Google processes over 1.2 trillion searches a year. Yes, you read that right: trillion. People search for everything from recipes and directions, to product advice and amusing cat videos.
Google helps make our everyday lives simpler. Advertising on Google also makes it easier to achieve your business goals. If you’re curious about how ads on Google can help you reach new customers, this is a great place to start! In this guide, you will find an overview of the platform and how it works.
So how does Google Ads work? Great question. In this guide, you will find an overview of the platform and an explanation of how it can help you reach new customers. Keep reading to begin your Google Ads journey!
What Is Google Ads?
Okay, so you know what Google is, but where does the “Ads” part come into play?
Previously named “AdWords,” Google Ads is a digital advertising platform that allows companies to reach their target audience using text and visual ads. You’ve probably seen (or even clicked on) a Google ad recently. Think about the last time you searched on Google. You may have noticed some search results that stood out from the rest. Google ads are usually the results you see right before, to the right, or below organic search results.
Digital ads stick out and encourage searchers to click them first. Your Google ads can attract website traffic before someone has a chance to scroll down and see a competitor’s listing.
The advantages don’t end there. You can read our Guide to Digital Advertising to learn more about the benefits of using platforms like Google Ads to advertise online.
How Does Google Ads Work?
Now that you know how to spot a Google ad, let’s answer your real question: how does Google Ads work?
Google Ads is a type of digital advertising channel known as pay-per-click (PPC). Like it sounds, you pay each time someone clicks on one of your ads. The cost for each click depends on a few factors, including your:
- Industry
- Competitors
- Ad rank and quality score
You can also use a cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) bid strategy and pay for 1,000 views. There are other bid strategies to choose from, too. Your bid strategy depends on your company’s advertising goals.
To reach your customers, you need to bid for your audience and page ranking. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google received 40 cents of every new digital advertising dollar spent in 2017. Google looks for more than the “highest bidder,” though. You also need to craft ads that are relevant to what your customers are searching, also known as search intent.
How to Use Google Ads to Achieve Your Goals?
Google Ads is competitive. Done right, you can rank at the top of Google search engine results pages (SERPs), gain market share, and reach your target audience. Here’s how to use Google Ads to achieve your goals.
1. Determine Your Goals
Before you can achieve your goals, you need to know what they are. Your goals might include:
- Boosting brand awareness
- Generating more website traffic
- Increasing form sign-ups, phone calls, and leads
- Growing online sales
The structure of your Google Ads campaigns will differ to align with your goals.
2. Know Your Audience
Your target audience is made up of unique customers. These individuals have interests, behaviors, and needs of their own.
Creating distinct customer personas will allow you to develop targeted campaigns. People are more likely to click on ads they connect with, so keep your customers in mind.
3. Key In On Your Keywords
What are your customers searching for online? What are their pain points that your product or service can remedy? Once you recognize your target customer’s problems, you can develop a list of keywords to match.
It won’t work to select any random set of keywords, though. Instead, you need keywords that use the right match types that fall into the sweet spot between search intent, low competition, and high traffic volume.
4. Bids & Budgets
Now that you have your keywords, it’s time to place your bids!
There are many bid strategies for different goals. A few include:
- Maximize Clicks
- Manual Cost-per-click (CPC)
- Cost-per-thousand Impressions (CPM)
- Target Search Page Location
- Target Outranking Share
- Target Cost-per-acquisition (CPA)
- Maximize Conversions
If you want to increase brand awareness, start with an impression-based strategy such as CPM. To generate website traffic, however, you should consider CPC bidding. Determining your advertising budget depends on your goals and the average CPC for your keywords.
5. Structure It Out
A single campaign is broken down into numerous ad groups. Each ad group features a selection of like keywords with ads for each set.
Ads should remain relevant to their corresponding focus keywords and include an impactful call-to-action (CTA). To increase clicks, include the keyword in the ad’s headline, display URL, and descriptive text. Using your keyword repetitively will tell your potential customers that the ad aligns with their search intent.
Ad extensions can also expand your ads (allowing you to take up more space on the page).
6. Bring It In For a Landing
After they click on your ads, where are people going? You can convert those website visitors into customers with a compelling, well-designed landing page.
The landing page content should align with your ad’s copy and CTA, so visitors can quickly reach the goal of the ad. Don’t forget to optimize your website for mobile devices, too. Otherwise, you’re missing out on potential on-the-go customers.
7. Load the Code
Your landing page isn’t complete yet. You’ll need to install the proper conversion tracking code. This snippet of site code gives you access to metrics useful for tracking campaign success.
We recommend that you also use the Google Ads remarketing code to attract previous website visitors back a second time.
8. Always Be Optimizing
There’s always room for improvement. A/B test your ad copy and landing pages often to see what intrigues your audience most. It’s also a good idea to try new ad keywords and to create seasonal campaigns.
With time, you can use data from your tests to run more productive (and profitable) campaigns.
How Does Google Ads Work?: Your Guide to Google Advertising
Now that you have the answer to “how does Google Ads work?” it’s time to get to work!
While Google is busy processing 1.2 trillion searches every day, you can stay busy nurturing new leads. If you’re still unsure about navigating the intricacies of Google Ads’ terrain, we’re happy to set you on the right track.
Fable Heart Media is Here For You.
Whether you own a small company or lead a marketing team, Fable Heart Media can help you achieve your business goals. Our process focuses on driving measurable growth and obtaining results. Of course, we love creating beautiful websites and writing awesome blogs, but for us, nothing tops the feeling of seeing our customers grow online due to our partnership.
