Discover What is Google Ads AdWords: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Advertising Potential

Discover What is Google Ads AdWords: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Advertising Potential

Introduction to Google Ads AdWords

Google Ads AdWords is a powerful online advertising platform developed by Google, designed to help businesses reach their target audience and drive relevant traffic to their websites. It allows advertisers to create and manage ads that appear on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) as well as on other Google properties.

Understanding Google Ads AdWords

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads, previously known as Google AdWords, is an online advertising platform where advertisers bid for ad placement. It offers various formats including text search engine ads, video ads, banners, YouTube ads, and more. These ads appear on Google search results and millions of partner websites.

As the largest digital ad publisher in the United States, Google Ads accounts for 28.4% of all ad revenue.

What is Google AdWords?

Google AdWords, now called Google Ads, is Google’s advertising service where advertisers pay to display ads in various forms. Unlike most PPC platforms like Facebook and other social media apps, AdWords offers two main options: the Google Search Network and the Google Display Network.

Despite their similar names, these options serve different functions. They both use a PPC bidding system, requiring advertisers to bid to have their ads shown to their target audiences.

How does Google AdWords work?

To use Google Ads, businesses start by defining the goals of their campaign and choosing the appropriate network:

Search Campaigns:

Location: Throughout Google Search results

Ideal for: Promoting webpages relevant to specific keywords

Cost per lead: $$$

Key features:

• Cost-effective
• Text-based
• Highly targeted using real-time search queries, ensuring your ads are shown when people are actively searching for related content.

What are search ads?

These text-based ads resemble standard link listings in the SERP, complete with elements like website name, favicon, page title tag, and meta description. In the image above, several sponsored results for “photo editing software” (including informational and product pages) show up before the top-ranking organic link.

Display Campaigns:

 

Location: Millions of webpages, apps, and Google properties in the Display network

Ideal for: Creating awareness in new markets through various content formats

Cost per lead: $$

Key features:

• Visual focus
• Reaches over 35 million apps, websites, and Google properties
• Tracks user behavior across advertising platforms

What are Display ads?

 

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched, especially when ads for something you searched yesterday keep popping up? Well, you’re not imagining it. Display ads work exactly like that, showing users visual advertisements across various devices and platforms.

These ads run on the expansive Display network, which covers tens of millions of apps and websites, including Google properties like Gmail and YouTube. They can appear as banner ads, like the T-Mobile ad on the top of the Forbes page, or be stacked along the side or within the content of any webpage, app, or interface in the network.

In the top-right corner of these ads, users can click on the ad choices icon to close the ad, provide feedback, or see why the ad was chosen (see the ad block to the right of the article headline). Google selects ads based on the web page’s topic, the user’s browsing history, and how their activities align with the advertiser’s market categories.

Because Display ads are integrated into the content users are trying to view (which can be annoying), they often have low click-through rates but high conversion value. However, click performance isn’t the only measure of success with Display ads. Like digital billboards on a virtual highway, these images increase brand awareness even if they don’t result in clicks.

 

Video Campaigns:

 

Location: Videos on YouTube before, during, and after; in YouTube search feeds; on the YouTube home feed; and across the Google video partners network.

Ideal for: Promoting video content or reaching highly engaged users through dynamic video ads.

Cost per lead: $

Key features:

• Promote products via video or existing videos.
• Available in various formats that play before, during, and after YouTube videos.
• Can also be displayed on third-party apps, games, and websites.

What are Video ads?

As you may have already guessed, video ads are hosted on YouTube and primarily play there, but where they appear on YouTube can vary significantly. Video ads come in six formats:

Skippable in-stream ads: These ads appear before, during, or after videos and can be skipped by users. They can be of any length and play until the end or until the user chooses to skip.

Non-skippable in-stream ads: These ads last up to 20 seconds and cannot be skipped by the user.

In-feed ads: This option is for advertisers who want to promote a video by featuring it on YouTube’s homepage, among other organic search results, or in the video feed beneath actively playing YouTube videos.

Bumper ads: Similar to non-skippable in-stream ads, bumper ads play for just six seconds at the start of a video.

Outstream ads: These are promoted videos that play only on the Google video partners network, with no maximum length, similar to display ads.

Masthead ads: These are the top-tier video ads that play at the top of the YouTube home feed.

Like Google’s text-based ads, video ads can also be featured on sites beyond Google properties through its video partners network. These apps, games, and websites have been carefully screened for factors like video quality, available ad management platforms, and monetization practices. Since this third-party network is for video ads only, it applies to every content format except for in-feed and masthead ads.

 

Shopping Campaigns:

 

Unlike Search ads, which advertisers create from scratch with original copy, Shopping ads pull data from product feeds in the Google Merchant Center. Sellers with physical inventory can use these auto-populated ads to convert sales on:

Google SERP: Similar to Search ads, Shopping ads can appear on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when users search for keywords related to advertised products. They can also appear as users scroll through search results or in a set of six images along the right margin of the page, along with a link to the related Google Shopping page.

Google Shopping: Sponsored Shopping ads appear in a carousel at the top of the page, giving them added visibility.

Google Images: Shopping ad carousels also appear at the top of results for Image searches related to product keywords.

Google Maps: Local Inventory Ads show up at the top of listings for related keywords entered into Google Maps searches.

Search Partner Websites: Shopping ads show up in search results and directories for hundreds of search partner websites, which Google doesn’t explicitly name.

Since Shopping ads are generated from up-to-date product data in the Merchant Center, they include basic information rather than creative copy. Each ad displays elements such as price, sale notices, price cuts, user ratings, brand name, and product name. Unlike Search ads, Shopping ads also include an image, as seen in the example of the “eco-friendly mattress” query provided above.

 

Discovery Campaigns:

Location: Google Discover feed, YouTube homepage and Watch Next feeds, and Gmail Promotion and Social tabs

Ideal for: Targeting users ready to make a purchase with visually-oriented automated ads

Cost per lead: $

Key features:

• Utilizes AI and machine learning to automatically customize ads across various platforms
• Appears on Discover, YouTube, and Gmail
• Includes multiple images

What are Discovery ads?

Users of both Android and Apple devices who frequently use the Google app will be familiar with the Discover feed, where Discovery ads are displayed.

Discovery ads employ scalable, intent-targeted machine learning. By analyzing customer intent signals, AI, and your predetermined bidding and conversion goals, Google automatically tailors Discovery ads to end-users.

Advertisers can include multiple images, headlines, descriptive copy, a logo, and a business name. Google then uses these elements to create iterations of the ad across different advertising platforms. Discovery ads are visible on Discover feeds, YouTube’s homepage and Watch Next feed, and Gmail’s Promotions and Social tabs. As users in these spaces are already engaged in browsing, they have a higher conversion potential, being naturally closer to making a purchase decision.

 

App Campaigns:

 

Location: Play Store search results, Play Store suggestions, Google SERP, YouTube feeds, Google Discover, and throughout the Google search partner network.

Best for: Promoting an existing app or an upcoming app (Android only)

Cost per lead: $$$

Key features:

• Targets new users and current users
• Displays across various advertising surfaces
• Campaigns aim for installs, engagement, or pre-registration (Android only)

What are App ads?

If you’re selling or promoting an app, these ads work similar to Shopping ads. Instead of designing ads from scratch, Google has you enter basic text, set language preferences, and designate a budget. Google then uses data from your app’s Play Store listing to automatically test layout combinations and display the best ones for relevant keywords.

App ad campaigns come in three goal-based varieties:

1. App installs: These ads encourage users to install an existing app they haven’t yet installed.
2. App engagement: Advertisers can target users who have already downloaded their app, prompting them to take specific actions within the app.
3. App pre-registration: For upcoming games and highly anticipated apps, advertisers can target Android users during the pre-launch phase, encouraging them to pre-register on the Play Store.

Key Components of Google Ads AdWords

Keywords

You’re likely aware that keywords play a crucial role in on-page SEO and are equally vital for your Google AdWords campaign. When someone searches on Google for products or services, Google presents a series of results matching their search intent. To improve your website’s ranking on the results page, you must conduct research and strategically select the best keywords for your advertising campaign.

Ad Rank and quality

Another crucial term to understand is Ad Rank, which significantly impacts your ad placement. The higher your ad’s value, the better your ranking will be. Higher ranking means more visibility for your ad, boosting lead generation.

Moreover, a high Ad Rank dramatically increases the likelihood of someone clicking on your ad. Ad Rank is ultimately determined by your quality score multiplied by your maximum bid, so it’s vital to monitor these metrics closely to maximize the results of your Google AdWords campaign.

Quality Score

Ad Extensions

Ad extensions enhance ads by providing extra information to users, increasing engagement. Site links are additional links to specific pages on a website, like categories or products.

For example, a shoe retailer might link to men’s shoes or accessories.

• Callouts highlight key selling points or offers, such as free Wi-Fi at a hotel.
• Location extensions show the address, phone number, and map marker, useful for local businesses.
• Call extensions allow users to call directly from the ad, while structured snippets highlight specific aspects of products or services.

Overall, ad extensions improve visibility and click-through rates by offering more relevant information to users.

Benefits of Using Google Ads AdWords

Increased Visibility

Google Ads AdWords allows businesses to reach a wide audience of potential customers who are actively searching for products or services related to their business. This increased visibility can lead to more website traffic and potential sales.

Targeted Advertising

With Google AdWords, advertisers can target their ads to specific demographics, locations, languages, and devices. This targeted approach ensures that ads are shown to the most relevant audience, increasing the chances of conversion.

Cost-Effective

Google AdWords operates on a pay-per-click model, meaning advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ads. This makes it a cost-effective advertising solution, as advertisers can set their budgets and control their spending.

Measurable Results

Google AdWords provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow advertisers to track the performance of their ads in real-time. This includes metrics such as clicks, impressions, click-through rates, and conversions, enabling advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Getting Started with Google Ads AdWords

Creating an Account

You can create your Google Ads account by visiting: https://ads.google.com/home/

They offer a guided setup where you’ll provide details like your email address, website for your ads, country, time zone, and currency.

Next, you’ll need a website or landing pages, keywords, and ad copy to start. It’s important to research and organize keywords into groups to build your ad campaign. Later in this tutorial, we’ll cover intermediate to advanced keyword strategies and long tail keywords. If you have the budget, consider utilizing Google’s support by visiting https://support.google.com/ for various options based on your account setup progress.

Setting up is generally straightforward, but there are some options and extensions for your ads that require more consideration. We’ll guide you through those in the “Advanced” section on this page.

Tip: If your budget allows, make use of Google’s support. They offer different options based on your account’s stage: https://support.google.com/

Setting Up Campaigns

Setting up your campaign involves five straightforward steps:

1. Add your business info: Begin by providing basic information about your business, such as its name, website, and contact details. This ensures that your ads are associated with the correct business.
2. Select your campaign goal: Choose the primary objective of your campaign, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or driving sales. This step helps tailor your campaign to achieve specific outcomes.
3. Create your ad: Develop compelling ads that resonate with your audience. This includes writing engaging ad copy, selecting relevant images or videos, and adding compelling calls to action.
4. Choose your audience and budget: Define the audience you want to target with your ads. This can include factors like demographics, interests, and online behavior. Additionally, set your budget for the campaign, determining how much you’re willing to spend each day or over the entire campaign period.
5. Finalize and launch your campaign: Review all the details of your campaign to ensure everything is set up correctly. Once you’re satisfied, launch your campaign to start reaching your target audience with your ads.

Keyword Research

Keywords are the terms or phrases users type into Google’s search box when conducting a search. Google allows you to select about 15-20 keywords that might trigger your ad to appear on the search engine results page (SERP). Don’t worry, you can always add more keywords later.

It’s better to select a few keywords that you’re confident will yield results rather than picking 20 that are only somewhat relevant. Additionally, pay attention to the search volumes of the keywords you choose. While it might be tempting to select a keyword with a search volume of 450,000, it might not be the wisest choice.

As mentioned earlier, Google Ads operates on a bidding system. Keywords with high search volumes tend to be very expensive to bid on. Opting for more keywords or selecting keywords with high search volume could result in high costs.

Keep your expenses in check by choosing a few relevant keywords with moderate search volumes.

Types of Keywords and Determining the Right “Keyword Match”

There are four types of keyword matches that determine how you want your ad to display.

Broad Match: This is the default setting on Google Ads. Broad match allows your ad to appear for searches on similar phrases, relevant variations, synonyms, singular and plural forms, and possible misspellings. While a broad match reaches a wide audience, it may also display your ad in irrelevant search results. For example, if you target “fine dining restaurants in Manchester” with a broad match, your ad might also show for searches like “pizza in Manchester”.

Phrase Match: Phrase match provides more control. Your ad will only display search terms that are in the same order as your chosen keyword. For example, if you choose “fine dining Manchester”, your ad won’t show “Manchester fine dining”. To specify phrase match, enclose your keywords in quotations.

Exact Match: This ensures your ad only appears when someone searches with a term identical to your chosen keywords. For instance, if your keyword is “fine dining Manchester” in exact match, your ad won’t even appear for search terms like “best fine dining restaurants in Manchester”. To specify exact match, use brackets around your keywords.

Example: [fine dining Manchester]

Tip: Using exact match can be a safe and slower way to scale your campaigns when just starting out.

Negative Keywords: Negative keywords prevent your ad from showing to irrelevant audiences. This feature comes in handy if your product/service shares keywords with something unrelated.

With these keyword match types, you can better control when and where your ads appear, ensuring they reach the right audience.

Writing Compelling Ads

Crafting your ad is arguably the most crucial part of this process. We strongly recommend giving it serious thought and making it highly compelling. Your message should clearly convey your offer in a way that convinces users to click on your ad and visit your website. Here are some tips to help you get started:

 

Copywriting Best Practices:

• Keep it short: There’s limited space for text, so keep your message concise.
• The headline is crucial: It’s the first thing users see, so make sure it grabs their attention and convinces them to click.
• Have a clear call to action: Let users know what you want them to do.

Anatomy of an Ad:

• Headlines: Google Ads allows for up to two headlines, each with 30 characters. Use this space wisely, and consider including at least one of your keywords.
• Description: The description space is 80 characters. Use it to convey your message clearly. Include any offers or discounts to encourage clicks. Also, triple-check for spelling and grammatical errors.

Optimizing Google Ads AdWords Campaigns

Monitoring Performance

Regularly monitoring the performance of Google Ads AdWords campaigns is essential for identifying areas of improvement. Advertisers should track metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI).

Adjusting Bids

Adjusting bids in Google Ads is a step-by-step process:

Review Performance: Start by reviewing the performance of your ads, focusing on metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and ad position. This helps you understand how well your ads are performing and whether adjustments are needed.

Analyze Competitors: Analyze your competitors’ strategies to see how your bids compare. If your ads are consistently appearing below competitors or not generating enough clicks, it may be time to adjust your bids.

Increase Bids if Necessary: If you find that your ads are underperforming compared to competitors or not meeting your goals, consider increasing your bids. This can improve your ad positioning and increase visibility.

Avoid Overbidding: While increasing bids can be beneficial, be cautious of overbidding. Overbidding can lead to unnecessarily high costs without a proportional increase in results.

Improve Quality Score: Work on improving the quality of your ads and landing pages. Higher quality scores can lead to lower costs-per-click (CPC) and better ad positioning without needing to increase bids.

Consider Seasonality and Trends: Take into account seasonal fluctuations and trends in your industry. During peak seasons or high-demand periods, increasing bids may be necessary to maintain visibility. Conversely, during slower periods, lowering bids can help optimize the budget.

Utilize Bid Adjustments: Leverage bid adjustments based on factors like device, location, time of day, and audience demographics. Adjusting bids for specific segments can help target ads more effectively.

Monitor and Iterate: Continuously monitor the performance of your ads after adjusting bids. If necessary, make further adjustments based on new data and changes in the advertising landscape.

By following these steps, advertisers can effectively adjust their bids to maintain competitiveness and optimize ROI in Google Ads campaigns.

Improving Quality Score

When you use keyword tools to estimate the CPC of a search term, the costs provided are just estimates. The actual amount paid can vary from one advertiser to another, depending on factors like ad position and landing page relevance.

Google assigns a Quality Score to your ads to determine your CPC, regardless of your bid amount.

Your Quality Score, ranging from 1 to 10, is determined by ad relevance, landing page experience, and expected click-through rate (CTR).

Improving any of these factors can boost your Quality Score and reduce overall ad costs. You gain more control over ad relevance and landing page experience.

Enhance ad relevance by using targeted, helpful ad copy for specific ad groups. Ensure your landing page reflects the ad’s description and provides clear direction on finding what the visitor searched for.

Experimenting with Ad Copy

Experimenting with ad copy is crucial for optimizing Google Ads campaigns. Advertisers create different versions of ads, varying headlines, descriptions, and calls to action to find the most effective ones.

They use A/B testing or multivariate testing to measure performance, comparing metrics like click-through rates and conversions. This helps them identify which ad variations work best, allowing them to refine campaigns for maximum effectiveness and return on investment.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Negative Keywords

Neglecting to use negative keywords can result in wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks. Advertisers should regularly review search terms reports and add negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches.

Not Testing Ad Variations

Failing to test different ad variations can limit the performance of Google Ads AdWords campaigns. Advertisers should continually test and optimize ad copy to improve click