Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) is the largest search advertising platform in the world. With over a billion monthly users and advertisers spending almost $50 billion on ads, Google Ads is the advertising platform with unrivaled reach and potential. But that potential can only be unlocked with clear strategies and measurable objectives. If you’re just getting started, here are some tips to get you off to a fast start with Google Ads.
Set clear goals
The first step to advance your business goals with Google Ads is to set clear goals. These goals will then help you design your ads, choose your ad keyphrases, and choose your ad placements.
Here are some examples of business goals you might set:
Conversions:
You want to increase the number of sign-ups on your website.
You want to increase the number of leads for your business.
You want to increase the number of people who “subscribe” to your product or service.
You want to upsell and cross-sell your existing customers.
Relevance:
You want to increase the relevance of your ads so you get more clicks.
You want to decrease the relevance of your ads so you get less competition.
You want to increase the relevance of your ads by using ad extensions.
You want to decrease the relevance of your ads by using ad extensions.
Google Ads is not a magic bullet
When people discover the power of Google Ads, they sometimes assume that a few clicks will make all their business dreams come true. While Google Ads can be extremely helpful for businesses of all sizes and types, it does require effort and maintenance to be effective. You’ll need to create ads that are relevant, compelling, and unique. You’ll also need to vary your ads to reach new audiences. Expect to put in a little time as you get to know your target customers and adjust your strategies as you test different ideas. Over time, you can discover new and exciting ways to advance your business goals with Google Ads.
Use ad extensions to show more info
Ad extensions are images and other bits of information that appear in your ads. They act as additional “info bars” to show the benefits of your product or service. They’re designed to increase your click-through rate (CTR), make your ads more relevant, and decrease your cost-per-click (CPC). To use them, you’ll select what type of ad extension you want to use and put in a keyword. For instance, if you have a restaurant, you might put in an image of the menu.
If you’re selling a product, you might put in a description of the product. Google Ads recommends that you use at least one ad extension per ad group. You can add up to five extensions per ad group. The extensions that you choose will depend on the goal for that ad group. For example, if your goal is to get more clicks and increase your CTR, you might put in a call-to-action extension. If your goal is to decrease your CPC, you might put in a price extension.
Show ads to the right audience
One of the best ways to increase your click-through rate (CTR) is to show your ad to the right audience. This means showing your ad to people who are most likely to click on your ad and then converting (e.g., getting them to sign up for your email list or buy your product or service). Google Ads allows you to target your ads based on your business goals and your audience’s demographics and interests. You can target based on:
- Age and gender: Show your ads to men or women, or both. You can also target your ads based on a person’s age — anywhere from teens to people in their 80s.
- Location: Show your ads to people in different regions. – Language: Show your ads to people who speak a certain language.
- Device: Show your ads to people who use computers, mobile phones, or tablets.
- Time of day: Show your ads when people are most likely to click on your ad.
- Topics: Show your ads to people who have shown interest in specific topics.
Try video ads — they work!
You’ve probably heard that video can be a very effective way of marketing your business. Well, Google Ads allows you to create video ads that are tailored to fit within your other ads on Google. – Ads with video get more views, more clicks, and higher CTRs than those without video. – In fact, adding video to your ads can increase conversions by up to 80%. And, best of all, video ads are relatively inexpensive to create. You don’t need fancy equipment or to be a star — just a smartphone and a few minutes of your time.
Change your ad copy and keywords
When you first create your Google Ads campaigns, you should test several different ad headlines and ad texts. You might start with the headline, “How to lose weight” and the text, “Stop feeling tired and start losing weight with our diet plan.” – After a couple of weeks, check your reports to see which ones are getting the most clicks. – Then, switch the headlines and text of the ones that aren’t doing as well and change the keywords to reflect the new headlines and text. This will help you to show your ads to more people who are more likely to click on them and, hopefully, convert.
Final Words
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the process of how to advance your business goals with Google Ads. There’s still plenty of work ahead, but you’ve made a good start. With these tips, you’ve learned how to set clear goals, use ad extensions to show more info and select the right audience, and change your ad copy and keywords. Most importantly, you’ve learned that Google Ads isn’t a magic bullet. It requires effort and maintenance to be effective. With that in mind, you’re ready to take your business to the next level with Google Ads.