Google Ads has been an enigma to much of the business world: until now. Famous for its complexity, Google Ads is one of the most complicated and intricate PPC platforms published to date. With thousands of metric variations, and endless settings and bidding options, it is easy to push this daunting platform to the wayside in favor of more user-friendly platforms.
But, we are here to encourage you: don’t give up! AdWords is the key to search network advertising and has the potential to take both your SEO and SEM to the next level. Not only can it drive sales and rapidly increase your ROI, it can elevate your PPC and provide cheap, yet effective, marketing. Want to take advantage of this awesome tool? Keep reading for our four best tips on how to master Google Ads – and fast.
Utilize Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)
Wordstream tells us that the days when the only targeting method was keywords are long gone. Today, increasingly sophisticated targeting methods, combined with a strong use of keywords, are the way to go. Although they’ve been around since July 2013, RLSA’s are a diamond in the rough – underutilized by many, but extremely valuable to a well-versed user. Totally different than traditional display marketing, the only thing RLSAs have in common with the aforementioned method is that they both use cookies to track users, and add the useful information to lists for the use of advertisers and sales companies.
Different from standard remarketing, RLSAs don’t automatically show text ads to users just because their information exists on the remarketing lists. In contrast, Google Ads users still need to be actively searching on Google using the keywords you are pumping your marketing dollars into. With RLSAs, you can cater to and even build your search campaigns to target users who are already aware of your website, and are a better fit in your consumer base. When treated like the “diamond” they are, RLSAs give marketers a more efficient use of your ad expenditures, better conversion rates, and ultimately, higher ROI.
Create a Negative Keyword List on Day One
Paid Insights tells us negative keywords are helpful in many more ways than one, they are in the same family as keyword match types, but they work differently than their counterparts. Here are some ways Paid Insights says negative keywords can help your SEM and PPC:
- Negative keywords keep you from showing ads to consumers outside your target base, CTR will increase, so will your engagement, PPC results, and with hope, your ROI
- Searchers who don’t fit your consumer base or match your keywords won’t be able to click your ads, saving you $$ in PPC
- Negative keywords help to keep your ads in front of the right people, which helps keep your campaigns and clicks on budget
We recommend creating your negative keyword list early on (ideally day 1 of your PPC campaign), and deciding which keywords you don’t want to seek out for your specific consumer base, or have associated with your company. In doing so, you save yourself major marketing dollars on wasted clicks, and this process helps you to better identify your niche, and stick with it moving forward since you are already invested.
Employ Location Options Settings
Erin Sagin, Global SMB Solutions Go To Market Lead at Google, breaks down Google Ads and Geo Targeting by explaining that Google algorithms default to display your ads to people based on both their geographical location and intent search history. Let’s say you own a local bakery in Georgia, and post weekly bread recipes to your social media in hopes of driving organic website traffic. You might see increased traffic from searchers in your local vicinity, but you might also see increased traffic from searchers all over, who frequently look at bread recipes, or have an interest in bakeries. Thankfully, this setting can be edited to include only specific geographic locations or intended searches, so budgeting can be better controlled.
Learn to Schedule Dayparting Bid Adjustments for Your Campaign
You Google Ad experts already know the functionality of the enhanced campaigns is awful at best. The process is time-consuming and complicated, yet many users tolerate the poor usability to benefit from the end result: self-posting campaigns. This post from Cyprus North will change your life by teaching you to copy and paste dayparting settings to your Good Ad campaigns.
Dayparting, another tactic -like negative keywording (we just made that term up)- to narrow the field of searchers down in those interested in your services, is a lifesaver by allowing you to set the clock for your running campaigns in advance. Trying to increase your conversion rate and with hope, your PPC and SEM campaign results? Play to your strengths, know your audience, set your budget, and plan your campaigns well.
Using these tips will save you hours in campaign planning and implementation. Still feel like you need help in this area? Contact us! We would love nothing more than to sit down with you and discuss a strategy to take your business to the next level.