5 Google Ads Best Practices
If you are advertising your business on Google, make sure you are using these Google Ads best practices for maximum results. Google Ads is a powerful way to catch the attention of customers and generate more leads and sales. Whether you want to drive sales for your ecommerce website or want your customers to contact you for a quote, Google Ads makes it easier to connect with customers online.
Here are five Google Ads best practices to make your ad campaigns effective.
#1-Optimize your quality score.
Your quality score is a grade that Google gives your ads. Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, an ad’s quality score depends on how likely it is to satisfy a user’s query. The keywords you are using must match with your ad text and your landing page content.
For example, let’s imagine an HVAC business. This HVAC business wants to target a keyword like “new heating unit” to get the attention of Google users searching for heating options. The keyword is “new heating unit” so the ad text should talk about new heating units. If it doesn’t, it will be unlikely that anyone will click on the ad because it lacks relevance. Likewise, if a user clicks the ad but the landing page on your website doesn’t offer any relevant information on new heating units, they will “bounce”.
An ad’s quality score actually impacts a lot. A higher quality score will help increase your impression share. (Impression share is the amount of ad impressions you receive.) However, if your quality score is too low, you’ll probably see a higher cost per click and cost per conversion. Therefore, it’s important to monitor your ads’ quality scores and continue to optimize your ads.
#2-Include relevant extensions.
Ad extensions are little extras that you can use to make your ads stand out and offer more helpful information to users. There are a number of ad extensions available with Google Ads. Sitelink extensions enable you to link to other relevant pages on your website within your ads. Callout extensions enable you to embellish your ads with more detailed information about individual products or elements of your business.
Adding these extensions are simple but effective ways to get beyond the basic ad format and occupy more “real estate” on the search results page.
#3-Establish a system for consistent reporting.
Finding a consistent system for creating and viewing reports is incredibly important. Without the knowledge of what’s going on you won’t know how to improve your ad account. There is a great variety of metrics you should be aware of. You’ll want to track how many impressions, clicks, and conversions you’re getting. You may also want to pay close attention to the CPC (cost-per-click) and CPA (cost-per-acquisition) so you don’t overspend.
Google Ads offers basic reporting within the Adwords dashboard. In addition, a PPC management program like Wordstream may be helpful. Wordstream gives users monthly reports on the status of their ad campaigns, as well as recommendations to make it more effective.
#4-Target & monitor the right search terms & keywords.
Google offers a keyword planner within the Adwords dashboard. This is a tremendously helpful tool. It helps businesses target the right keywords. After all, people see your ads based on the search terms they use in Google. You certainly want to make sure you connect your ads with the right keywords. This isn’t something that can be done once and then ignored. Optimizing your ad campaigns involves monitoring the search terms that your ads are displaying on and then determining if they are relevant to your business. If you are selling iron plumbing pipes but your ads are displaying for people seeking musical pipes, you need to make some adjustments. Google allows advertisers to add “negative” keywords to prevent inconveniences like this. Doing keyword research on the front end of your campaign and continuously monitoring your keywords will help you stay on top of your campaigns.
#5-Optimize for mobile devices.
It’s no secret that more people are using their mobile devices to search on Google. In fact, 65% of clicks on Google ads come from mobile devices. Therefore, it’s essential to optimize your ads for mobile viewing. The Search Engine Journal has good suggestions for optimizing your ads for mobile. Additionally, you can see what Google has to say about mobile optimization.
Succeed With Google Ads Best Practices
The Google Ads tool is a powerful way to connect with new customers and see real results. By following these best practices, you can improve the effectiveness and value of your ad campaigns on Google. Take 2020 by the horns and make the most of the opportunities in front of you!
Not sure where to start with Google Ads? Maybe feeling a little intimidated by all of the options? Let IX Publishing help you find digital advertising success through Google. Reach out to us and find out how you can succeed on Google with our help.
