Our Google Adwords Tutorial for Beginners

We talk a lot about SEO and organic traffic on this blog because they’re tied up with having a healthy, profitable online presence. But if you want to give your organic tactics a boost asap, a surefire way to attract attention on the SERPs is through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. These ad results are keyword-based, labelled as ‘sponsored’ or ‘ad’, and appear alongside, above or below other results.

Google Ads have been around for almost two decades. That’s almost as long as Google has existed, which indicates how integral Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is to Google’s business model.

As the world’s pre-eminent search engine, Google’s tentacles reach far and wide. That might sound ominous, but it’s music to the ears of advertisers. Greater reach means greater visibility and more conversions. Google Ads is a silver bullet for small and local businesses. Consequently, it’s one of the best investments a company can make as part of a multifaceted marketing strategy.

But before you can get the impressive ROI, you need to set things up, and we’ve created a basic Google AdWords tutorial just for you.

A Google Adwords Tutorial Made Easy

How Do Google Ads Work:

Google Ads allow you to bid on certain keywords in order to rank for the related search query. So, instead of creating content or building backlinks for a specific keyword, you’re paying for direct traffic to your content. Therefore, the better your bid and quality score, the more likely Google with rank your ad higher than your competitor’s.

Your quality score is made up of your choice of keywords, your ad grouping, your landing page, and your ad’s condition overall. Google will take all of these aspects into consideration and see how well they are suited to the initial search query. Based on the query, Google will decide if your content is worthy enough to be featured.

How to Set Up Your Google Ads Account:

When given the chance to skip a few steps of your SEO strategy, we’re sure you’re ready to get started with your Google Ads account. Luckily, this is an easy task to accomplish.

For you to start making use of this handy platform, all you have to do is go to Google Adwords and click “start now”.

From there, you can start creating the foundation for your campaign.

How to Get Your First Campaign Started:

To ensure that you’re getting the best ROI on your ad campaign, you should consider formalising the groundwork first.

We recommend taking the time to establish the following points before launching your ads:

• Confirm your ad budget Your Google Ads’ success will largely depend on how much money you’re willing to put behind it. Google works on a cost per click basis where the average cost can range between $1 and $2 (USD). However, based on your keywords and ad requirements, It’s also possible to spend $50 per click. The good news is that as it’s a PPC structure, you’re only paying for the results and not for the ad space.
• Define your keyword An important aspect of your ad is your keyword focus. Put yourself into your audience’s shoes and think what exactly would they be searching for and how your ad can serve their query.
• Do your competitor research Keeping an eye on the competition will help you determine what’s working and what you want to stay clear of in the ad space. Tools such as SEMRush and AHRefs can give you insights into which keywords your competitors are trying to rank for and how successful their campaign is.
• Optimise your landing page Think of your ad as the bait and your landing page as the hook. Your audience is intrigued but your landing page is what will have to seal the deal.

Once you have all these steps under your belt, you can start crafting your successful Ads campaign. When you’re ready, all it takes is to follow these simple steps:

Step One: Set Up Your Audience Specifications

Just like a Facebook Ad, Google allows you to specify your potential audience. You can set this section up based on your business’ category or by specific products.

Step Two: Enter Your Ad’s Copy

At the end of the day, it’s your ad’s copy that will be making the most impact on your conversion rates. Keep it simple and efficient. Get your message out fast and don’t litter the ad with frivolous rhetoric. You have 150 words to make an impact and you should use each of these to your advantage.

Step Three: Add Your Budget

You can determine your budget based on Google’s recommendations or enter your own amount based on. The handy thing about Google Ads is that it will tell you the kind of results you can expect to see based on your budget. The more you spend, the more exposure your ad will get.

Step Four: Review Your Ad

Once you’re happy with your ad’s structure, all you have to do is set up your billing account and get started!

Step Five: Fix the Problems

Now that your ad has been confirmed, you will be taken to your dashboard. Here you will be able to define your keyword and ensure that your ad is fully optimised. Just make sure to pause your campaign before it starts tracking results for the wrong keyword.

Step Six: Constantly Monitor Your Results

When your ad goes live, make an effort to come back to your dashboard and monitor the amount of traffic it’s getting. If your ad isn’t performing, you may need to adjust your budget, audience settings or filter through your keywords.

How to Track Your Campaign’s Success:

Even though Google will provide you with some basic statistics, how will you know if your ad is working properly?

Conversion tracking is essential to monitoring your ad. Google will develop a code snippet to embed on your ad’s landing page. After a user has completed a purchase, it will let Google Ads know about the action that was taken after clicking on your ad.

If you’re a lead-based company, you make use of third-party apps. Adding the Adwords Call Extension or Call Rail will help you track your ad’s lead conversions.