A solid strategy, hard work and consistency are three keys to winning the digital marketing long game. However, one question we get all the time during the sales process is, “How can I make sure we show up on Google when someone searches for *insert keyword here*?”
The long answer has to do with making sure your website is optimized for search engines, and that you are consistently creating relevant content around those keywords over a long period of time.
Most people, however, aren’t so patient. By the time they call us, their competitor is already showing up, and they feel like they are missing out on some valuable business due to their lack of real estate in google search results. Fear not, there is an answer to shortcutting the long game of organic search. However, it comes with a price. Literally.
The quickest way to gain google search visibility is to establish a Google ad spend budget and a list of keywords.
What are Google Ads?
Google ads, (the artist formerly known as Google AdWords) allow companies to bid on certain keywords for a certain cost per click. These cost per clicks can vary based on industry. For example, if you’re in niche manufacturing, chances are your cost per click will be well under $5 per click. On the flip side, if you’re selling cars trying to get people to use your credit card, or a hotel trying to capture the interest of a potential traveler, the cost per click is much higher.
How do Google Ads Work?
Like any other digital marketing tactic, your success is only as good as your strategy. Ideally, Google Ads will be just a part of your overall strategy. Anything you need to know from a content marketing perspective also applies to a paid search strategy. Here are a few things you absolutely must know before spending any money on advertising:
- Buyer personas (who your best buyer is)
- Buyer’s journey (how your buyer persona makes a decision)
- Who your competitors are and whether or not they are running any paid search campaigns
- The economics of a customer (Is it worth the price?)
You should know your buyer persona regardless of whether you’re running a paid search campaign or not. The more you know about the buyer, the better opportunity you have to market toward them, their interests, etc.
In general, marketing is all about being there when your best customer has a problem, or realizes they have an opportunity. As you learn more about your buyer, and more importantly, their buyer’s journey, you can position your company at each stage of the funnel.
What happens when someone clicks on my ad?
The ad copy and its destination links are just as important as the rest of the strategy. You can have a great list of keywords, but if your ad copy is subpar then it will have a low click through rate. Furthermore, you can have a strong list of keywords and great ad copy, but if the searcher doesn’t find what they are looking for when they click through to a landing page they will bounce.
Your ad copy should be relevant, catchy and have a call to action. This will increase the likelihood of someone clicking on your ad. There are certain restrictions to follow based on the type of ad. If it’s a typical text based ad, you are limited to a few 30 character headlines and an 85 character limit on the description. Similar to this ad below:
You have a bit more leeway with a display ad. Google display ads are image-based ads and will appear based on a searcher’s activity on the internet and their interests. For example, if you want to show a display ad to anyone who has viewed a certain page on your site, you can do so in the display network. For example, I’ve been looking into switching my car insurance to a different company and this display ad showed up when I was reading an article on The New York Times website:
Ready to setup a Google Ads account?
Setting up the actual account is fairly simple. It’s as easy as entering in your credit card information and the link to a page on your website. However, if this is something you are seriously considering, it’s best to do some homework and put together a strategy so you know where your budget is going.
Once you do this it’s important to let it run for a bit before jumping to any conclusions. After a month or so you can see which keywords are generating the most clicks and which campaigns have the highest click-through rates. It’s hardly a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Google Ads gives you plenty of insights to guide your efforts, and it’s important to take advantage of that information and act on what’s working.
Overwhelmed?
There are plenty of digital marketing tactics, and if digital marketing isn’t your forte, it can become overwhelming. ProFromGo manages dozens of paid advertising strategies from industries all across the board. If you think paid search is a good fit for you and your business, but just don’t have the time or the interest to do it yourself, give us a call. We’re always happy to help.
P.S. if you’re struggling with knowing the economics of your customer base, check out our new calculator. This would be a great place to start when exploring a paid search strategy.
