So you’re ready to give Google AdWords a try and drive some much needed potential customers to your online store. Super!
The sponsored links that show up next to Google’s search results can be an efficient and cost-effective way to advertise your business on the web because you only pay when people click on your ads.
So, if you’re considering running a Google AdWords campaign and want to make the most of it, here are a few things you should take into account.
Know your keywords
Take the time to do your research first so you have a better understanding of what people are searching for when they’re looking for your business.
Use whatever keyword tool you think will help you find those powerful keywords you need.
The Google AdWords Keyword Tool is a fantastic bit of kit that can give you some insights into what people are searching for on the web. However, you might want to experiment with other similar offerings to see what they can bring to the mix.
Use different keyword match types
You might think that the most expensive AdWords are the best, but that’s not always the case.
In fact, you may discover that you’ve spent a fortune on people who were clicking just because they were curious rather than on potential customers.
So you may find it’s better to target the less competitive terms.
You also need to take into account the difference between exact match – where your ads are aimed at people who write a certain phrase – and broad match – where ads are aimed at people who write related phrases as well – targeting.
Broad match targeting can be great but if you’re in a competitive market and don’t have a big budget, you might not get much out of it.
So, instead, set lower bids for broad matches and higher bids for exact matches.
Usually, exact matches are more likely to get a user to convert as his decision to click the ad and enter your site means he’s ready to buy.
Test different (catchy) ads
Despite the importance of keyword research, it’s your ad copy that gets people to click through so make sure it’s spot on.
Try running a few different ads at once and make sure to monitor them to see how they’re doing.
Running several ads at once allows you to see which of your ads your audience is responding to and which ones need to be improved.
Also ask Google to optimise for clicks or optimise for conversions, meaning that if you have one ad that works particularly well, it will be shown more often. You can see this under the % Served in the ads tab.
Use strong call-to-actions
‘Buy Now!’, ’14-Days Free Trial!’, ‘Sale Ends Soon!’, ‘Free Shipping” and other call-to-actions create a sense of urgency so make sure you use them.
They will help encourage people to behave in the manner you want, which is to click on your ad and then buy your product.
Use global negatives
If you don’t want people to see your ad when they search for a certain word, add it to your campaign global negatives.
The idea here is to exclude people who might click on your ad, but are never going to buy your product.
For example, if you’re not giving away free things then add the word “free” to the list.
That way, people won’t search for “free [your product]” see your ad, click on it which costs you money, and then leave your site, because they won’t get to see the ad in the first place.
Optimise your landing page
If people click your ad and are then taken to a page which has nothing to do with the product or service that was being offered, you’re not going to be able to convert them into customers.
Make sure to point your ad to the right landing page so users don’t have to jump through hoops to find what you were advertising, because they won’t bother.
You should also optimise your landing page to make sure it converts well.
Try A/B testing different landing pages to see which one converts better.
Based on the conclusion of the test, try to improve your landing pages as much as possible to get the best results.
Remember, you’re never going to get an AdWords campaign exactly right, but you can always improve it.
Make sure you’re monitoring everything and acting on the information you get. That way, you’ll be making the most out of AdWords.
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