How to make Google Ads work for your small business.

Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to attract more customers and drive sales. By understanding how to effectively use this platform, you can maximise your advertising budget and see significant returns. Here’s how to get started and make the most of Google Ads for your small business.

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads is an online advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) and other Google properties. By bidding on keywords, your ads can appear when potential customers search for related terms.

Setting up your Google Ads campaign.

  1. Create a Google Ads Account: Visit the Google Ads website and sign up for an account. You’ll need a Google account to get started.
  2. Define your goals: Clearly outline what you want to achieve with your ads. Common goals include driving website traffic, increasing sales, or generating leads.
  3. Keyword research: Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords for your business. Focus on both short-tail and long-tail keywords to capture a broad and targeted audience.
  4. Create ad groups: Organise your keywords into ad groups based on themes or products. This helps in creating more relevant ads for each group, improving your Quality Score.
  5. Write compelling ad copy: Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and include a strong call to action. Highlight unique selling points and benefits to attract clicks.

Optimising your Google Ads.

  1. Bid strategically: Decide on a bidding strategy that aligns with your goals. Options include cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) and cost-per-acquisition (CPA).
  2. Use Ad extensions: Enhance your ads with ad extensions like sitelinks, callouts and location extensions. These can improve your ad’s visibility and click-through rate.
  3. Monitor and adjust: Regularly review your campaign performance and make adjustments as needed. Look at metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates and return on ad spend (ROAS).
  4. A/B Testing: Continuously test different versions of your ads to see what performs best. Experiment with headlines, descriptions and calls to action.

RELATED: 5 ways to make sure your display ads deliver.

Common pitfalls to avoid.

  • Ignoring negative keywords: Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches. Regularly update your negative keyword list to avoid wasting your budget.
  • Setting and forgetting: Google Ads requires ongoing management. Check your campaigns regularly to ensure they’re performing well and make necessary adjustments.
  • Poor landing pages: Ensure your landing pages are relevant to your ads and provide a good user experience. A well-optimised landing page can significantly improve your conversion rates.

Maximising your ROI.

  • Target specific locations: If your business serves a specific area, use location targeting to show your ads to people in that region. This ensures your budget is spent on potential local customers.
  • Use remarketing: Remarketing allows you to show ads to people who have previously visited your website. This can help bring back potential customers and increase conversions.
  • Track conversions: Set up conversion tracking to measure the success of your ads. This data is crucial for optimising your campaigns and understanding what works best.

Google Ads can be a game-changer for small businesses when used correctly. By following these steps and continuously optimising your campaigns, you can achieve your advertising goals and grow your business. Remember, successful Google Ads campaigns require ongoing effort and adjustment, so stay proactive and keep refining your strategy.

Additionally, the Google Display Network (GDN) allows businesses to display ads across a vast network of websites, apps and Google-owned properties like YouTube and Gmail. This extends your reach beyond search results and can help you target a broader audience.

Learn more about the Google Display Network and how to effectively use it to drive leads to your small business here.

Achieve more for your business with Digital Display ads from the experts at Yellow Pages.

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