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Google AdWords: A Beginner’s Guide

It is important for you to develop a strategy to grow your small or medium business, and oftentimes that means focusing on digital marketing.

In the current environment, the vast majority of people use the internet when they are looking for products and services they require. Therefore, you have to maintain a strong online presence, and that is where a comprehensive Google AdWords strategy can help you.

What is Google AdWords? Google AdWords—now rebranded to Google Ads—is a digital advertising platform that allows you to get your ads in front of your target market. There are different ways to employ Google Ads, and you need to think about how you can maximize your conversion rate.

So, how does Google AdWords work? There are a few important points to keep in mind as you begin learning how to use Google AdWords. Check out our comprehensive guide to learn more about what Google AdWords is and how it works.

What is Google AdWords?

Google AdWords can be an important part of your multichannel marketing campaign. You can use this tool to develop online advertising campaigns that can provide powerful results for your business. Because Google remains the most popular search engine in the world, it can be a way for you to quickly and effectively reach out to your target market. Using a strong Google AdWords strategy, you can connect with people on Google Maps, YouTube, search results pages, and Google Play.

With Google AdWords, you can also automate a lot of your digital marketing strategies. For example, you can tailor your ad campaign to match the goals of your business. Do you want to generate more phone calls? Do you want to drive more traffic to your website? Do you want to bring more people to a physical storefront? There are different ways you can structure your campaign, and you can target your advertising strategy to your desired results.

You can use Google AdWords along with Google Analytics to launch campaigns and measure results. Then, you can focus on running your business as your digital marketing campaign takes care of itself. From time to time, you may want to take a look at the dashboard to see which advertisements are performing the best and adjust your strategy accordingly. That way, you can maximize what is working well while also correcting any issues that need to be addressed.

Is Google Ads the same as AdWords?

Yes, Google Ads is the same as Google AdWords. In 2018, Google rebranded this part of its digital marketing arm, transitioning from Google AdWords to Google Ads. Even though there have been some minor changes over the years, those who are comfortable with Google AdWords should feel comfortable with Google Ads. The Google Ads platform can help you increase website traffic and accomplish your marketing goals.

While there is no difference between Google Ads and AdWords, there is a difference between AdWords and Google AdSense. As we’ve said, you can use Google AdWords to post targeted ads and drive more traffic to your website, helping you increase your conversion rate. In contrast, Google AdSense is a program that allows you to sell space on your website. Therefore, instead of using your own advertisements to generate more website traffic, you will sell space on your website to other companies that want to advertise on your page. Both tools can be helpful but, while the names may sound similar, they are different platforms.

How does Google AdWords work?

If you are wondering how to run campaigns using Google AdWords, there are several important points to keep in mind. You need to be familiar with how you can use Google AdWords to get the most out of your data tracking capabilities. Below are some of the key features you must understand in order to effectively use Google AdWords:

Campaign type

Even though you are probably eager to get started, you need to select your campaign type. There are several options available, and all of them are important for website analytics and engagement. These campaign options include:

  • Search ads are displayed next to search results.
  • Display ads are typically an image that shows up on web pages.
  • Video ads appear before or during YouTube videos.
  • App campaigns use app information to optimize your ads on websites.
  • Shopping ads show up when people shop on Google.
  • Smart campaigns will help you target a specific market.
  • Performance max allows advertisers to access all ad types.

You need to think about which campaign type is right for your needs.

Keywords

You probably know that keywords are very important for on-page SEO, and they are also very important for your Google AdWords campaign. When someone uses Google to look for products and services they need, Google will show them a series of results that match the search intent. You need to decide which keywords are best for your advertising campaign by conducting research and strategically selecting the keywords that will boost your website’s ranking on the results page.

Ad Rank and quality

Another one of the most important terms you need to know is called Ad Rank. This is important for your advertisement placement. The higher the value of your advertisements, the better you will rank. Then, the better you rank, the more people see your advertisement, which can help you with lead generation.

This can also dramatically increase the chances of someone clicking on your advertisement. Ultimately, Ad Rank is determined by the quality score multiplied by your maximum bid, so it is important to keep an eye on these metrics if you want to maximize the results of your Google AdWords campaign.

Bidding

Next, you need to be familiar with the bidding system. This is how Google AdWords works. As an advertiser, you will select the maximum amount of money you are willing to pay for your advertisement. Of course, keywords with high search volumes will be more competitive, and thus more expensive, than more obscure keywords.

There are three general options for placing your bid. The most common one is called CPC, or cost-per-click. This is the amount of money you will pay every time someone clicks on your advertisement. The next option is called CPM, which is cost per mille. This represents the amount of money you will pay for every 1,000 people who see your advertisement. Finally, another one is cost per engagement, or CPE. This is the amount of money you will pay when someone engages with your ad in a certain way.

Location

When running a Google AdWords campaign, you may also want to target people based on a certain location. There is a lot that goes into how search engines work, and search engines can tell where people are located using their IP address.

You may want to specify that you only want your advertisements to show up when people are looking for certain words and phrases in a specific geographic area. This is particularly helpful if you are trying to generate more foot traffic for a physical store. For example, if you run a store in Atlanta, Georgia, you may only want your advertisements to show up if people are located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Match type

Keyword match type is a function that allows you to choose how closely you want the keywords attached to your ad to align with a user’s search query. There are different options available when it comes to match type. For example, you might want to go with an exact match, meaning that your ad is only going to show up when people are looking for that specific word or phrase. Or, you may specify that you want a broad match, meaning that you are fine with your ad showing up if the query matches the meaning of your ad generally, but not specifically.

Ad copy

Your ad copy refers to the information contained in your advertisement. You need to think carefully about what goes into your ad copy. Your digital marketing budget is valuable, and you need to get as much use out of it as possible. You may even want to test different types of advertisements targeting the same market. That way, you can figure out which ad strategy is most effective for your needs.

Ad extensions

As you plan a digital campaign, you should also consider taking advantage of Google Ads extensions. These extensions allow you to provide more information to a prospective client while also increasing your visibility on the search engine results page (SERPs).

You need to think carefully about which types of extensions are right for you. For example, you may want to use a location extension, which will list the location of your business in the advertisement. You may also want to use product extensions, which allow you to improve the quality of your product listings. There are also rating extensions, which allow you to show off customer ratings and reviews for certain products. All of these options could help you drive more traffic to your website and more foot traffic to your store.

Why use Google AdWords?

There are several reasons why you should use Google AdWords. They include:

  • Reach a wide audience. Google remains the most popular search engine, so you can reach a large number of people in a relatively short amount of time and grow your audience.
  • Customize your campaigns. There are plenty of customizable options available, allowing you to tailor your ad campaign to meet your needs.
  • Easy to get started and run campaigns. It is very easy to get started, as there is an intuitive interface that can automate a lot of the work for you.
businesses can expect to earn $8 in profit for every $1 invested in Google Ads and Search

Running campaigns with Google AdWords can be a great way for you to drive revenue growth for your business. According to Google, businesses can expect to earn $8 in profit for every $1 invested in Google Ads and Search. With this type of earning potential, using Google AdWords as part of your digital campaigns can be a very alluring prospect.

How to get started with Google AdWords

There are several steps to follow to get started with Google AdWords. They include:

6 steps to getting started with Google AdWords

Get set up on Google Search Console

First, you need to get started on Google Search Console and create a Google Ads account. All you have to do is create a quick profile to get started. This is where you will see all of your analytics moving forward, so familiarize yourself with the interface.

Determine your goals

Next, you need to decide what your goals are. Do you want to drive more people to your website? Do you want more people to come to your physical store? This will influence the layout of your ad campaign, so think about your goals carefully.

Determine your budget

Budget is crucial when planning out any marketing campaign. How much money are you willing to spend? How much money do you want to pay per advertisement? Budget is a major factor when using Google AdWords, as you’ll have to spend more money in order to get your ads placed on the search results page for highly competitive keywords.

Do keyword research

You need to conduct keyword research to figure out what words and phrases are most relevant to the needs of your target market. There are tools on Google—such as Keyword Planner—that can help you do that. Keep in mind that you have to balance the search volume of certain terms with how competitive they are.

Write the ad

Once you have decided on your terms, it is time to write the advertisement. What information do you want to include? What do you think would convince people to take the desired action? You may want to test a few versions of the same advertisement to see which works best.

Begin your ad campaign

Finally, you can start your ad campaign. Be familiar with your key performance indicators, and track them from time to time. You may have to fine-tune your campaign.

Tips for using Google AdWords

There are a few tips you need to follow to get the most out of your Google AdWords campaign. Some of the tips you need to follow include:

4 tips for using Google AdWords

1. Create strong landing pages

Remember that in a lot of situations, you only pay for the advertisement if someone clicks on it. Therefore, you need to maximize the power of your landing pages. Every time someone clicks on the ad, you want them to take the desired action. The only way they will do so is if you design a strong landing page to convince them to do what you want. Think carefully about your landing pages, track their performance over time, and make sure you maximize their utility.

2. Don’t be too broad

Even though you probably want to make a customer out of everyone, that is simply not possible. If you try to make a customer out of everyone, you will simultaneously target nobody. Instead, it is important for you to narrow your focus.

Who do you think can benefit most from the products and services you provide? What words and phrases do they typically use when they are looking for something online? Those are the terms that you need to target using your Google AdWords campaign.

3. Match the search intent

You need to make sure that your advertising campaign matches the intent of the person using Google. What this means is that you need to think about why someone is searching for something using that specific word or phrase. Are they looking for general information? Or are they showing that they are ready to make a purchase?

You need to make sure that your advertisement matches the intent of the user and relevant search queries. If you want someone to buy something from your website, you need to target people who indicate that they are ready to make a purchase.

4. Always be working to improve your quality score

Finally, you need to keep an eye on your most important metrics as you run your Google AdWords campaign. That means paying attention to your quality score. This is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, and you need to keep your quality score as high as possible. The higher your quality score is, the more relevant your advertisement and landing page are to the needs of the user. This might make it easier for you to get your advertisement spotted, which can help you increase the online visibility of your business.

These are a few of the most important tips you need to follow if you want to maximize your quality score. By taking advantage of Google analytics and advanced tools, you can make sure that you get the most out of every digital marketing dollar you spend.

Bolster your marketing strategy with Google AdWords

Digital marketing is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal, but you need to make sure you maximize the results of your marketing strategy with Google AdWords. This is a powerful tool, but there is also a lot of competition out there.

If you want to optimize your digital marketing campaigns, consider taking advantage of Mailchimp’s all-in-one digital marketing platform. From Google Ads campaigns to social media, we can help you organize and optimize your digital marketing efforts, which in turn enables you to achieve your marketing goals.

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