Google Ads is a great way to get your website ranked higher in search engines and generate more traffic with buy intent. But it can be a little confusing to know how to maximize its potential. This article will teach you the fundamentals about Google Ads so you can get the most out of them for your business.

What are Google Ads (previously Google Adwords)?

Google Ads are just a part of your overall Digital Marketing Strategy. With Google Ads, you can achieve a variety of benefits that will benefit your website and business. You can boost traffic and page views to your website, receive more phone calls, and increase in-store visits. 

If you’re looking for ways to drive good-fit customers to your business, Google Ads is a great option. With targeted ads, you can attract customers who are specifically interested in the products and service offerings you have.

Google Ads lets you create and share targeted ads on your desktop and mobile devices. This ensures that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time, resulting in increased conversions and sales.

Do Google Ads work?

Yes, Google Ads work. Adding Google Ads to your website can increase your website’s visibility and lead generation potential, as well as improving Google Ads ROI. Studies have shown that targeted advertising through Google Ads produces more clicks from Google search, so it’s a great way to supplement your SEO efforts and reach more in-market prospects.

Additionally, by adding Google Ads into your online marketing strategy, you’re likely to see higher click-through rates (CTRs) from search engine results pages (SERPs).

Is Google Ads and Google Adwords the same?

Yes, it’s the same thing. Google Ads is the new name for Google AdWords, which includes all of the different types of ads you can run on the google marketing platform. Whether you’re looking to advertise through search engine ads, display ads on websites or videos, Google Ads has you covered. Google Ads is a powerful tool that can help you reach your target audience online. You can use it to drive traffic and page views to your website, attract leads, bookings, sales and grow your business.

How Google Ads are personalised?

When you create a Google Ads campaign, you can choose to target people based on the site visitors location, age, gender, interests, and more. Once you’ve set up your campaign, you can use the targeting tools to fine-tune your ads to reach the people you want to reach. You can also exclude people from seeing your ads if you want, or change your ad’s settings so that it appears only when people are browsing on the web using a device that you specify.

Google Ads will use your browsing and Google search history to personalise the ads that appear. This means that if you’ve been looking for a particular product or service, Google Ads will show you ads for product listings or services that match your interests. If you’ve been searching for information on a particular topic, Google Ads may show you ads about that topic.

What are Google Dynamic Ads?

Google Dynamic Ads are a way for you to target your ad campaign specifically to people who have visited your site before. This is especially helpful if you have a website with a lot of content and you don’t want to waste money on ads that nobody will see. Google Dynamic Ads work by using your website’s traffic and Google Analytics data to create a profile of your audience. Then, when you create an ad, Google will use this information to create an ad that is more likely to be seen by people who have visited your site in the past.

How Google Ads help local businesses? 

When a business places an ad on Google, they are able to target ads to specific demographics, site visitors locations, and interests. This allows businesses to reach potential customers who are most likely to be interested in what they have to offer. Furthermore, by targeting ads to specific areas, businesses can save money on their overall marketing budget caps.

In addition to targeting ads, Google also offers other services such as Google Places and Google Maps that can be helpful for businesses. Then, of course, there is the Google Adsense program, which allows businesses to place ads on websites so you can track potential customers on other websites they visit after yours, constantly reminding them about your offer.

Are Google Ads effective?

Yes, Google Ads can be a great way to reach your target audience. Ads can be placed on websites, in Google search engine results, and on social media platforms. The cost per click (CPC) for ads is based on how much you are willing to pay for each click. Ads can also be targeted to specific demographics, such as age, location, and interests. The way Google Ads work, make it a very cost-efficient advertising channel which has a high ROI.

 
Are Google Ads expensive?

Yes and No. Google Ads can be expensive depending on the level of targeting and ad format you choose. However, with a little research, you can find ads that fit your marketing budget and meet your specific needs. In fact, they are one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your target audience. You can target your ads by location, language, and even demographics. Plus, you can create custom ads that are specific to your business.

What matters is the bottom line and Google Ads offer a high return on investment. 

 
Are Google Ads or Facebook Ads better?

Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads have their pros and cons. Ultimately, the decision comes down to what you are looking to achieve with your digital marketing strategy .

If you are looking to drive more leads or website traffic, then Google Ads may be a better option. If you are looking to target a specific audience with your content and increase engagement, then Facebook Ads (or social media marketing in general) may be a better option. Both platforms can bring in sales if used correctly.

Are Google Ads Search Engine Marketing (SEM)?

Yes, when you are running campaigns on the Google search page (SERP), Google Ads can be considered Search Engine Marketing. Moreover, ad campaigns on Youtube and Maps can be considered SEM as well, since Youtube is the second largest search engine in the world and on the other hand, people search with buy intent on Maps all the time to find a local business. 

Digital Octapus is one of the search engine marketing agencies in Cyprus and Greece that is actively involved in Google Ads.

Google Ads Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Google ads and SEO are two of the most popular methods used by businesses to generate traffic and increase website visibility. While both methods have their pros and cons, understanding how they work and their limitations, can help you make the best decisions for your business.

Google Ads are used to generate traffic to the site. The ad is displayed on a search engine when someone types in a specific term, such as “dog food.” 
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website so that it appears higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). This can be done by performing Technical  and On-Page SEO on the website, as well as Off-Page SEO. 

Google ad success rate

Google has been known for its high ad success rates, and that hasn’t changed with the advent of mobile. In fact, many experts believe that mobile ads are even more effective than desktop ads. In general, it means that the vast majority of people who use Google ads will see a positive return on investment (ROI).

In essence, the high Google Ads ROI offered, is largely due to the fact that the ads are shown to people who are already searching for something themselves. Then your well-timed ad will appear on top of the page so they can click on it first and turn them into valuable customers.

A Google Ads agency can ensure your ad success rate.

Google AdSense

Google Adsense is an advertising program that allows businesses to place text, images, or video ads on Google.com. When someone clicks on one of these ads, the business gets paid. The money is deposited into your google account usually within a few hours. There are different ways to get started with Adsense, and it’s free to sign up for a campaign. You can choose to have your ads displayed on both the Google search results page and the Google Display Network.

 
Google Ads Best Practices and Fundamentals

Following these best practices, you will optimize your Google responsive ads and increase clicks and conversions. Some say that, every Google Ads management agency should have a wallpaper with these fundamentals written on it.

Add at least one responsive search ad per ad group with good ad strength

Adding responsive search ads to your campaigns is a great way to increase click-through rates and improve your overall performance. Make sure each ad has a good or excellent ad strength, as this will help it show more times. Keep in mind the allowed maximum number of responsive search ads is three per ad group.

Add various unique headlines and descriptions

By using a flexible search format, you can create ads that are specifically tailored to match customer queries. This results in higher relevance and awareness, making your campaigns more effective. So be sure to add as many (up to 15) unique headlines as possible to increase your chances of success. Combinations of different types of ads can help to create more relevant ads, which can lead to improved group performance.

Use successful content from your existing pages

Write headlines and descriptions that are inspired by your existing ad group headlines and descriptions. This will help you target more responsive keywords that have been found to be successful in your marketing campaign. This will help you get more ad combinations with relevant google ads keywords and increase the chances of success for your advertising efforts.

Place headlines and descriptions to specific positions to control their position

With responsive search ads, you can control the positions of text in your ad. You can pin headlines and descriptions to specific positions, so that they’re always displayed in the same order. This is a new concept that responsive search ads introduce, and it’s a great way to make your ads more effective.

Increase ad strength to improve performance

To create a responsive search ad that is sure to perform well, keep an eye on the ad strength indicator on the right. This indicator tells you how strong your ad should be to achieve the best results. If you can improve your ad’s strength, you’ll see stronger results in terms of clicks and conversions, by up to 9% according to Google. So make sure to keep things tweaked until your ads are as powerful as they can be!

By adjusting the ad strength accordingly, you can increase click-through rates (CTRs) and conversions.

Apply automated recommendations from Google

If you want to make sure your campaigns are as successful as possible, activating Auto-Apply Recommendations is a must. When this feature is enabled, Google will automatically update your campaigns with the latest best practices and enhancements to make them even more effective. So make sure Auto-Apply Recommendations is activated and monitor its effectiveness closely.

Broad match keywords

Google is known for providing users with accurate and relevant search results, right? But what if your desired result wasn’t exactly what you typed in? It’s because Google uses broad match keywords to get results that are related to the terms you used but aren’t limited to just those. This is a great way to save time and get the information you want without having to trawl through pages of irrelevant matches.

Different people will see different results based on the search terms they enter. Google looks at how relevant the results are, and will place them in a way that makes most sense for each person based on:

• The user’s search history
• The content on the landing page of the ad
• Other keywords that may help direct your marketing objectives

Smart bidding

With the right automation and strategy, you can use machine learning to optimize bids for conversion or conversions at every auction with Smart Bidding. This can help you reach your business goals faster, saving both time and money. With Smart Bidding, automated bidding strategies can optimize for the most profitable conversions or conversion value at every auction. By using machine learning to assess the competition and make bids based on that information, you can increase your chances of success.

Use Negative Keywords

Negative keywords help you avoid ads appearing for certain terms that you don’t want to be associated with, like “free” or questions, like “why”, “where” etc which usually have an informational intent and not buy intent. This can be helpful in avoiding competition or negative publicity. By adding specific words and phrases to your list of negative keywords, you can avoid showing up when someone is searching for terms that you don’t want to be shown.

Use Competitor Campaigns

Bidding on competitor’s brand terms can help you attract new customers and boost your online advertising performance. After all, if someone is looking for the products or service offerings of a direct competitor, they might be interested in what you have to offer too.

• It’s less competitive
• Improve brand awareness
• Common products sold between you two

Have a clear goal

If you want your ad to be as effective as possible, it’s important to know what you’re aiming for from the get-go. Defining your marketing objectives early on will help ensure that your ad hits the mark and achieves its desired outcome.

Start planning your advertising campaign with your marketing team by creating SMART goals. This can help you stay on track and ensure that your ads are reaching the right people.

Use the right keywords

If you’re looking for a specific keyword that will help you target one specific business, long-tail keywords are some of the best types of keywords to use. These keywords are very specific and can be focused on a single topic or industry, which makes them perfect for targeting your own business.

When advertising your business, make sure to focus on specific keywords that will be relevant to your customers and the area you are servicing. This will help your campaigns be more effective and result in higher click-through rates.

Automate the process

While tools like Smart Bidding can help you remain focused on your bid and ensure victory, they can also change the bidding process depending on the chance of success.

With Smart Bidding, you can decide how much to bid for the object or service being offered. This can be helpful if you’re unsure of whether the offer is worth your time or money.

Measure, analyze and improve your Google Ads Strategy

Intelligently analyzing your ad performance and other data can help you achieve incredible results in terms of quality, conversions, and revenue. By using data to inform your decisions and improve on your strategy, you can help your ads be more effective and efficient.
If your advertising campaign is successful, you’ll want to make sure that you’re making the most of it.

By creating a landing page with information about your product listings or service, you can encourage customers to click through and visit your site. Then, getting the opinion of your customers is always a good idea as it can give you valuable insight into what people think of your ad and business, which will help you make changes and ensure that your advertising efforts are effective.

Following these Google Ads best practices, your campaign performance will definitely increase massively and your business will attract more leads which will eventually turn into sales.

Google Ads Performance Optimization – What to do/check daily/weekly/monthly to increase performance of your Google Ads?

There are a few things google ads experts do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis when it comes to Google Ads Optimization in order to increase Google Ads performance. Each day, you should check your ad position and make any necessary changes. You should also review your bids and keywords to ensure they are accurate. You can also run a campaign and check the traffic and conversion rates to see how your ads are performing. Finally, you can make any necessary changes to your creatives.

Avoid broad keyword terms

To maximize your chances of success with your keyword strategy, it’s important to test and tweak your placement. If your keywords are too general, Google may be serving your ad to an audience that isn’t interested in what you have to offer and this could lead to fewer clicks and higher ad costs.

By testing different placements and refining your keywords until they’re specific to the audience you want to reach, you’ll ensure high click-through rates and minimal expenses. To get the most out of your paid search campaign, it is important to review what Google Ads Keywords are generating clicks and adjust your ads to target the right audience. Doing so will ensure that you are getting the most out of your advertising budget.

Don’t run irrelevant ads

To stand out in a competitive search market, your headline and ad copy need to reflect the keywords you’re bidding on. And the solution your ad is marketing needs to solve the pain point that searcher is experiencing.

You can create as many ads as you like in a single campaign, and you can even test different ad variations to see which ones perform best. This way, you’ll be sure to reach your target audience with the right message.

Improve your Google Ads Quality Score (QS)

Google uses your Quality Score to determine how your ad should rank in search results. QS is a controling factor affecting your AdRank. The higher your Quality Score, the more likely Google is to place your ad in front of relevant searchers.

Optimize your ad landing page

Make sure that your ads look good and function well, but don’t stop there – the user experience after a click is just as important as the ad itself. If they have a good experience, they’re more likely to return and recommend your product or service to others.

Are you missing out on potential conversions by not having an optimized landing page? Landing pages are the first and most important step in converting visitors into customers. By optimizing your page, you can ensure that more people see your offer and ultimately make a purchase.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Quality adverts that match your search intent and target relevant keywords will have a higher click-through rate (CTR). This means that your potential customers are more likely to find what they’re looking for, so there’s greater potential for conversion.

Conversion Rate (CVR)

CVR is an important metric to track as it helps you understand how effectively your landing page is engaging visitors. By monitoring CVR, you can make adjustments and improve your landing page’s performance. The more form submissions your landing page receives, the higher your CVR score will be. By increasing the number of submissions, you’re indicating that you’re interested in potential leads and are willing to take the time to answer any questions they may have. This demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and helps you rank higher in search engine results.

To ensure a high Conversion rate, your landing page must be flawlessly designed to match the promises of your ad and your click-to-call buttons must be easily found. By matching the design and tone of your ad, you create a seamless user experience that attracts potential customers.

If you want your landing page to convert as many people as possible, focus on making it easy for them to understand and complete the task at hand. A simple click-to-call button is enough sometimes. This will ensure a high Conversion rate.

Google Ads Optimization techniques are necessary in order to maintain and increase your quality score and keep the sales coming in with the maximum ROI. 

Types of Google Ads Campaigns

Search Ad Campaigns

By placing your search ad on Google, you’re guaranteed to reach the most people who are actively looking for information. Not only will this help you capture more leads and customers, but it also guarantees that your ad is seen by as many potential buyers as possible.

By displaying your ad in the same format as other results (with a little Ad banner on the side) you can be sure that web users will click on it since they are accustomed to seeing results this way. This way, you can be sure that your ads are seen and clicked on by those who are interested in what you have to offer.

With responsive search ads, you can create different versions of your ad headlines and ad copy to target different users. Google will select the best performing versions of your ads to display to users.

Display Network

Google ads can be displayed on any web page that you create or manage through Google’s Display Network. This includes both search results pages and web pages that you add to your website using Google’s Adsense Publisher Platform. You can run tests to figure out where your marketing budget is best spent depending on your marketing ability.

Google Adsense is a network of websites that allow ad space on their web pages for Google Ads. These ads, usually image based, are displayed alongside relevant content to your target keywords. The website and business owner can earn money from ads by either clicking on them or viewing them for an extended period of time. This way, they are guaranteed income no matter how many people visit the site.

Advertisers can target audiences that are aligned with their persona by placing their content in front of these interested individuals. This ensures that the advertiser’s message is received and understood, leading to increased brand loyalty and ROI and a powerful advantage over their competition.

Looking to increase your ad revenue? Google’s Display Network (GDN) is a great way to do just that! With customizable ads that can be placed anywhere on the ad space on the site, you can reach more potential customers with ease.

Youtube Ads

YouTube is the world’s largest video sharing site, with over 1 billion views per day. So when potential customers are looking for information on a certain topic, or watching videos related to that topic, you can reach them by advertising on YouTube.

Only pay YouTube Advertising if viewers click through to your ads and actually engage with them. This way you ensure that only those who are truly interested in your product or service see your ads and potentially buy what you’re selling.

Google Maps Ads

If you’re a local business owner, Google Maps Ads can help bring in customers. By placing your ad in a specific location, you can make it easy for people to find your store.

Advertising on Google Maps is a great way to increase foot traffic. With easy directions and accurate location information, customers won’t have any trouble finding you.

If you’re looking to target potential customers in specific locations, you can use location targeting and bid by location. This will ensure that your bids are higher for people located nearby your business, helping to increase your chances of success.

App Ad Campaigns

Google App Campaigns help promote your mobile application by putting ads on popular search engines and platforms. These ads can be seen by millions of people, so make sure to take advantage of them!

You can run ads that urge your audience to deepen their relationship with your app by installing it or taking a particular action. This will help you seal the deal and keep them coming back for more.

Shopping Ad Campaigns

You can run a shopping campaign through Google Merchant Center, where you input specific product information that Google pulls from your website. This allows you to create shopping ads that are tailored specifically to your customers, ensuring they find the products they’re looking for and making your conversion rates higher than ever before.

With Shopping Ads, you can target specific products and product lines to promote your brand. This allows you to connect with potential customers on an individual level, and build a stronger relationship with them.

Google Ads Retargeting

Retargeting is a great way to reach web users who have shown interest in your products or services, but haven’t yet taken the plunge and made a purchase. You can personalize ads based on what these users have already searched for, read, or watched—giving them the perfect opportunity to convert.

If you’re looking to target your ads specifically towards those who have already shown an interest in what you have to offer, retargeting is the perfect solution. By following users who have already engaged with your website or taken action on one of your campaigns, you can ensure that your advertising reaches the right people at the right time.

Cookies will follow web users around the web, and when they visit a website that has opted in to tracking cookies, ads will be targeted specifically for them. This way, you can make sure your advertising is reaching the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Remarketing is one of the most effective marketing techniques since it allows prospects to see your marketing messages multiple times before making a purchase. This helps you build relationships with potential customers and increase your chances of conversion.

How to start using Google Ads

Here’s a step-by-step guide for setting up your Google Ads Account in your Google Ads Dashboard.

Define your business name and website URL

Welcome to your Google Ads Dashboard, where your Google Ads Account will thrive. After signing in, you’ll be taken to a page where you’ll provide your business name and website. The URL you provide here, is where people who click on your ad will be directed.

With this information, potential customers can learn more about what you offer, and decide if it’s the right business for them. 

Select your advertising goal

You have a few basic options:

• Get more calls
• Get more brand awareness
• Get more website traffic and leads or sales
• Get more visits to your physical address
• Get more views and engagement on YouTube
• Get more app installs

Craft your ad

To attract and convert your audience, it’s important to write an effective ad. By creating a well-constructed ad that speaks to your target market, you’ll be sure to draw in potential customers and increase your chances of success.

Set your ad location

In the next stage, you choose the location where you want your ads to appear. It can be near the physical address of your store or anywhere else you wish, as you can target audiences in different countries if you’re able to sell to them.

Set your budget

You have a number of budget options when planning your Google Ads campaign.

• You can use the pre-set budgets offered by Google,
• or enter a specific budget that you are comfortable with.

Confirm payment

Setting up your paid campaigns on Google is a breeze once you put in your credit card data. The platform takes you step-by-step through the process, and ensures that all of your information is organized in an easy-to-use interface. Plus, Google provides helpful tips along the way to make sure that your campaigns are as successful as possible. It’s like a self-service portal. If you have your ad copy and/or images ready, we can take care of the setup for you in just a few minutes.

It may seem easy to do at first but in order to make sure your ads are as effective as possible, you need to take into account a variety of factors. Not all of these may be obvious, but by taking them into account you’ll increase your chances of achieving successful results.

Link your Google Analytics account

By linking your Google accounts, you’ll be able to track and analyze your communications more easily. This will make it easier to report on what’s happening between channels and campaigns.

You can see everything that’s happening in one place – making it easier to make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.

Add UTM codes

Adding your UTM codes to Google Ads is a great way to make sure that your ads are reaching the right people. By adding these codes at the campaign level, you don’t have to worry about doing it manually for each ad URL.

If you want to add your own custom UTM zones, you can do so with Google’s UTM builder. This handy tool makes it easy to create custom zones that align with your organization’s branding and marketing strategy.

Set up conversion tracking

With conversion tracking, you can keep track of how many sales, app installs or calls or other activities are happening on your website from your ads. This information can help you improve your marketing efforts and better understand the needs of your customers.

With conversion tracking, you can also determine what factors are causing conversions and make adjustments accordingly.

Integrate Google Ads into your CRM

By integrating Google Ads with your CRM, you can track which ads are working well for your audience and continue targeting them with offers that are relevant to them. This way, you can maximize the return on your investment by continuing to reach your target market.

Google Ads can push your ads reach to your target market, but it’s important to use the right tools for the job. You can’t just throw ads online and expect them to work. You need to integrate Google Ads with your CRM so you can track which ads are working well for your audience and continue targeting them with offers that are relevant to them.

Our Google Ads Experts can help you perform all these steps, so don’t worry. With Digital Octapus Agency, you’re in safe hands.

Google Ads Bidding Strategies

Google Ads offer different bid strategies for different types of campaigns. Depending on which networks your campaigns are targetin, and your marketing ability, and whether you want to focus on getting clicks, impressions, conversions, or views you can determine which strategy is best for you.

Conversion tracking is a feature that allows you to track the number of visitors who take specific actions on your site. This can include things like mailing list signups, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form.

CPC bidding is a type of advertising where advertisers bid on specific keywords that will bring them traffic from the search engines. The more expensive the bid, the higher the chance of that keyword being chosen. This means that you can potentially spend less money on ads and still generate a high number of clicks.

You can use cost-per-thousand viewable impressions (vCPM) bidding to put your message in front of customers who are most likely to see it. This is especially helpful if you want to drive more traffic to your website or increase brand awareness.

CPV bidding allows you to specify a maximum amount that you’re willing to pay for each 1,000 views or interactions your ad receives. This is great if you want to target a specific audience, or if you want to avoid paying too much for low-view ads. CPM bidding works the same way, but instead of specifying a maximum amount, it lets the auctioneer determine how much you’re willing to pay for each 1,000 impressions your ad receives.

Automated vs Manual Bidding

Automated bidding can help you save time and money, but it’s not a magic bullet. In fact, automated bidding can actually lead to higher costs and lower conversion rates if you don’t have a well-defined strategy. For example, if you use an automated bidding service that allows you to bid on multiple ads at the same time, it may be difficult to determine which ad to place your bid on. This can result in wasted bids and increased expenses.

Bidding on Branded Search Terms

There are pros and cons to bidding on branded terms. The pro is that it can be a great way to get more traffic to your website. The con is that you may not be able to get as much competition for the term, which could lead to you paying more than you should. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to bid on branded terms.

There are those who argue that bidding on terms that will likely yield organic results is a waste of money. However, others feel that this approach could be the key to securing the best possible deal for their business as it will definitely appear on top of the page.

On the other side, bidding on these terms helps you control the flow of traffic to your search results pages, ensuring that more prospects who are further down the buying process are reached.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

Cost per acquisition can be measured in a variety of ways, but one common metric is cost per action. This measures how much it costs to acquire one customer on the campaign or channel level. The conversion event usually refers to a sale, but it can also be a form submission, an app download, or a request for a callback.

The success of any marketing campaign hinges on the ability to generate revenue. One key metric that can be used to measure this impact is CPA, or cost per action. By understanding how much it costs customers to take specific actions, you can gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

How much Google Ads cost?

It takes time and expertise for a Google Ads expert to setup Google Ads campaigns that help the company produce sales, although the results come in fast and are measurable. The calculation of the price for a tailor-made Google Ads campaign is not easy since it takes in account a lot of variables, such as the costs:

• for the market analysis
• for the keywords research
• for non-branded campaings setup
• for competitors campaigns setup
• for titles and meta descriptions optimization and more…

Do you want to get more customers for your business with Google Ads?

With Google Ads, you can get more calls, sales on your e-commerce website and foot traffic to your store.

Then, contact Digital Octapus Agency, a Google ads certified Partner that has the experience to run Google Ads that bring in results. Schedule a consultation with our Google Ads Certified experts to discuss about Google Ads, your business potential and how to use Google Ads to your advantage and grow your business.