Google AdWords Made Easy: A Step by Step Guide

Google Adwords is a paid advertising platform where you can pay per click, PPC or per impression, CPM on an ad.

Thus, putting it in simple words, that it is an effective way to drive more traffic or get more customers to your business.

Using Google Ads is a great way to increase your website traffic, receive more phone calls and increase your store visits.

This Google partner allows you to create and share well-timed ads with the help of both mobile and desktop.

This means, that your website will show up on SERP, search engine result pages at the exact moment your customers are looking for products and services like yours with the help of Google Search or Maps.

Learn more about Search Engine Optimization

Advantages of Using Google AdWords

Google AdWords is a great way of advertising your business or website online.

What makes it great are the following few advantages that make it stand out amongst others.
Precise Targeting
With Google AdWords, you can make sure that your ads show up to potential customers.

Moreover, you can filter your audience on the basis of geographical locations, age, keywords, and much more.

This is especially great for local business owners.

Different studies suggest that 50% of mobile users use a local search on their phones and end up visiting the same website within a day.

Target Specific Devices
With the help of Google Adwords, you can choose the kind of devices your ads appear on.

Moreover, you can choose between tablets, desktops, and mobile phones.

Pay for Results
One of the most beneficial advantages of Google AdWords is to pay only for the results.

Thus, it allows you to save money by only paying when a user takes an action to view your website.

Performance Tracking
Google AdWords allows you to track your business’s performance for the ads.

This means that you can easily track the number of users that view and click on the ad.

Moreover, to get you to understand what the advantage is to consider the following:

According to Google Economic Impact Report, websites and businesses make an average of $2 for every dollar spent on AdWords.

You can run ads on YouTube or on any relevant website, depending on the type of ad campaign you select.

Different factors affect your ability to create effective and high-performing Google Ads.

The following are a few examples:

Location

When you set your Google Ads, you have the option of choosing your geographical location.

Moreover, if you have a store then it would be a great option. However, if you have only an e-commerce website and a physical product, your location should include the places you deliver to.

Additionally, if you deliver to the whole world, then the sky is just the limit for you.

Your location settings play a role in placement.

For instance, if you own a photography studio in Dubai, then if someone who types ‘photography studio’ will not see your ads.

This is because the main objective of Google is to show the most relevant results to the searchers.

Learn more about Platforms to Build an eCommerce Website

Match Types

Match types give you space when it comes to keyword selections.

Match types tell Google whether you want to match the search query exactly or it should be semi-related.

There are 4 types you can choose from:

• Broad Match: This is a default setting that uses any word within your keyword search phrase in any order.
• Modified Broad Match: Allows you to use certain words within a key phrase by denoting them with a ‘+’ sign.
• Phrase Match: This matches the queries that include your keywords in the exact order, however, may also include additional words before or after it
• Exact Match: Keeps your keyword phrase in the exact order

Pro Tip:
If you are a beginner, then you should start with a broad match if you do not know the exact keyword phrase.

However, as your ad will be ranking for any queries, you should keep a close eye on your ads and modify them by giving more information.

Keywords

For paid advertising, keywords are as important as for organic search.

Your keywords need to match the customer’s intent as much as possible.

This is because Google matches your ad with search queries on the basis of keywords you select.

Moreover, each ad group you create within your campaign will target a small set of keywords and Google will display your ad on the basis of these selections.

Learn more about keyword research using SEMRush.

Headline and Descriptions

The way you design your ad copy will determine whether your customer will click on your ad or your competitor’s.

Moreover, it is important that your ad copy matches the intent of your customers, is aligned with your target keywords, and addresses them with the solution.

Let consider the following example:

A search of ‘swimming lessons’ shows the following result.

This ad is precise and uses a limited set of words to convert their message and connect with their target audience.

As you can see, they are using the keyword in their headlines, thus it matches what you are looking for.

Moreover, the description tells why it is the best option for swimming lessons because it matches your intent.

Thus, this kind of copy will get you more clicks, however, the conversions will result from carrying this level of intention into your landing page.

Ad Extensions

If you are using Google Ads, then you should also use Ad Extensions.

This is because it is free and they give you extra information and another reason to interact with your ad.

These extensions have 5 categories.
Sitelink Extensions
This helps to extend your ad, makes you stand out, and provides extra links to your site that offer more reasons to click.

Call Extensions
These allow you to use your phone number in your ad so that your users have an additional way to reach out to you.

Moreover, if your customer services team is ready to engage, then you should use this option.

Location Extensions
You can include your location as well as your phone number within your ad.

This will make Google Maps find you. This option is beneficial if you have a store and it works well for the search query ‘near me’.

Offer Extension
This works best if you are running a promotion.

It will make sure that your users click your ad over others when they see the discounts you are offering.

App Extensions
App extensions provide you a link to download an app for mobile users.

This reduces the work of your user to perform a new search and download the app in the AppStore.

If you already have an ad copy and images you want, then it would take only 10 minutes.

The following are the steps you will take after your ad is submitted for review:

1. Link with Google Analytics

Like most websites and businesses you have Google Analytics to track traffic, conversion, goals, and other metrics.

Moreover, you will have to link Google Analytics to Google Ads as this will make tracking, analyzing, and reporting between the different channels and campaigns easier.

This is because you can view these events in one place.

2. Add UTM Codes

Urchin Tracking Module UTM codes are the ones Google uses to track any activity with an associated link.

You might have already seen them as it is the part of a URL that follows a question mark, “?”

UTM codes will tell you which one of your ads or leads will lead to a conversion thus, you can track the most effective parts of your campaign.

They make it easy to optime your Ads as you know what is beneficial for you.

The trick here is to add your UTM codes at the campaign level when you set your Google Ad.

This is beneficial as you do not have to do it manually for each URL.

Learn Using Google Alerts for PPC Ads Research and Campaign more about

3. Conversion Tracking

This tells you the exact number of customers or leads you have from your ads campaign.

It is not essential to set it, however, without it, you will be guessing the ROI of your ads.

Moreover, it allows you to track sales or other activities on your website, app installs, or calls from your ads.

4. Integrating it with your CRM

When using CRM to track your data, and lead flows, integrating it with Google Ads allows you to track which ad campaigns are working for your audience.

Moreover, you can continue marketing them with offers that are relevant to your marketing campaigns.

Let’s cover the optimal uses of each of these campaigns and why you would want to choose one over the other.

Search Ad Campaigns

These are ads that show up on Google result pages. Consider the example of ‘pocket squares’ and see the sponsored result.

The advantage of using search ads is that you would display your ads in the place where most people look for info first, i.e. on Google.

And Google shows your ad in the same format as other results, thus your customers get used to seeing and clicking on results.

Responsive Search Ads
This allows you to enter multiple versions of headlines and ad copies for Google to select the best performers.

These allow you for a dynamic ad that is auto-tested until you arrive at the version that best suits the needs of your target audience.

Display Ad Campaigns

Google contains a network of websites in different industries with an array of audiences that uses Google Ads to display.

This is known as Google Display Network.

The advantage is that these are paid per click or impressions on ads. As an advertiser, you can get your content in from of your target audience that aligns with their persona.

These are usually image ads that draw users’ attention away from the content on a webpage.

Video Ad Campaigns

Video ads are often visible before, after, or even during YouTube videos.

YouTube is a search engine as well.

The right keyword will place you in front of the video, thus disrupting your user’s behavior just enough to grab their attention.

You can see a video advertisement above, that pops in the middle of another video on how to tie a tie.

App Ad Campaigns

Google App Campaigns allows you to promote your mobile app through an ad via Google Search Network, YouTubw, Google Play, and more.

Running ads encourages your target audience to install your app, or if they already use it, take an action within your app.

Unlike other types of campaigns, you will not have to design an App ad campaign.

Instead, Google will provide the app’s info and audience, and a place to bid.

Thus, Google does your work to get the app in front of your target audience.

Learn more about SEO Audit Checklist here.

Shopping Ad Campaigns

Another type of Google Ad is the Google Shopping Ad Campaign.
These campaigns are just like other types, show on SERPs and also include the product details and information like price and product images.

You can run such an ad with the help of a Google Merchant Center.
You can put specific product info that Google pulls to create shopping ads.

Instead of marketing your ad as a whole, these ads allow you to promote specific products and product lines.

This is why, when you search for a specific product on Google, you will see different brands popping up.

Automated VS. Manual Bidding

You have 2 options: automated and manual bidding on your keywords.
Automated Biding
It gives Google the authority and allows the platforms to adjust your bids that depend on your competitors.

You can even set a maximum budget and Google will work within your range to give you the best chance at winning the bid.

Manual Bidding
It lets you set your bidding amounts for the ad groups and keywords.

Thus, giving you a chance to reduce spending on low-performing ads.

Bidding on Branded Search Terms

Branded terms are those terms that have a unique product name or your company’s name in them.

However, there is a debate on whether you should bid on branded terms or not.

One side of the debate states that bidding in terms that will result in more organic results is a waste of money.

While the other side states that bidding on these terms gives you domain over the search result pages and helps to convert prospects into sales.

The other argument states that bidding on your branded terms is that competitors may also bid on them if you don’t.

Cost per Acquisition

If you are not comfortable with the idea of spending money to convert prospects into leads, then you can set a CAP instead.

Moreover, only pay when a user converts into a customer.

While this strategy may cost you more, you can comfort in knowing that you only pay when you have a paying customer.

This strategy is easy to track and justify your ad spend.

Bottom Line

Given its authority and advantages, Google Ads should be a part of your paid marketing strategy.
We at Markfinti make use of Google Adwords to make sure that your paid marketing strategy is within your goals and target to help you reach potential customers.

You can contact us to learn more about Google AdWords and other marketing campaigns we make use of.