How to Advertise on Google & Grow Your Business
What is Google?
Google is a multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products. These include search engines, online advertising technologies, cloud computing, and software development. The company was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University in California. Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
How advertising on Google works
Advertising on Google works through the company's advertising platforms, such as Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) and Google AdSense.
With Google Ads, businesses can create and place ads on Google search results pages, as well as on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. These ads can be targeted to specific keywords and demographics, and businesses are only charged when a user clicks on their ad.
Google AdSense is a program that allows website owners to place ads on their site and earn money by displaying ads from Google's advertising network. When a user clicks on an ad, the website owner earns a small amount of revenue.
Both these platforms use an auction-based system where an advertiser bids on keywords that they want their ads to appear for when a user searches for those keywords. Google uses a Quality Score algorithm that takes into account the relevance, landing page quality and the overall click-through-rate of the ads to determine which ad to show and where to show it.
In summary, Google's advertising platforms allow businesses to reach potential customers through targeted advertising on Google's search engine and on other websites, and website owners to earn money by displaying ads on their site.
In addition to the basic features, Google Ads also offers various advanced features and tools to help businesses optimize their campaigns and get the most out of their advertising spend. Some examples include:
- Campaign types: Google Ads offers several campaign types, including search, display, video, and shopping campaigns, each with its own set of features and targeting options.
- Remarketing: Allows businesses to target users who have previously visited their website or engaged with their brand.
- Location targeting: Allows businesses to target ads to specific geographic locations, such as cities, regions, or countries.
- Demographic targeting: Allows businesses to target ads to specific age and gender groups.
- Ad extension: Allows businesses to include additional information, such as location, phone number, or reviews, in their ads to make them more informative and engaging.
- Smart Bidding: Allows businesses to automatically optimize their bids for specific goals, such as maximizing conversions or getting the most clicks.
- Google Analytics and conversion tracking: Allows businesses to track the performance of their ads and website, and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.
- Google Ads also offers a wide range of ad formats, including text ads, display ads, video ads, and more to help businesses create visually appealing and engaging ads that stand out.
Overall, these features are meant to help businesses to reach the right audience, at the right time and at the right place while being able to track the performance of the ads and make data-driven decisions to optimize their advertising spend.
The Google Ads auction
The Google Ads auction is the process by which Google determines which ads to show to users and in which order to show them. The auction takes into account a variety of factors, including the advertiser's bid, the relevance and quality of the ad, and the expected performance of the ad.
When a user enters a search query, Google runs an auction to determine which ads to show on the search results page. Advertisers bid on keywords that they want their ads to appear for, and Google uses a Quality Score algorithm to determine the relevance, landing page quality and the overall click-through-rate of the ads.
Advertisers are then ranked based on their ad rank, which is a combination of their bid and their Quality Score. The higher the ad rank, the more likely an ad is to be shown to users.
In addition to the basic auction, Google Ads also offers a variety of advanced bidding strategies, such as target CPA (cost per action) and target ROAS (return on ad spend) which allow businesses to automate the bidding process and get better results for their campaign.
Keep in mind that the auction process is dynamic, meaning that it changes constantly based on the availability of ad inventory, competition, and other factors that can affect the performance of an ad.
In summary, the Google Ads auction is a complex process that takes into account various factors such as the advertiser's bid, the relevance and quality of the ad, and the expected performance of the ad to determine which ads to show and in which order to show them.
How to advertise on Google
To advertise on Google, businesses can use the Google Ads platform (formerly Google AdWords). Here are the basic steps to set up and run a campaign on Google Ads:
- Create a Google Ads account: To get started, businesses will need to create a Google Ads account. This can be done by going to the Google Ads website and following the prompts to create an account.
- Set up a campaign: Once the account is set up, businesses will need to create a new campaign. They can choose from different campaign types, such as search, display, video, or shopping campaigns, depending on their advertising goals.
- Select keywords: Next, businesses will need to select the keywords they want their ads to appear for when a user searches for those keywords. They can use the Google Keyword Planner tool to research and find the best keywords for their campaign.
- Create ads: Once the keywords are selected, businesses will need to create ads. They can choose from a variety of ad formats, such as text ads, display ads, and video ads, depending on their campaign type.
- Set a budget: Businesses will need to set a budget for their campaign, which is the amount of money they are willing to spend on their ads each day.
- Target audience: Businesses can target their ads to specific geographic locations, age and gender groups, and interests.
- Launch the campaign: Once the ads are created and the budget and targeting are set, businesses can launch their campaign.
- Monitor and optimize: Once the campaign is running, businesses will need to monitor the performance of their ads and make adjustments as needed to optimize their campaign.
It's worth noting that Google Ads can be a complex platform to navigate and it's always recommended to read the guidelines and best practices before launching a campaign. Also, it's always good to test different ad variations, targeting options and bids to find what works best for your business.
Optimal Google Ads account structure
An optimal Google Ads account structure is one that is well-organized and easy to navigate, with a clear hierarchy that allows for easy management and optimization of campaigns. Here are some best practices for structuring a Google Ads account:
- Use campaign groups: Group similar campaigns together in campaign groups. For example, you can create separate campaign groups for search and display campaigns.
- Use ad groups: Within each campaign, create ad groups that contain a group of closely related keywords and ads.
- Use negative keywords: Use negative keywords to exclude certain search terms from triggering your ads.
- Use labels: Use labels to organize and group together similar campaigns, ad groups, or keywords.
- Use custom columns: Use custom columns to add metrics and data that are important to your business.
- Use automated rules: Use automated rules to make changes to your account based on specific conditions, such as pausing or enabling ads that are not performing well.
- Use shared budgets: Use shared budgets to manage budget across multiple campaigns.
- Use custom rules: Create custom rules to optimize your account based on specific metrics or data that are important to your business.
- Use filters: Use filters to analyze your data and find insights about your campaigns.
- Use segments: Use segments to view your data in a specific way, such as by device, location, or time of day.
It's important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to account structure, and that the best structure for a business will depend on the specific goals and needs of the business. However, by following the above best practices and by keeping the account structure organized and easy to navigate, it will be easier to manage, monitor and optimize your campaigns.
Advertise on Google with WordStream
WordStream is a software company that offers tools and services to help businesses with their online advertising, including on Google. WordStream's software is designed to make it easier for businesses to create, manage, and optimize their Google Ads campaigns.
With WordStream, businesses can:
- Research and select the right keywords for their campaigns
- Create and manage ad groups and ads
- Monitor the performance of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize them
- Implement automated rules and custom scripts for more efficient management
- Get expert advice and support from WordStream's team of certified professionals
WordStream's software also includes tools for analyzing and optimizing the performance of campaigns, as well as for identifying areas for improvement. Additionally, WordStream also provides a range of educational resources and tutorials to help businesses learn how to use the software and get the most out of their Google Ads campaigns.
It's worth noting that WordStream is a third-party tool, and it can provide a level of automation and optimization that can be beneficial for businesses, however it's recommended to check the pricing and features of the software and compare it to other options available in the market before making any decision.
The Google Ads Performance Grader: A free & fast audit
The Google Ads Performance Grader is a free tool offered by WordStream, which is a software company that specializes in online advertising tools. The tool is designed to help businesses quickly and easily audit their Google Ads account and identify areas for improvement.
With the Google Ads Performance Grader, businesses can:
- Get a free, fast, and easy-to-understand report on the overall performance of their Google Ads account
- Identify areas for improvement, such as underperforming campaigns, ad groups, and keywords
- Get actionable recommendations for how to improve the performance of their account, such as increasing bids, adjusting targeting, and creating new ad groups.
- Compare their account performance to industry benchmarks, and see how they stack up against competitors
- Get a grade for their account performance, which can be used as a starting point for further optimization
The Google Ads Performance Grader is a simple and quick way to get a high-level overview of your account performance and identify areas that need improvement. However, it's important to keep in mind that this is only an initial analysis and it's recommended to conduct a more thorough analysis of your account and campaign performance to have a deeper understanding of your account performance.