Keywords provide the foundation for SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
Without optimized content, it will be difficult for search engines to find and index your blogs, articles, videos, and images.
However, optimization is not just about using keywords.
It’s about using the right keywords that generate successful results. You will need to do research and Google Adwords is one of the best tools for finding the right keywords and making sure your ad campaign works for you.
- How Does Google Adwords Work?
Google Adworks gives its users two networks from where they can run their ads to target prospective end users.
The first option is called the search network. This is more popularly referred to in digital marketing as PPC or Pay- Per- Click advertising. In PPC, you “bid” on keywords that are relevant for your business or industry.
Why bid instead of just buying the keywords outright?
Think of Google Adwords as an auction for keywords. Not everyone has a big budget for the ranking keywords. The bidding system allows those with limited budgets to still benefit by finding and using the right keywords for their content.
As the term implies, you only pay Google when someone clicks on your paid ad. This makes PPC a more efficient form of advertising. PPC targets your audience. It places your ad on the results page where the search query matches your keywords.
For example, if you bid for “best grilled burgers”, your ad will appear on the results page that features URLs for the best grilled hamburgers.
PPC ensures you of getting better ROI than just placing an ad in a location where majority of consumers may not be interested in what your business is offering. Your ad for best grilled burger will not appear on a search results page for “best vegan food”.
The second option for you to consider with Google Adwords is the Display Network. With this option, you can run banner advertisements on websites that are part of Google’s Display Network.
How effective is the Display Network? According to Google’s own data, banner ads that run on its Display Network reach 90% of its global audience.
- Google Adwords 101: Let’s Get Started!
Hopefully, by now, you’ve realized how important Google Adwords is to grow your business. Put simply, it is an efficient way to manage your budget so you can effectively market and promote your business online.
If you’re planning to start a Google Adwords campaign, we’ve created an outline on how to go about using this wonderful online keywords tool.
- Set Up Your Google Adwords Account
This is essentially a two-step process. The first step is easy. You have to open a Google Adwords account. You can use your existing Gmail account or create another one specifically for Google Adwords.
It only takes a few minutes to open an account. Just fill in the details such as location, time zone, and mode of payment.
The second step requires more thought, effort, and strategy. Once you have set up your Google Adwords account, you have to structure it to meet your goals and objectives. Structuring your account leads to better planning especially if you have multiple campaigns lined up.
- Set Your Goals
What do you hope to accomplish with your Google Adwords campaign? Like all ventures, goal setting is an effective way to ensure results. Goals set the wheels of your campaign in motion and are the key components to structuring your Google Adwords account.
An online campaign can have different goals:
- Increase website traffic
- Enhance industry reputation
- Improve sales conversion
- Promote new products and services
- Generate more leads
You can use these goals as the bases for organizing or planning your Google Adwords campaign.
For example, you can start out by enhancing your reputation in the industry while pushing your products and services.
From there, you can put more focus on driving more traffic to your website whereby you can qualify and generate more leads. Finally, you can plan a campaign that can improve conversion of these leads into paying customers.
- Create a Buyer’s Profile
When promoting your products or services, you have to know who will be using them.
The “who” is your buyer. Consumers are different. Each one will have their own tastes and preferences.
Creating a buyer’s profile will help you identify whom to target your content to.
- Perform Keywords Research
By now, you should have all the key components in place: your Google Keywords account, its goals and corresponding structure, and a buyer’s profile.
It’s time to shift your focus on the cornerstone of content optimization: Keywords.
As we mentioned, it’s not just about using keywords. You have to use the right keywords for your content. This means you have to perform keywords research.
Keywords are the words that Internet users type into the search box when doing a query.
If you haven’t done keywords research before, don’t worry. Google Adwords has a neat keyword research tool called Keyword Planner.
All you need to do is set the parameters of your search; target region and language, then input the keywords you are targeting.
Within a few seconds, Keyword Planner will open up a results page with a summary of keywords complete with data on monthly search. This will give you an idea of which keywords or variation thereof, generates the highest monthly searches.
- Create Great Content
Once you’ve identified the best keywords, it’s time to get to the meat and potatoes of your campaign: creating great content.
Not just great content; but one that will compel the reader to initiate your desired course of action.
When it comes to creating content for your PPC ad, it must be persuasive. This presents different challenges compared to writing a blog or an article for your website or social media. In the first place, you have limited words to work with. With PPC ad content, you have to make every word count.
If you don’t have experience writing ad content, Google Adwords has text-based ad formats you can use. Of course, eventually, you’ll have to customize your own PPC ad to get the message across more effectively.
- Monitor the Performance of Your Campaign
When you are advertising on the Internet, your campaign must be allowed to evolve and adapt to changes. As the saying goes, “Even the best laid plans go awry.”
The unpredictability of market conditions means there is no such thing as a perfect campaign strategy.
This is why you should constantly monitor the performance of your Google Adwords campaign by utilizing built-in analytics tools.
Analytics will help you identify potential pain points, weaknesses, and flaws in your campaign. It will show you which ads are generating good ROI for your campaign and which ones are not. You will be able to assess and make adjustments to your choice of keywords as well as corresponding changes to your budget.
Conclusion
If you want your business to grow, you should advertise. How else will people know about your products and services?
The challenge with advertising is that you don’t know whether your content will be seen by prospective end users. Imagine your ad for your hamburger restaurant being seen mostly by vegans. Surely, it will not result in the expected outcome.
Google Adwords gives you the platform to place your ads directly in front of people who will patronize your business.
Millions of businesses have greatly benefited by using Google Adwords to promote their products and services. That is the reason why it is the largest and most popular online advertising platform in the world.
Using Google Adwords will put your business on the fast-track to long- term growth and sustainable success.