Google Ads (previously known as Google AdWords) is a simple and effective way to increase relevant traffic to your website.
A successful Google Ads campaign can increase unique visits to your website and encourage visitors to follow your ‘call to action’. This might be to purchase a product, inquire about a service or sign up to receive your e-newsletter.
But, just how does Google Google Ads work? Hopefully, this post will give you some insights!
Google Ads: Search and Display
Google Ads can be used to expand the reach of your website via two routes: Search and Display.
Search: when somebody types a query into a search engine, in addition to the natural search results, there will also be Google Ads at the top, and sometimes bottom, of the page. Your ad appears if your chosen keywords match the search term the user has entered.
Display: The Display Network operates in a different way. Think more like ‘banner ads' that have evolved.
Google places your advert on its own websites and that of its partners. The websites will be places that your potential customers visit, although there is no guarantee they will be looking for your products or services at the time they visit the site.
For instance, as you search on YouTube for kitchen design ideas, an advert for an online appliance shop may appear at the side of the page. The Display Network still offers a valuable way to connect with new customers, but your marketing approach needs to be different from your ‘search’ advertising.
If you’re new to Google Ads, it’s better to turn off display until you've got to grips with search advertising.
Whatever you decide, keep search and display campaigns separate as they work in different ways.
Keywords and Quality Scores
You bid for your chosen keywords by setting up a maximum bid per day, or per keyword, via an automated real-time auction. Although the amount you bid on a keyword has a strong bearing on how high you appear on the list, Google also calculates a Quality Score for each of your keywords. This takes into consideration factors including the relevancy of your keywords to your advert text and a user’s search query. Google also calculates how successful your ads have been to date, so if more people click your ad you will find it appearing higher up the list, even if you weren’t the highest bidder for a keyword.
Google carefully monitors relevancy, so being specific with your keyword choice is important. Individual keywords are grouped into two categories by Google: ‘no problems’ and ‘poor’. It’s your aim to use words that come under the ‘no problems’ state, as these help customers find your site and allow you to create successful campaigns that in turn means you pay a lower cost for each click. ‘Poor' keywords, on the other hand, make it more difficult for people to find you as the words aren’t relevant to potential customers. This may be because they are too general. They are likely to increase your costs, and your advert may not even show up.
Google has a keyword and placement diagnosis tool to help you identify problems with keywords.
How Google Ads Helps You Create Targeted Marketing Campaigns
Google Ads offers a flexible marketing solution that allows you to create, test, tweak and monitor campaigns. Any company that does business online should consider using Google Ads.
If you would like to know more about how Google Ads work, follow this link to help get you started: Google Ads Advice
If you have a Google Ads account but are not sure you are getting the best results from it then we can review your account – or we offer account management services. Just get in touch for a chat if you would like to discuss how we can help.
