a landing page specific to that advert. Once you launch this advert through your account, monitor how it works for you and then continue to tweak it to make it better. You will use tracking code to monitor visitors and to re-market to them.
Google provides all the online training you could want HERE and you can watch free videos on Youtube or you can outsource to a suitable agency. Set up your account here. Another alternative is to let us handle your Google Ads Setup. Check out our Google Ads Setup Service offer.
