For business owners wanting to reach the best potential new customers on Google.com, Google Ads platform is the easiest way to get started. Formerly Google Adwords, the Google Ads platform allows you to show your ads on Google.com for only the keywords you choose. This way you get in front of your target audience while they are actively looking to buy your product or service.

Here are tips for getting started with Google Search ads to make sure you get the most profit for your budget and stay on track with your advertising.

1. Choose a goal: calls, leads, online sales

If you want to be successful with Google Search Ads, there are a few fundamentals you must perform first. In the first place, you must decide what you want to achieve. Precisely what are you hoping to accomplish with these advertisements? Do you wish to increase your number of phone calls, leads, or purchases? Whatever you do, make sure it’s ROI-driven. Setting up Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager or the Google Ads Pixel is an easier way to track these goals.

2. Pick specific keywords

Second, you should compile a set of pertinent keywords. To increase your business’s site visits and potential customers, use targeted search terms. Be as detailed as possible when selecting keywords for your Google Search Ads. This method can increase the likelihood of successfully communicating with your intended audience. Typically, you can start with exactly what someone would search to find you, using phrase match or exact match. For example “AC Repair Services in Houston”. It’s very specific, and straight to the point if you are an AC repair service in Houston.

Also remember to add negative keywords. This is useful if you want to reduce the number of clicks you receive from those who aren’t genuinely interested in what you’re selling or searched something irrelevant.

3. Research competitors

As a marketer, you should know how your competitors use Google Search Ads for market research. Once you have this knowledge, you’ll be able to make better choices regarding your Google Search Ads campaigns.

The first step is to check if your top competitors’ websites covers are using Google Search Ads. Note the following if this is the case:

What search terms are they aiming for?

What are they saying in their ads?

What destination URLs do their advertising lead to?

You may learn much about what works and doesn’t by analysing your competitors’ Google Search Ads campaigns in the research space. This data can be used to enhance your own Google Search Ads campaigns and stay ahead of your competition.

4. Match your ad to your keyword

Having a well-matched ad and keywords in Google Search Ads is crucial. You may rest assured that people looking for what you’re selling will come across your ad if you do this. You can target your ad to specific keywords in a few different ways.

Including the term in both the headline and the body of the ad is one simple technique. In this way, you can increase the likelihood that your ad will be displayed to interested customers, and clicked and turn into a sale. Also, If more potential customers view your ad, you’ll have a better chance of making a sale.

Finally, Google Search Ads allow you to make use of negative keywords. This will enable you to avoid associating your ad with terms you prefer not to show for. This is a valuable strategy for limiting the exposure of your ad to people most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Following these guidelines will increase the likelihood of your Google Search Ads being displayed to individuals ready to buy.

5. Match your landing page to your ad

Most companies advertise on Google to compete. Google is the most popular search engine, and people use it to get information, find services, or find products.

Your landing page must match your Google Search Ad for maximum performance. This might seem insignificant, but it is actually very important and often overlooked. If your ad and landing page disagree, people are less inclined to click on them or buy from you.

Use your ad’s keywords on your landing page, and make it clear what your company offers on 1 simple landing page with a clear call to action. You want site visitors to find what they need readily. This avoids confusion of going to an unrelated page after clicking the ad. Often times, this means sending them to a specific page, not the homepage. 

Bonus Tip: Plan a Monthly Budget

For small businesses, local or online, you can test a very small budget of $300 – $500 per month with some results. However, depending on your industry, cost per click can be very high, meaning you will need a larger test budget. Typically you should set aside $1,000 per month as a test budget to run for 3 months or so on Google Ads. This varies depending on a lot of factors, but for beginners, this is a rough estimate of a good starting budget for Google Search ads.

It’s all about sticking to the basics. With these easy foundations to better Google Search ads, you can have much better performing PPC ads campaigns, and higher profits!