The Ultimate Guide to Google Ads

Learning to use Google Ads to Boost Your Online Visibility and Generate More Local Leads

In recent years, there have been a lot of significant changes in the way local businesses promote their brands online and reach potential customers on search engines like Google. Today, more than 80 percent of people searching for local businesses rely on Google to make decisions on what and where to buy. From searching for the best local roofing company to finding the best tree care company near me, literally everyone uses search engines to get what they want on the internet.

While there are many methods to build a credible brand online, you cannot neglect the power of search advertising in the mix. Search advertising allows you to target specifically people who are more likely to be interested in your products or services, while filtering out people who are not.

Importantly, it makes it a lot easier for you to generate new local customers since your brand shows up in the local search result pages when people search for a keyword, product or services related to yours within your location regardless of the devices they use – smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktops.

While many local business owners have been using Google ads for many years to reach new customers and grow their businesses in the most effective way possible, there are still a lot of business owners who are still unsure about how search advertising can benefit their business. As a result, they are not either not using the platform at all or using it incorrectly.

If you have been thinking about how to leverage Google ads to enhance your online marketing efforts, this guide will be of tremendous help to you. In this guide, you will learn how Google ads work, why it’s important and how you can make the most effective use of it to maximize return on your investment.

Why are Google Ads Important?

The ultimate goal of any business is to be found by the right people, at the right place and at the right time. This is exactly what Google advertising does. It helps put your business or brand in front of people who are interested in your product or service at the time they are looking to make a purchase decision.

Given the high level of competition across every industry and niche, it is important that local businesses learn how to grab consumer’s attention and convert them to customers. However, this can be incredibly difficult for a small business that has no traction. So, what can small businesses do to cut through the noise and get customers to know they exist? A good way to start is identifying consumer behavior and using emerging trends to make it easy for them to find you.

The Way People Search is Now Different

In the last few years, there has been an exponential increase in the use of connected devices across the globe. There were only less than 9 billion connected devices globally in 2017. By 2020, the number has jumped to about 20.4 billion. A CISCO report predicts that number would rise to 27.1 billion by the end of 2021.

As more people again access the internet, search terms are more likely to increase. In the last three years, the number of people searching using shopping searches like “where to buy” and “near me” has increased by 200 percent. Also, mobile searches with search terms like “best” and “right now” have also skyrocketed, increased by 125% in the last three years.

The Spike of Voice Search

Voice search is one of the most recent trends in the online marketing industry. Nearly 40 percent of all internet users in the US used voice search to conduct searches on Google in 2019. There are indications that the number will increase by 9.7 percent to 122.7 million by 2021. With the way voice search is becoming popular among internet users, it might also have an impact on the ways in which Google ads are served and viewed.

This means when setting up Google ads for your business or band, and writing copy for it, you need to consider optimizing your message for voice search. It is important to note that voice search algorithms rely on natural conversation, which are often longer than regular typed search queries. Therefore, you need to start including more long-tail keywords and specific phrases that customers are more likely to use naturally when searching for your business online.

A good example is, “who is the best roofing company near me” compared to “best roofer” or “best roofing company.”

Google Searches; Insights into What People Are Searching for

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed in the ways consumers interact with businesses. Travel restrictions and disruption in the supply chain made local businesses the most convenient and the safest options for consumers, in many cases.

The Global Connected Consumer Index shows that 28 percent more consumers are shopping online weekly than they were before the pandemic. Also, searches for “unemployment lawyer near me” also increased by up to 250 percent. As a business owner, you should understand what your potential customers are looking for at every point and optimize your ads for the right keywords.

What Are the Benefits of Using Google Ads?

When you search for a keyword on Google, you notice that a few businesses appear on the first page. Those are brands and businesses who have mastered the local SEO to rank their businesses high in the search engine result page (SERP). But organic results are not things that show on the search result. You probably also notice paid ads displayed on the top of the search result, and somewhere in the bottom.

Those businesses that appear at the top spot in the SERP have paid Google to display their ads to users for relevant search terms on Google Sear and Google Maps. Now, let’s do a quick rundown of how Google ads works:

When you set up a Google ad campaign, you will determine the target audience for the ad. Do you want your ad to be served to only people in your city or you want to expand it to the entire count? Once you determine that, you can add images and create a converting copy to help Google understand the qualities that make your business special. You will also need to set a budget for the campaign.

Once that is done, Google will take your business and display it to people that fall within your target market. As more and more people see and click your ads, Google will start deducting from your preset budget until there is nothing lef to sustain your campaign. At this point, your ads will stop showing. That is just the summary of how Google ads works.

So, why should you invest in Google ads?

What Are the Benefits of Using Google Ads?

So, why should you invest in Google ads?

#1: It offers flexibility

Flexibility is one of the most interesting benefits many digital marketers like about Google ads. The platform offers businesses of all types and sizes flexible and effective means of marketing their products or services. Importantly, Google ads is compatible with numerous software systems and marketing platforms on the market.

Additionally, Google ads allows you to customize your campaign so that you can target specific groups of people. For example, you can decide to target users based on their location or the type of device they use to conduct searches. You can also do it based on the type of Google-owned product they are using – whether Google Search, Google Maps or YouTube.

The best part is, you can set your preferred budget for your campaign.

#2: It allows you to generate more leads and customers

Leads are the lifeblood of every business. If you are looking for a quicker and more reliable way to attract more leads to your business, then Google is the best option for you. If done right, Google ads can draw lots of quality and targeted leads to your website, landing page or opt-in forms.

#3: It provides a high return on Investment (ROI)

Google ads is built on a pay-per-click model. That means you will only be charged when people click your ads, and not when they just see them. That way, you can rest assured that your budget would yield great ROI given that your campaigns are well-optimized. Fortunately, the platform is very transparent. You can trust any data Google presents to you about your ads.

#4: It makes achieving fast results possible

Unlike other digital advertising platforms, Google has a reputation of helping local business owners achieve quick and quality results with their marketing. The platform has a user-friendly dashboard that lets you see a comprehensive analytics report of how your ads have performed over the specific period of time. That means, you can easily track your progress based on parameters like ad impression, clicks, keyword searchers and cost per click.

#5: It gives you access to quality sources of traffic

With over 86 percent of search market share, Google is the largest search engine in the world. Over 70,000 Google searches are conducted every second, making it almost 227 million an hour and about 5.4 billion searches per day. That makes Google the best place to promote your business.

Additionally, Google is always working hard to improve its algorithms to ensure that both consumers and businesses get better experience using their platform. That said, you can rest assured that Google will deliver quality and relevant traffic.

#6: It helps you gain insights into your market

Knowing what your customers want, why they want it and how they search for it online is key to every successful campaign. Google has a vast repository of data that can guide you to create effective ads and content that resonate with your target audience. For example, Google allows you to have access to market trends which can help you to improve your products, services or the combination of the two.

Google provides accurate insights into the customer behavior, which can come in handy when you are looking to make changes to your campaign, especially in terms of keyword selection, demography and other valuable parameters.

Google Search Advertising

When the word Google is mentioned, many people tend to think only about Google Search. While Google search seems to be the most popular and the most important Google property, Google has seven other platforms created to meet specific needs of the users. That way, you have wider access to multiple platforms to promote your business online and reach your target audience. The following are other Google products that you can explore to advertise your products or services:

Google Maps
YouTube
Gmail
Google Chrome
Google Assistant
Google Play
Android

When you have an active ad campaign running, your listing will have a better chance of appearing at the top of search results for the search phrases that are related to your product, service or business.

Even with paid advertising, Google only shows results that are most relevant to the user’s search queries. Like search engine optimization (SEO), Google considers a number of factors to decide which website ranks at the top of search results for specific keywords. Some of the factors include, location, time and date. Google does this to ensure that most relevant results are displayed to users each time they search.

Local Service Ads

Google shows ads with local search intent at the top of the search results when users conduct searches relating to those businesses. This section of the SERP is used to display local businesses to consumers. Therefore, it is a very important spot for local businesses as it provides them with the fastest way to connect with potential customers and make a good impression. Advertisers who are able to secure a place within this spot have higher chances of gaining quality and qualified leads from Google.

Google Ads

Google ads is another important area in the paid search area on Google’s SERP. Google ads can show in different places on the page, including the bottom of the page, right underneath the local ads section or on the right hand side. Google will show your business listing in this area when search enquiries entered by the user matches the key phrases you choose for your ads.

Google My Business

Google My Business or GMB is another important section that users are likely going to see in search results. GMB is a power tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presses across Google, including Google Search and Map. If correctly used, GMB can help you drive more targeted leads to your website while increasing foot traffic to your physical store.

If you are yet to set up your GMB account, it means you have been leaving money on the table for your competitors. A local business with a complete and optimized GMB profile stands a better chance of ranking high both on Search and Maps for their target keywords. This is because Google uses the information provided on GMB profiles, including the type of product or service provided and the location of the business to match the search queries.

The best part is, GMB is a free tool any business can use. You can also use it to complement your paid search efforts. All you need to do is create your free GMB profile and fill in all the required information.

Organic Search

Organic search, otherwise known as natural search refers to unpaid or earned search results. In contrast to your paid search results which are generated via an auction system, organic search results are based on relevance of web content to the user’s search query, backlinks, domain authority, click-through rate and other organic ranking factors.

Unlike paid search, it can take several months to rank a website to the top of the first page of the search results. Many businesses hire professional SEOs (SEO experts) to ensure their websites satisfy the ranking factors. In spite of that, it is very competitive to rank in the organic search because it is absolutely free and you can easily be outranked by a better performing website. Search advertising provides you with a much easier, faster and more guaranteed route to appear at the top spot of Google for your selected keywords.

Best Practices for Running a Successful Search Campaign

One simple way to evaluate how well your ads campaign is performing is to look at the position of the ad on the search result page. Your ad position can be influenced by many factors, including:

Ad quality
Bid
Competition
Landing page quality
Context of the user’s search

Fortunately, you can influence your ad ranking position by optimizing your campaign. Here is a list of some of the strategies to improve your ad ranking position on the search result page:

Create goal-based campaigns

Before you create an ad campaign, it is expected that you have a specific goal in mind that you want to achieve. Looking at your business, are you looking to get more people to visit your website? Or do you want more people to subscribe to your email list?

Whatever it is that you are aiming to achieve, make sure your goals are specific, measurable and achievable. Two businesses may not have the same objective. You can even have different goals for different campaigns and at different stages of your business development.

Here are are examples of a goal you can set for your campaign:

Grow website traffic
Increase sales
Increase brand awareness and reach
Attract more qualified leads
Boost brand and product recognition

Target your ad campaigns to find the right people

Targeting the right audience segment can boost your campaign’s performance and avoid wasteful spending. However, this goes beyond choosing the right keywords for your ad. You want to target people who are more likely to be interested in your products or services. Targeting an ad about your poultry products to a vegetarian will likely not elicit a positive response.

Here are some of the factors you consider when targeting the right audience for your ad campaign:

Audience demographic i.e., age, gender, occupation, religion, etc.

Devices i.e., mobile, desktop, or tablet

Locations i.e. city, county or country

Schedules

Exclusions – blocking off anyone or group that does not fall within your target audience

Negatives – removing anything, such as keywords that are not relevant to your campaign objective

Additionally, if you really want to target the right people and make your message appeal to them, you need to first understand certain things about them. These include, trying to understand their pain points, their affinity, their desires, aspirations, intentions, fear, and motivation. Having insights about these will help you create a campaign that resonates with them.

Use ad groups and keywords

An ad group is a collection or one or more ads that share similar targets. Including ad groups into your campaigns will make it easier for you to choose relevant keywords in them. Additionally, you will need pieces of compelling ad copy to link back to the various ad groups. This helps you improve your quality score and get the best results from your campaigns.

Using the right keywords that people are actually searching for is fundamental to the success of your marketing campaign. Although there are other factors you need to consider, including the right keywords in your campaign increases your chances of appearing at the top of the search result page when people search for products, services or key phrases that are related to yours. That way, your ad will be able to attract the right people.

Types of Keywords

Broad match keywords: These are usually long-tail keywords used to capture customer’s attention when they conduct generalized searches. In some cases, this type of keywords can be similar to those used by your competitors.

Exact match keywords: Exact match keywords allow you to reach prospects that are searching for the specific keywords you are bidding for or their variants. Many exact match keywords have terms like “near me” in them. They are highly profitable and also competitive to rank for.

Phrase match keywords: Phrase match refers to a keyword matching option where keywords are targeted at a specific set of people. That is, Google will only match your ad against keywords that include a phrase you choose. For example, if you offer a tree care service, you might use phrase match keywords like “best tree care service” or “tree care service near me.” These keywords will likely yield great results when targeted at local customers.

Create compelling messages to draw your audience in

It is one thing for prospects to find your ad, but it is another thing entirely for them to click on it and take the action you desire. Getting web visitors to convert requires a combination of highly compelling ad copy and a powerful call-to-action (CTA).

When creating a marketing copy for your campaign, you want to ensure that your message is clear enough to your audience. Also try to include relevant keywords, trust signals and clear call-to-action.

Additionally, you want to ensure that your landing page and website are properly optimized to receive the visitors. Your landing page should be intuitive, easy to navigate and enhance overall user experience.

Track your progress and optimize your campaigns

Having a reliable way to track your ad success is very crucial to determining the effectiveness of your campaign. You can integrate call tracking in your ad campaign. This allows you to determine the number of people who called through your ad while the campaign lasts. Other tracking features you can incorporate include web form tracking and web chats. These tools let you keep track of how people are finding your business as well as their contacts.

Take action now and grow your business

You are putting money on the table for your competitors if you are yet to try Google ads. The platform offers you a fast, easy and affordable way to attract more quality leads to your websites and increase your revenue. Whether you are a small business owner or you own a medium sized business, adding Google ads to your marketing strategy will help you get the best results from your marketing efforts.

If you need additional help to implement a marketing strategy that works, you should work with a local SEO agency to help you review your current marketing strategies and optimize your performance and reach. Not sure if you should work with a local SEO agency? Check to see if any of the following points resonates with you:

Advertising on Google looks quite straightforward but at the same time, it is very easy to make mistakes and I wouldn’t want to do that.

Setting up and managing online advertising campaigns can be time consuming and requires effort. I don’t think I have the time as there are many more important aspects of my business to concentrate on.

Getting an affordable in-house digital marketer that understands the workings of Google advertising is hard.

If you find yourself nodding in agreement to any of the points above, then you should find a reliable agency you can trust with your business growth. Finding the right one may seem like a herculean task, but the efforts will be worth it in the end.