This is the first of our 7 part series on how to get started and become successful with Google Ads. It contains everything you need to know about using Google Ads for your business.
We will show you the different types of Google Ads campaigns and provide detailed instructions on how to set them up so that you can create, manage, and optimise your campaigns. In this part we will show you why focusing on Google Ads will benefit you. Let’s get started!
Why You Should Focus On Google Ads
Google created one of the most revolutionary advertising platforms around with Google Ads. Here are some facts that attest to just how effective the platform is.
- Google Advertising revenue has shown a steady increase YOY, going from $95.6 billion in 2017, to $116.4 billion in 2018, reaching $134.1 billion in fiscal year 2019 (Alphabet Inc., 2020).
- “Google has dominated the search engine market, maintaining an 86.02 percent market share as of April 2020. ” The next competitor is Bing, which holds a 6.25 percent market share as of April 2020. (Statista, 2020).
- “In the second quarter of 2020, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 51.53 percent of global website traffic, consistently hovering around the 50 percent mark since the beginning of 2017” (Statista, 2020).
- “It is estimated Google processes approximately 70,000 search queries every second, translating to 5.8 billion searches per day and approximately 2 trillion global searches per year. The average person conducts between three and four searches each day” (HubSpot, 2019).
Every second of every day, over 4,000 people use Google to get answers to their questions and find the products and services they need. Whether they are looking for a new pair of shoes, the nearest dry cleaner, or any type of product or service, Google will help them find it.
These impressive numbers certainly get the attention of online merchants and sellers. It gives them a clear idea of the vast revenue potential brought by Google Ads.
That said, Google Ads is the tool to ensure they find YOU in order to fulfill their needs. You must be visible on Google so that people can easily find you. We will help you achieve exactly this. You will become highly visible to your target market.
Mastering Google Ads Can Be Challenging
This series is for you if mastering Google Ads feels like an impossible task at times. You might be all set to get started, but whenever you want to set up your first campaign you just feel stuck.
Sometimes it feels like you are doing everything right, but the results are simply not there. Maybe you are already an online marketing expert, but once you open the Google Ads page it’s as if it’s speaking a different language! Or maybe you want to achieve a competitive advantage, either in terms of your personal skillset or for your business. This series will help you with all of this, as well as prepare you for Google Ads Certification.
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Unique Features
While we will cover a lot of theory, we want to highlight the need to practice. After all, this is the only way to truly master Google Ads. These practice segments contain guides and tips from both the author and other Google experts. You will learn how to work with the Google Ads interface and get your campaigns all set up. You will gain a competitive advantage in the use of Google Ads.
Start With A Solid Foundation
Google Ads are powerful tools, but they do not promise miracles. Their main function is to make your products and services easily visible to your target clients. Your success ultimately depends on your product or service.
As a business owner, you should define your main product offering, determine the message you want to send out, and identify your target audience. You also have to know what makes your offer unique. You should be able to answer the following questions:
- What makes you stand out?
- How do you want to be seen by your customers?
- Is the image you want to build reflected in your online presence?
It is important to be extremely clear on how you would like to be seen by your customers before working on your online presence. Consistency is key. If you are consistent throughout all your online communication, this will provide clarity to people and will in turn attract more of the right customers.
Take some time to reflect on your online image. Even if you already have a fairly good grasp of it, it’s always good to check in and see whether it is still up to date with the message you want to send out.
The image you want to portray will determine what language you will use on your website, in your emails, and your social media platforms. Of course, it’s the same language that is used in your Ads.
Set Your Google Ads Goals
Why are you here? Why do you need Google Ads? What do you want to accomplish? If you haven’t thought about it seriously, this is the time for you to do so.
If you think you know your goals already, then take this time to write them down. Be very specific.
The following are the most common goals of those who want to learn about Google Ads:
- Increase sales.
- Build brand awareness.
- Target new customers.
- Launch new products.
- Obtain Google certification.
Specify Your Goals To Achieve Them
The more specific your goals and objectives are, the easier it will be to achieve them. If you have more than one goal, then pace yourself. Pick one to start with or prioritise. You can always build new campaigns to achieve the others. Setting up goals creates a clear sense of purpose and direction.
Answer the questions below to more clearly define your goals and objectives, as well as your marketing message and target audience.
The more specific you are when answering these questions, the more clarity you will gain.
- Why are you reading this series/post?
- Why do you need Google Ads for your business?
- What are the 3 main results or outcomes you hope to achieve with Google Ads?
- Can you briefly describe the business (in 2 or 3 lines) for which you’ll be setting up the campaigns?
- Who is your target audience?
- Are they male or female?
- What’s their age range?
- Are they businesses or individuals?
- Where are they located?
- What is the main problem you are solving for them?
- Can you provide a brief description of your main product offering?
- What is the main message you want to send about your business?
What's Next?
As we have shown you Google Ads is a mighty tool. In order to not get lost you should be clear in your goals to stay on track. Once you’ve done that we can start diving into setting up your account and the lingo of it. So we speak the same language. We will do that in part 2.