Samsung did what you wish you did.

 

 

In 2021, Samsung achieved its online and offline Galaxy Note20 sales objectives, despite operating in a highly competitive market and during a pandemic. By accelerating its digital transformation, Samsung saw a 173% increase in return-on-ad-spend (ROAS) through Google Ads compared to its existing display creative.

 

 

So, how did they do it? 

 

 

And how can your business have the same success with Google Ads?

 

 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Google Ads, from the basics of setting up your account to tips for improving your campaigns. By the end, you’ll be ready to take your marketing efforts to the next level with Google Ads.

 

 

What Are Google Ads?

 

Google Ads is an advertising platform that allows businesses and organizations to create ads and place them on Google Search results pages and other websites across the web. You can target ads to a specific audience based on demographics, interests, and past behaviors.

 

 

In 2020, 80% of businesses used paid Google ads for their pay-per-click campaigns. It’s no surprise, as Google has between 2.9 billion unique monthly visitors and 5 billion daily interactions, making it a great platform to showcase products and services.

 

 

Google Ads have been around for 20 years for a reasonーthey work. All marketers know they’re the surefire way to get your ideal customers into your funnel and rake in the dough. In fact, according to Google, businesses that use Google Ads see an average return on investment (ROI) of 8:1. In other words, companies receive $8 for every $1 spent.

 

 

Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Google Ads is a valuable tool in your marketing arsenal. But before you dive in, it’s crucial to understand how the platform works and how you can maximize its features to level up your business. Otherwise, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money on ineffective campaigns.

 

 

How Do Google Ads Work?

 

Google Ads work by auctioning off ad space on Google Search results pages and other websites in the Google Display Network. Advertisers compete for coveted spaces by investing more on targeted keywords. The amount an advertiser is willing to pay for each click on their ad (known as their “bid”) is a significant factor in determining where their ad will appear.

 

 

Before you can have a killer bidding strategy, you need to know the 3 options you have:

 

1. Cost-per-click (CPC): How much you pay whenever someone clicks on your ad.
2. Cost-per-mille (CPM): How much you pay for every 1000 ad impressions.
3. Cost-per-engagement (CPE): How much you pay when a user interacts with your ad, like when they sign up for a list or watching a video.

 

When a user searches for a term on Google, Google looks at all of the ads that are eligible to be shown for that particular search. Then Google determines which ads to show and in what order by using a combination of factors to measure Quality Score — like the advertiser’s bid, ad quality, and ad relevance to the search term.

 

 

The bidding process happens in a fraction of a second and happens every time someone conducts a Google search. That’s why it’s crucial to have your campaigns well-optimized so potential customers can see your ads.

 

 

5 Types of Google Ads

 

There are many ways you can run your ads on Google. It all depends on what your advertising goals are adn who your target audience is.

 

 

1. Search Ads

 

 

The Search ad is the most popular Google Ad form for businesses. These ads appear on Google Search results pages when someone searches for a specific term or keyword. Search ads are typically text-based, although they can include images and videos.

 

 

Search ads can appear at the beginning or the end of the page. You can also differentiate between organic search results and paid ads, as the latter will have an “Ad” title on the top left of the search result. Organic search results are the blogs or websites that are unpaid and appears on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP).

 

 

2. Display Ads

 

Display ads are the banner ads you see on websites across the internet. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be static or animated like video and Flash animation.

 

 

Take a look at this article from Food Network. You can see Display Ads from Adobe and Canva within the blog.

 

 

 

 

With Display ads, you can target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and past behaviors. You can also target particular websites where you want your ads to appear.

 

 

3. Video Ads

 

 

Video ads are a type of display ad that appears on websites that support video content, like on Youtube and other video sites in the Google Display Network. A video ad can be up to 6 minutes long and appear as a pre-roll ad before a video starts playing, as a mid-rol ad during the video, or as a post-roll ad after the video has ended.

 

 

When you run video ads on Google video partners, your ads can appear on computers, tablets, mobile web browsers, mobile apps, and TV screens.

 

 

Using video ads is a great way to reach potential customers with engaging, visual content. Plus, the ads are also less intrusive than other ads, so they garner higher engagement. Study shows that video ads receive 27.4 more click through than standard banners (12x higher).

 

 

4. Shopping Ads

 

 

Shopping ads are a type of ad that appears on Google Search results pages and on websites in the Google Display Network. These ads consist of product images, pricing information, and merchant details. 

 

 

Shopping ads are typically used by eommerce businesses to promote specific products.

 

 

5. App Ads

 

 

Photo Source

 

App ads are used to promote apps on Google Search and the Google Play Store. These ads consist of an app icon, a description, and an “Install” or “Download” button.

 

 

7 Best Practices for Google Ads to Increase Sales

 

Now that you understand how Google Ads work and the different types of ad campaigns, here are 7 of the best practices for creating effective campaigns. And we’ll use an example from a fake tech company, WebMeet, a video conferencing tool that makes online webinars easy. 

 

 

#1 — Set Realistic Goals

 

Before you even create your first Google Ad, think about what you want to achieve with your campaigns. Pretend you’re the CMO of WebMeet, and you’re launching your first Google Ad campaign. 

 

 

Do you want to…

 

• Increase brand awareness?
• Drive traffic to your website?
• Generate leads?
• Make sales?

 

Starting off your ad campaign with clear goals is essential to  dictating the type of campaigns you run and the keywords you target. For example, if your goal is to encourage more prospects to use WebMeet for their webinars, then doing a brand awareness campaign is your best bet.

 

#2 — Do Your Research

 

Once you know your goals, it’s time to do some research. First, you need to understand your target audience and what they’re searching for online.

 

 

The best way to do this is to use keyword research tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner. This tool can help you find the relevant keywords you should be targeting in your campaigns. Avoid using broad keyword terms, instead use strong, specific keywords to get the right audience see your ads and generate clicks. Otherwise, Google can be placing your ads in front of the wrong audience, which means you’ll get less prospects and have a higher ad spend.

 

 

For example, if you’re a video tool like WebMeet, you might use keywords like:

 

• Webinar software
• Webinar platform
• Webinar US

 

And avoid keywords like:

 

• Conference
• Online seminar
• Online talk

 

#3 — Create High-Quality Ads

 

Successful marketing using Google Ads means creating high-quality ads that are engaging and relevant to the target audience. 

 

 

An effective ad copy always includes a call-to-action and an urgen tone to get people to take action. Plus, having attractive visuals on your ads make it easier for users to pause and see what you have to offer. You have to ensure that your ads can catch users attention in a split second before they decide to scroll past it.

 

 

Your ads should also be mobile-friendly because more and more people are using their smartphones to search for information online. Google has a Mobile Ads Certification that can help you learn everything you need to create compelling mobile ads.

 

 

#4 — Test, Test, Test

 

Once you’ve created your first set of ads, it’s vital to test them out to catch any glitches before your audience does. Google provides many tools for testing ads, including as A/B testing and Ad Preview and Diagnosis tools.

 

 

A/B testing involves creating two slightly different ads and then measuring the performance of each one to see which performs better. Google’s Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool lets you preview your ads as they appear on different devices and in different locations, so you can ensure that they’re being displayed correctly.

 

 

#5 — Determine Your ROI

 

Determining your ROI from Google ads is essential. Doing so can help you understand whether your campaigns are successful and if they’re providing you with a good return for the amount you’ve invested in the service.

 

 

There are many ways to measure ROI, and one of the simplest ways is to track the number of conversions that you generate from your campaigns. A conversion could be a sale, a sign-up, or a download, depending on your goals. You can then compare these conversions to your ad spend to see if you’re making a profit.

 

 

If you’re not happy with your ROI, don’t give up! It takes time and experimentation to find the right combo of keywords, ads, and budget to be successful with Google Ads.

 

 

#6 — Improve Your Quality Score

 

Your Quality Score is Google’s basis for determining how your ad should rank. So, having a higher Quality Score means that your ads will have better rank and placement on the SERP. However, if you have a low Quality Score, you’ll have fewer eyes on your ads and fewer chances to convert.

 

 

That’s why it’s your responsibility to keep improving your Quality Score even though Google shows it already.

 

 

#7 — Refine Your Campaigns

 

As you continue running your Google Ads campaigns, taking the time to review and refine each ad is essential. Reviewing and refining means looking at your campaign reports to see which keywords are performing well which aren’t scoring well, and then adjusting your ad copy until the keywords you use result in a high ranking.

 

 

Refining your campaigns also means keeping an eye on your competition to learn from what is working well for them. For example, if you know that they’re using a particular type of ad or are targeting specific keywords, then you can consider doing the same in your own campaigns.

 

 

Create Google Ads Like a Pro

 

Google Ads is a powerful online advertising tool that you can use to reach new customers and grow your business. When used correctly, Google Ads can be an extremely effective way of driving traffic to your website and generating leads and sales.

 

 

But, as with any marketing platform, getting the most out of Google Ads  takes time and effort.

 

 

If you need help getting started with Google Ads, our team of experts at ScaleUpSales is happy to be your partner in running effective ads that boost up your sales. Our vast experience in Google Ads and Social Ads PPC management can help your business generate leads and close new customers.

 

 

Contact us today!