Beginners Guide to Advertising on Google Ads

No matter what you sell, there are people who want it and will pay for it. The only question is how do I find these shoppers? Well now with Google Ads, all your target markets can be reached through a single advertising platform!

Google has over 3 billion searches per day which means that if one in ten users starts searching on our site or product page then we have an audience waiting to hear from us-and buy whatever they’re interested in purchasing too!

Google Ads are a great way to get your products or services in front of potential customers when they search for something related. It’s called pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and it has the power to make sure that any company’s message is heard loud, clear–and quickly!

You can’t afford to miss out on the Google Ads opportunity. I’ll show you how they work, and then we will go through exactly what steps are needed for set-up so you can get your ads up and running today!

What Exactly Is Google Ads?

Google Ads is a paid online advertising platform offered by Google. Originally called “Google AdWords,” the search engine company rebranded this service in 2018 to better reflect its capabilities and make it easier for you (the advertiser) to find what people are searching for most often on your products or services, right as they’re looking up information about them.

The way it works is simple- when users search for a keyword, they get the results on an individual’s SERP. These could include paid advertisements that are targeted towards their specific needs and wants in life which will allow them more opportunity at finding what they’re looking for much faster than if there was no ad displayed whatsoever.

As an example, here are the results for the term “physiotherapy clinic”.

The advertisements on the top of SERP are very similar to organic search results. They all have a bolded “Ad” at their head, which makes them stand out from other posts in this field and even draws attention towards themselves as users scroll through pages looking for what they want.

This is good for the advertiser because they can set up their ads in front of potential customers right off the bat. The first results on Google typically get most of this traffic, so it’s important that you optimize your page with keywords or phrases related to what product/service your company provides.

However, purchasing advertising on Google does not necessarily guarantee that you’ll be at the top spot. After all, there are other marketers competing for this keyword through their Ads campaigns as well.

T0 understand rankings a bit more, let’s dive a little deeper into how Google Ads work.

How Google Ads work

The Google Ads model operates on a pay-per-click basis. This means marketers are able to target specific keywords and make bids that compete with others who also want those terms, giving them more opportunities for success!

The bids you make are “maximum bids” — or the highest amount of money that an advertiser is willing to spend for particular ad space.

You can choose how much you’re willing to spend on an ad campaign, but there are limits. If your maximum bid is $4 and Google determines that your cost per click comes out at less than 2$, they’ll give this placement instead of one with higher prices- so make sure not only does it fit within those guidelines or else it’s not even worth bidding for.

Alternatively, you can set a maximum daily budget for your ad. This will stop advertisers from going over budget and wasting money on ads that aren’t working as well or haven’t delivered expected results.

Advertisers have three options for their bids on Google Ads:

Cost-per-click (CPC). The cost when a user clicks on your ad.

Cost-per-mille (CPM). The cost per 1000 impressions.

Cost-per-engagement (CPE). The cost when a user performs a specific action on your ad resulting in a conversion (signs up for a list, watch a video, etc).

Google takes the bid amount and pairs it with an assessment of your ad called a Quality Score. This number ranges from 1-10, where higher scores indicate that you’re likely going to see more clicks on these ads in comparison to lower ones which means better performance overall.

What is Quality Score?

“Quality Score is a diagnostic tool meant to give you a sense of how well your ad quality compares to other advertisers.

This score is measured on a scale from 1—10 and is available at the keyword level. A higher Quality Score means that your ad and landing page are more relevant and useful to someone searching for your keyword, compared to other advertisers.

You can use the Quality Score diagnostic tool to identify where it might be beneficial to improve your ads, landing pages, or keyword selection.”

The idea is that by getting more people to click your advertisement, you increase the chances of accomplishing what it was meant for. For example, calling someone and converting them into a lead or even making an entire sale.

Now that you know the different types of Google ads, let’s take a look at which ones will work best for your campaign.

Google Ad Types

Choose from a selection of different campaign types that fit your objectives:

• Google Search Campaign
• Google Display Campaign
• Google Shopping Campaign
• Youtube Video Campaign
• App Campaign

Let’s take a closer look at the various types of campaigns to see how they can work for your goals – and which one is the best for you.

Google Ads Search campaign

Search campaign ads are the most effective of all online advertising. They appear as text-based ads in your search results for a keyword.

As an example, here are search ad campaign results for the keyword “gaming computers”:

When you search online, these ads may appear on the result page. They have a black “Ad” symbol next to their URL and are often placed strategically throughout Google’s sites in order for people who see them while browsing or searching can click through right away without having too much trouble finding what they want since there will always be another option if one site doesn’t work out well enough for you.

Text ads are not the only type of ad available in the Google search network. If you are running an e-commerce website or business, you should also look to have your ads shown on Google Shopping.

Google Ads Shopping campaign

Google Shopping campaigns allow you to promote your e-commerce products in an eye-catching way.

Ads appear as images in search results, at the top of your search results page:

How they appear in Google Shopping:

If you have actual physical products, you can get highly qualified leads with Google Shopping spotlighting your products directly to customers who are already in-market to purchase.

Google Ads Display campaign

By leveraging Google’s vast website partners, you can show off your ad on different websites all over the Internet.

There are many ways that ads can show up. You could have them on third-party websites, like this one:

Your ad can also appear as a pre-roll before YouTube videos:

Your ads can also show on Google’s email platform, Gmail:

Lastly, your ad can also show in third-party apps on Google’s app network:

The Google Display Network is a great way to reach more people than ever before. With partners like Microsoft, ABC News and The Washington Post it reaches 90% of all internet users which ensures your ad gets in front of the right eyes!

Ads can be anything from gifs, videos and images to text-based posts. You’ll have the option of what kind of ad you want for your campaign so that it fits in with how people interact socially right now.

There are some risks to using Display ads, like ending up on sites you don’t want your ads shown or in front of videos that can damage the reputation of a brand.

The best way to use the Display Network is by targeting your ads carefully and being strategic about where you place them.

Google Ads Video campaign

These types of ads show prior to YouTube videos as pre-roll ads:

Hold on a second! Didn’t we go over this with Google Display Network ads?

That’s correct…But, Google gives you the option to choose video ads on their own, not just the whole Display Network.

Got a great video? This is a perfect option to test it and see what your results are before launching a larger campaign.

Discovery Ads are another great form of YouTube Display ads that work really well:

Plus, there are tons of overlays and banner options you can choose from as well.

Google Ads App campaign

The app ad network is a great opportunity for developers and advertisers alike. With video ads, this can be an even more powerful way of reaching your customer base with targeted messaging that will get them into the store quicker.

You don’t have to worry about designing ads for each individual app. Instead, they’ll take your text and assets such as photos – furnishing you with an ad that looks great.

The algorithm changes its strategy according to which combination performs best, so you can the best bang for your money.

We’ve just covered the basics of what goes into creating your ads for Google so, let’s pivot and get into Google ads cost.

The Cost of Google Ads

The cost-per-click for advertisers in the United States typically falls between $1 and $2.

Google Ads can be a great way to drive traffic and sell your products or services online. However, they’re not without their limitations as the cost of a specific Google ad varies based on factors such as quality website design and how much you are bidding on your campaigns.

Due to these factors, your costs will vary per ad.

In order to best understand the costs of advertising on Google for your business, you must first understand how the Auction system works for ads.

When a user searches for your product or service, Google automatically pits you against other advertisers who have tried to take advantage of that keyword.

Your bid must be competitive in order not only to rank well but also to get found by potential customers on the first page of searches.

Google’s Quality Score system grades websites on a number of factors including user experience and site speed, which helps them rank higher than sites with low-quality content.

The quality of your Google ads matters. In a world where everyone is fighting for attention, you have to be unique and special in order not only to attract potential customers but keep them as well!

Now that you know the cost, types of ads and what’s possible with Google Ads let’s take a look at how to optimize them for success.

Now that you know the cost, all the various ad types you can choose from, what Google ads are, let’s focus now on how to optimize them with Keyword Planner for better results.

Google Ads Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is the free keyword tool from Google to help you choose keywords that are perfect for your business.

The keyword planner will show you how often people search for specific keywords. This is helpful information if your business needs an idea of what words and phrases are popular in order to better target potential customers with ads tailored specifically towards them.

The program will tell you if the keyword is competitive, how much it would cost to bid on that particular word and even offers suggestions of what other words might be more profitable.

With this very useful data, you can make the most informed decisions on all of your Google Ads campaigns.

It’s easy and simple to get started.

#1: Launch Keyword Planner

Navigate to the Google Keyword Planner site and click the blue button “Go To Keyword Planner“.

#2: Set up your account

Once you are signed in to your Google account. Click on New Google Ads Account.

Confirm your businesses address and info is correct then, click submit.

Once the submission is successful, you should see a congratulations page. Click “Explore Your Campaign”.

# 3: Go to the Google Ads Keyword Planner

You should now see the Google Ads campaign dashboard. Go ahead and click on Tools & Settings in the main menu. Then click on Keyword Planner on the far left side of the menu.

Off you go to the Google Keyword Planner. For finding new keywords, use the “Discover new keywords” tool. This tool allows you to search for relevant keywords with high search volume and generate a list of potential ideas for new keywords that could be more profitable.

Example: Perhaps you are a laptop store. You might want to target keywords around laptops and computers. Your keywords might look something like this:

When you click Get Results, your keywords will be compiled and organized in a simple list. You can also see the following information about them:

• Avg. Monthly Searches
• Competition On That Keyword
• Impression Share
• Your Top Of Page Bid

Not to mention you’ll get a list of all suggested keyword ideas as well.

That’s how to get started using Google Ads Keyword Planner.

Google Ads (The Easy Way)

You can advertise on Google in many different ways.

Google Ads is the core of most advertising campaigns, and if you already have a Google account it will be simple to set up. First time advertisers should follow these steps closely so they can get their campaign off on strong footing!

To advertise on Google, you’ve got to have a Google account for your business.

If by chance you don’t have one, be sure to sign up for one right away.

After you have your account, you’re all set to start advertising on Google.

Step 1: Have A Defined Winning Goal

Go to the Google Ads Homepage. Then, click the Start Now button in the centre of the page or the top right corner.

If you get redirected to your dashboard, then click +New Campaign

Next, you need to choose your campaign goal. This will let Google know the type of audience that interests you and how you plan on reaching them as well as how Google will get you to invest more with your bids.

Once you choose your goal, it’ll help Google ads tailor an ad that suits what’s important to YOU.

Money-saving tip: By setting a solid, well-defined goal for your Google Ads campaign you are much more likely to see the results that matter most. This way there’s no guessing about what will work best and wasting time or money unnecessarily.

To set Goals properly, you should learn how to set Smart Goals.

SMART goals are the most efficient way to help your business build up the data it needs to achieve your goals and objectives.

Step 2: Select Your Business Name & Keywords

• After you have selected your goals, click the Next button. On the next page, provide a business name.
• Then, click Next once you have added your business name. Then add a URL to direct people to your ad.
• Next, you can select keyword themes that are relevant and match your ads. Your experience with Google Keyword Planner could be useful here.
• After you have selected your keywords, you can select Next.

Step 3: Decide on your target audience

On the next page, you‘ll be able to choose where your ad will appear. You can target specific locations like a physical storefront or location or broader regions such as cities and zip codes for more general results in these areas of interest.

Choose the region, city or state you would like to target then, click Next.

Step 4: Build an amazing ad

Here comes the fun bit: Building and creating your ads!

This is where you will be able to create headlines as well as descriptions. All of this is shows up in the ad preview window on the right-hand side of the interface whilst you are building the ad.

Check out Google’s tips and samples to help you kick start your ad writing juices!

There is only really one main rule in great ad copy: Know Who Your Audience Is.

You don’t need to be a creative genius, or even competent in the field of marketing – all you really have to do is know your target market. Once they are aware of their pain points and what makes them buy into something on impulse then it becomes easier for people like us (me) who want more traffic coming through because we can create content with no effort put into writing captivating copy.

Step 5: Billing Set Up

This is a straightforward process. Enter in all of your billing information as well any promotional codes for discounts or coupons, then click Submit.

Yay! Your first is created!

Hold on…You’re not quite done. You still have to get your Google ads tracking in Google Analytics set up.

Advertising on Google (The Advanced way)

This is the more advanced and hands-on way to create a Google Ad.

Please note, that if you have not entered your payment info click on Tools & Settings.

Go to Billing, and click on Settings. Then set up your billing and payment information.

Step 1: Have defined goals

Go to Google Ads and head to your dashboard, then, click on the blue + button, New Campaign.

Choose your campaign goal. By selecting your goal, you are telling Google what type of audience you want to target with your ads and also how you want Google to bid at an auction and spend your budget.

After choosing your goal, a window appears with the options of campaigns. These include:

• Search
• Display
• Shopping
• Video
• Smart
• Discovery

Next, select your campaign type, enter all info that Google asks for then click Continue.

Step 2: Select your Targeting and Budgets

As an example, let’s choose a Search Campaign generating leads.

• Select the ways you’d like to reach your goal: Website, Phone calls, Shop Visits, App Download or Lead Form Extensions
• Choose your networks

Then, select the specific geolocation, language and any specific audiences you want to target.

Though you may naturally think that the wider your radius, the more customers you can target, and you will get more leads. That is just not the case. In fact, the clearer you are about who you’re targeting, the more chance you have at getting not only getting a good amount of leads but also, these leads are more likely to be relevant and will turn into conversions.

It’s a bit of a paradox, the smaller, tighter net you cash, the more fish you will catch!

If your business offers physical products or retail in Chicago, it makes sense to focus on that area. However, if you are targeting Los Angeles specifically and not just the larger California market then a smaller geographic scope would be more appropriate for maximizing ROI from advertising dollars spent with regards specifically towards customers who live there as well

If running an online store where most of the sales come from digital goods like ebooks, songs etc., one could target only those users living nearby rather than trying their luck at reaching out to everyone nationwide through Google Ads.

Next, you’ll be able to put in actual bids and budgets for your ad campaign.

You’re about to enter your desired budget and type of bidding.

The last section is where you can include Ad extensions. These are extra pieces that can be put on your advertisement for an even better effect!

After you are done entering all the info, click on Save and Continue.

Step 3: Get Your Ad Group Set-Up

An ad group is a way to organize your ads and target the same audiences. For example, if you have multiple categories such as running shoes or race training then it could make sense to create separate ad groups. One for running shoes, and another ad group for race training.

Add your specific keywords or add your URL and Google will show them for you. After you have added your keywords for the ad groups, click Save and Continue.

Step 4: Create your ad

Now it’s the time to finally create your new ad.

This is where you’ll be able to create the headlines and descriptions for your ad. All it takes are a few clicks on this page, plus there’s an easy preview box at the right that lets us see how your ads look across different platforms.

After you’ve completed creating your ad, click Done and Create Next Ad if you want to add another type of ad to your ad groups such as expanded text or another responsive ad. Then click Done.

Step 5: Review Your Ad And Publish!

On the next page, it’s time to review your ads and campaign. Be sure you address any issues you might come across. If everything looks ready to go, click Publish. Boom! You have now created your Google Ads campaign!

Tracking Your Google Ads with Google Analytics

Why is tracking and analyzing your campaign so important? Basically, if you aren’t tracking everything and analyzing the data, you will gain very little insight into how your ads are performing and ultimately, your ads will fail.

Reviewing your data is key to making your campaigns successful. Period.

Analyzing your data gives you a window into what is working and what isn’t so you can optimize and tweak your campaigns so you can make them breadwinners.

The best way to do this is to link Google Analytics to Google Ads.

If you don’t have Google Analytics set up yet, go and do that now! But, if you already have a Google Analytics account set up then follow these next steps to link the two platforms:

1. Navigate to your Google Ads account.
2. Click Tools
3. Click Linked accounts under Setup.
4. Click Details under Google Analytics.
5. You should see the Google Analytics websites available to access. Click Set up link on the website you want to link to Google Ads.
6. From there, link the Google Analytics view of your website.
7. Finally, Click Save.

You should now be able to see lots of valuable metrics like clicks, impressions, cost and conversions of your ads on Google Analytics. This will help determine future campaign adjustments in order to measure the success of current campaigns more accurately.

A Few Basic Tips On How To Run Google Ad Campaigns

Ready to run successful Google Ad campaigns? Here are a few tips below that might help.

Be sure to optimize your landing pages

Your landing page should have a clear call to action, offer valuable content that users will find interesting and useful and above all, easy to navigate.

The more time they spend on your site or app before making their purchase decision is key in building trust for future interactions with you.

Make sure the entire page is scannable for Google. That basically means staying away from large blocks of text.

If you have a newsletter, pay attention to where you place the signup box or link…It should be right front and centre on the page to easily catch the eye.

If it’s sales you’re after, customer testimonials and lots of links to make purchasing your products and services easily should be strategically placed on the page as well.

Have a strong headline

Your headline is by far the most important component of a high performing Google Ad.

Attention-grabbing headlines are one of the key components to getting your message across and attracting potential customers. The first thing they see on Google when searching for something is what you put as an attention-getter; make it count!

One big rule of thumb to follow…avoid Clickbait!

Clickbait headlines are a huge turn-off for readers, and they damage your brand’s reputation. We recommend avoiding these types of headlines altogether in order to keep things professional and relevant.

Conclusion

Google Ads are not a silver bullet or a one-stop-shop for your digital marketing efforts. It’s a powerful platform that when used in your digital marketing mix properly can yield great results for you and your business. Hopefully, this blog can help you even in a small way on the road to success with Google Ads!

Now, get out there and good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us.