Google Ads Explained
One of the best ways to increase website traffic is to employ online ads with Google. Diving into Google ads can quickly become overwhelming in trying to understand all of the different options and complexities with running a campaign. Here you will find a brief overview of different types of google ads and key concepts. This can not only help you decide what campaign might be best for your business. If you are using an outside ad specialist this can also help you understand more of what they are saying and understand their reports.
Google Ad Types Explained
Google ads come in two popular types: Search Ads which are textual ads that appear at the top of Google’s search results page (above normal search results) when someone searches for that keyword. Display Ads that can appear on many websites that partner with Google to show ads and are based on the users search history.
Search Ads
You can think of Search Ads like old fashioned Yellow Pages ads… Example: When you needed a plumber you looked on the plumbing page and saw plumbing ads. Similarly on Google when you search for a plumber by typing in “plumbing keywords” plumbers’ ads are at the top of the page.
Display Ads
You can think of Display Ads like billboards on the side of a highway… Example you drive to work everyday and see a billboard for “Joe the Plumber”, you do this day after day and subliminally Joe the Plumber is in your head. You don’t need a plumber every day and you might not need one that day, but when you do need one you are going to think of Joe.
On the internet, Joe’s ad appears on many sites and mobile apps. You see Joe’s ads all the time and he’ll be in your head when you need a plumber. The trick here is that Google knows when people are in the market for a plumber and they tell their partner sites to show plumber ads to those people.
These ads reach potential customers when they are most interested in your products and services. You pay for ads only when people click them. Additionally, you can set up a remarketing campaign to run ads that appear to “follow” website visitors around the internet after they have shown interest in your products and services, visited your website or landing page. These ads require a little more work to set up, but generally offer a greater return on investment.
Google Ad Terms and Key Concepts
Campaigns
Both Search and Display Ads are organized by Campaigns that are focused on certain geographic locations (e.g. miles around you or certain towns) and demographics (e.g. age, in-market preferences) Both types of ads are organized by themes into Ad Groups (e.g. a group of ads for commercial plumbing, vs a group for residential plumbing… They have different audiences and should have different messages).
Keywords
Keywords are specific words that relate to your business or ad that are similar or exact to what people will be using to find your services or products. Search Ads allow you to bid (set a maximum amount to pay for somebody to click your ad) on keywords (e.g. Joe would willingly pay $5 for a website visitor that searched for “plumber near me”).
Impressions
The bid amount factors into the number of impressions (the times your ad is shown) and the average position on Google search results page.
Click Through Rate
The ad quality (how relevant your ad is compared to your keywords and landing pages) factors into your click through rate, which is the ratio of impressions to clicks and is often abbreviated as CTR.
Becoming familiar with these terms and concepts will help you plan your advertising campaign better. If you are hiring an outside firm to handle your advertising it will help you understand better what they are doing. Google ads offer a tremendous opportunity to grow your business by getting in front of the right people who are looking exactly for what you do. Anyone can set up an account and start advertising on Google. However, it does require some trial and error to get your ads performing at their best and getting the most return on your investment. Hiring an expert firm like W3ON can save you time and money in the long run because they have the necessary experience to launch and maintain a successful campaign. Call today for your free consultation.