Google ads are a very powerful marketing tool that can help get your message, business, products, and more seen by the right people at the right time- if you know how to use them effectively, that is.
As long as you’ve created an ad and put money into it so that it’ll run, you can guarantee that people will see it; but will they click on it? Will you get any conversions?
To ensure that you’re putting out high quality ads that get you the results you’re looking for and compete with all the competition that’s out there, and there’s a lot, you’ve gotta learn the basics of Google Ads and keep some things in mind as you create and run them.
SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
There’s a very good reason why Google Ads are used by most businesses marketing themselves online. They’re versatile, can be user friendly (depending on the mode you have your account set to), offer almost endless targeting possibilities, utilize Google’s AI to make them higher quality and more effective, and so much more. If you know how to navigate Google Ads, know which ad type to choose, which content to use, who to target, and what to link to, you can put yourself ahead with an excellent ad that gets even better results.
1. Choosing the Right Ad Objective
So what do you need to keep in mind as you get started with Google Ads? First thing- ad objective. Choosing the right objective is crucial, because it decides what ad types you have to pick from, what Google will optimize to ensure better performance, and will be the main reason why your ads meet or don’t quite achieve your marketing goals.
2. Picking the Right Ad Type
The next thing to know is ad types. Google has eight different ad types to choose from (based on the objective you select). Those are search, display, performance max, shopping, video, app, demand gen, and smart. Each type uses different content, has different requirements, and is delivered in different places, so it’s important to know which is right for you and the goals you’re trying to achieve.
- Search ads use keywords and show up only in Google search results.
- Display ads use text and basic graphic content and show up on Google’s display network, which are any websites that allow Google ads to run on them.
- Performance MAX ads use a combination of graphic, video, and text content, plus Google’s AI optimizations to show ads in all of
- Shopping ads utilize content in your Google Merchant Center account to promote specific products on your website. These ads appear on Google’s Shopping tab and in search.
- Video ads use video content and deliver on YouTube.
- App ads use information and content related to your app and run across Google’s network and in other apps.
- Demand gen ads use various forms of content and run on YouTube, Google’s discover network, and in Gmail.
- Smart ads are basically a very user friendly version of other Google ads, that are made for those not very familiar with Google Ads. You link your website and other relevant content to Google, and it’ll create an ad for you. These ads run across Google’s network.
3. Be Mindful When Targeting Ads
After you’ve chosen your objective and ad type, you’re on to targeting and ad creation. First you’ll need to give Google some basics, like where the ad will link, the industry you’re in and targeting, the location(s) you’re trying to reach, and so on.
For targeting, it’s important that you’re clear on who you’re trying to reach and what part of the funnel you’re reaching them in. Are you focused more on awareness and getting people to know who you are? Then be sure to keep your targeting broad. Are you trying to make more sales with repeat customers and others who already know who you are? Make targeting as specific to your current customers as possible, and focus on retargeting customer lists and those who’ve visited your websites, online store, etc. and/or interacted with previous advertising.
4. Creative Captivating, Strategic Content
No matter what content your ads require though, it’s ALWAYS important to make sure that content will captivate your audience. Be strategic when planning, creating, and implementing this content to guarantee your target audience will be interested in what they see and encouraged to take action. Make language clear and interesting, make ad creative eye catching and attention grabbing, and make sure to use relevant links, snippets, and callouts that make people want to click.
5. Regularly Update and Track your Ads, and Link other Platforms
NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP?
As you now know, there’s a lot to Google Ads (and even more not covered here), which is what makes them so versatile and effective. Although that versatility can also make it hard to know where to start, what to do, and how to make ads the most effective they can be. That’s why we wanted to make this guide for anyone who needs a little help. If you need help beyond what we’ve given in this blog, or would rather have someone else take on the duty of creating and running Google ads for you, then please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to help and are ready to get you on your way to effective PPC advertising!
