Successfully run PPC campaigns don’t just happen. To get results from your paid search advertising, it helps to have someone at the helm with experience and know-how.
If you’re interested in starting to use Google Ads to attract new customers—either with help from your in-house staff or an outside partner—it helps to have some basic understanding of how PPC campaigns work.
Keep reading to get the answers to common questions many marketers have before beginning to work on their first paid search advertising project.
What are Google Paid Ads?
Google Ads, previously known as Google AdWords, is an online advertising platform that businesses use to reach potential customers through Google’s search engine.
What is a SERP?
SERP is shorthand for “search engine results page.” It’s the page that a user sees after they type or speak something into Google or another search engine. SERPs contain a mix of organic search results as well as paid search advertising.
Google allows advertisers to create text ads and display ads then target keyword searches and display those ads based on the advertiser’s goals.
The ads can drive phone calls, website visits, or create awareness around a service, product, content offer, or even a special promotion. With Google Ads, you can set your own budget and select when the ads run, so you have a lot of flexibility.
When should I use PPC campaigns as part of my marketing?
Google Ads are a great way to get to the top of search engines, right away. PPC campaigns can be used to achieve multiple different marketing strategies, such as:
- If you aren’t ranking at the top of organic search results for a keyword related to a service or product that your company offers, Google Ads can help you increase your visibility.
- If you are curious how much a specific service or product is searched in your area, Google Ads can provide those specific details.
- If you are wondering which of your competitors are buying your branded keywords, Google Ads can reveal this important information.
Pro-tip: To maximize your PPC campaign performance, make sure your target keywords and ad text match the intentions of your ideal customers. If there’s a misalignment, you’ll have trouble finding and converting good leads. For example, you wouldn’t want to use a keyword like “meat alternatives” if your company is a local butcher shop that doesn’t carry vegan foods.
What are the benefits of having ads for PPC campaigns point to custom landing pages?
Directing users from your ads to custom landing pages has many benefits, including improving your odds of converting those leads you just spent money to attract once they get to your website.
Conversions are higher with custom landing pages because because they feature content that speaks directly to pain points and what your potential new customers need. Typically, custom landing pages are designed to capture leads through form submissions or phone calls.
How do I know if my Google Ads are performing well?
Impressions
Google defines an impression as each time they show your ad to a user on a search results page. This term is sometimes abbreviated as ‘Impr.’
Click-through rate
Click-through rate (also known as CTR) is the percentage of how often your ad is shown versus how often it is clicked.
If the keywords you are targeting are generating impressions, but no one is clicking on your ad, the text you are using in your Google Ad may need to be slightly adjusted or even potentially totally revised with a more specific keyword. In other cases, to see an improvement you may need to rethink the keywords you’re targeting.
Conversions
So, your ads have impressions and your click-through rate is above average. What do you do then? Look at conversions and make sure those numbers are on track.
Conversions are a specific action that you want a website visitor to take, most often either a form submission, phone call, or online purchase.
Here at TBH Creative, we use HubSpot to track the results of PPC campaigns monthly. Some of the actions that we count as conversions include form submissions, phone calls, and online purchases.
For more information about Google Ads and PPC campaigns, check out the following helpful paid advertising resources from Google:
Why hire PPC campaign experts to help with paid search advertising
Managing paid ads isn’t for everyone. The process is complex, and it takes a lot of time to do it right (and—often—a lot trial and error, too).
If you are interested in advertising on Google but need strategic guidance from an experienced partner, TBH Creative can help. We won’t just set up your ads and then leave you hanging. Our content promotion experts will help you create a strategy and then monitor and refine your promotions to ensure they convert and help you reach your marketing goals.
