Search Engine Marketing (SEM) was once used as an umbrella term for both Search Engine Optimisation and Pay-Per-Click activities. Today the term SEM refers only to Pay-Per-Click activity, with ‘Search Marketing’ being used to describe both SEO and SEM collectively.
Pay-Per-Click is the process of bidding for ad placement within search engine results with the goal of driving more traffic to a website. Google AdWords is currently the most popular paid search platform within the digital space (followed by Yahoo’s Bing Ads) and even offers a free two-part qualification via Google Partners.
It may sound like a professional version of eBay, but if used correctly PPC can be extremely effective in driving return on investment (ROI). Read on to find out how you can use Google AdWords for your business.
AdWords: The basics
AdWords matches user’s search terms, such as ‘retro sweet delivery UK’, with highly relevant adverts based on the inclusion of keywords (and a few other factors). Keywords are words or phrases chosen by an advertiser that can trigger an ad to appear within search results and on other websites in the Google Network. If you own a retro sweet shop and offer UK delivery, including the search term ‘retro sweet delivery UK’ in your ad settings, will improve the chances of your ad being displayed to this user.
Choosing a bidding strategy
When you create an ad, you will be asked to choose a bidding strategy. If your focus were to achieve clicks, you’d select the cost-per-click bidding method. If your focus were to achieve impressions, you’d want the cost-per-impressions (CPM) bidding method. Finally, if your focus were to gain conversions (be it a sale or the completion of a specific action on your website) you’d choose the cost-per-acquisition (CPA) bidding method.
How does bidding work?
Google Ad Rank determines which ads appear and in which positions. Let’s say there are five retro sweet shops local to you who are also using Google AdWords to drive sales. Ad Rank will assess how much you’re willing to spend, the quality and relevancy of your ad and website and the expected impact from your ad extensions and other ad formats.
Note: An ad extension displays additional business information with your ad such as an address, phone number and review stars.
Bids and ad quality can work differently across different campaign types. For example, with a keyword –targeted ad (as exampled above), your bid is based on your maximum-cost-per-click (max. CPC), i.e. the maximum you’re willing to spend on each individual click. Your ad quality is based on the components of Google’s Quality Score, which includes the expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience.
Tip: Each time an ad of yours is eligible to appear for a search, it is processed through the ad auction. You are charged the actual cost-per-click if your ad is displayed, which is often less than the maximum cost-per-click you set. This is because AdWords charges you the minimum amount required to maintain your ad position.
How to improve your ad quality
In order to improve your ad quality, it is useful to think about your decision making process when you search for something online. What do you consider when deciding which search result is worth clicking on?
If you know what your customers are looking for, you can focus on ensuring your chosen keywords; ads and landing pages are as relevant to the user as is possible.
- Create specific ad groups for each product/service
- Choose your keywords carefully! Include keywords that are directly related to the theme of the ad group and corresponding landing page. Tip: it is more effective to use keyword phrases that are two or three words long, instead of one keyword.
- Include keywords in your ad text (especially in your ad’s headline) to grab the user’s attention
- Create simple yet engaging ads. Highlight any USPs your product/service has to offer (such as free delivery or celebrity connections)
- Use a strong call to action (the clickable element): ‘Buy’, ‘See More’ and ‘Browse’ are all simple yet strong call to actions
- Experiment with multiple variations of your ad to learn what works and what doesn’t
- Review your campaign performance regularly
Where do my ads appear?
Your ads can appear in various places across the Internet depending on how you’ve targeted your ads.
Note: Some of the below features are only available for certain campaign types.
Google Search: Your ads can appear on Google search, shopping and maps when someone searches using one of your keywords.
Search Network: Google’s search network comprises partner websites who also show AdWords ads (such as AOL).
Mobile Search: This is the mobile version of Google Search.
The Display Network: You can choose to show your ads to users as they browse the Internet. The Display Network is a collection of websites and Google owned websites (including Blogger and YouTube for example) that also show Adwords Ads. If for example your business offers wedding planning services, you may want to opt for your ad to appear on wedding dress websites.
Geographic targeting: You can choose to show text ads and special offers to those in nearby cities.
Audience targeting: you can also choose to show text, image and video ads to those of a certain age or gender, with certain interests or even by their spoken language.
Questions?
Google AdWords offer a wealth of information to guide you through the process of setting up and managing ads. You can view this information in the Adwords help centre: https://support.google.com/adwords.
Alternatively, feel free to give us a call on 01225 444 674 and one of our PPC specialists will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
img: Google AdWords
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