How to Get Your Business Found with Google Ads
Google Ads is a tool that can put your business in front of customers who are searching for what you offer. By far the world’s leading Pay-Per-Click (PPC) platform, it lets you run campaigns, track how they’re performing, and shake things up as needed. And it’s easier than you might think, even for the non-technically-minded small business owner! With a well-targeted campaign and the right keywords, you can get your brand out there — no need to call that advertising agency. What is Google Ads? Since its launch in 2000 (as Google AdWords), Google Ads has grown into the internet’s biggest Search Engine Marketing (SEM) tool. More than a million businesses worldwide are using it today. ‘Ads operates on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model. That means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. No clicks, no charge. So while it isn’t free, it can be a very cost-effective way to put your business out there in front of potential customers. The beauty is that it lets you reach people who are already searching for what it is you do or offer — be that a baker in Bristol, a hairdresser in Harrogate, a florist in… you get the picture. One advantage of online ads is that they’re much more targeted and measurable than traditional ones: unlike with billboards or magazines, where you pay regardless of whether anyone notices, Google Ads lets you set your own budget and track performance, so you know exactly where the money’s going. Google claims that for every $1 spent on Google Ads there’s a return of $8. While that’s based on an average across all industries, it can certainly do a lot for smaller businesses, too. More than half of small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) run PPC campaigns today. For reference, the average conversion rate for Google Ads on the search network is about 4.4%. Mobile users are often more responsive to paid ads, especially for local searches — another reason your website needs to look great and load fast on phones. SERP – Author: Seobility – License: CC BY-SA 4.0 What’s the difference between SEO and SEM? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about helping your website show up higher in search results “organically” — or without paying for ads. It’s about using the right keywords, good links, and quality content. It can take time, but it pays off in the long run. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is about using paid ads to get seen straight away. It includes things like display and remarketing campaigns — all ways to get your business noticed fast. Those ads you spot on Google Search are SEM. In short: ☐ SEO = Improving your site’s organic (unpaid) ranking through good quality content and smart website tactics. Slow, long-term results. ☐ SEM = Paying for ads to show in search results. Fast results, but only while you’re paying. Google Ads don’t just show in search — they can also pop up on websites and apps like YouTube, helping your business reach people wherever they are. For more: Local SEO in 10 – How Do I Get My Business Found Online? How to get started with Google Ads Let’s walk through the steps to set up your campaign and start getting your business noticed. Before we get into it, we’ll assume you’ve already built a site using a great tool like Website Builder or Managed WordPress. Be sure to create a Google Business Profile so you can get found on maps, also. Add Google Ads into the mix, and you’ll have all the right tools to show up exactly where your potential customers are looking. 1. Sign up and set up your Google Ads account First, head to the Google Ads home and sign up. You’ll need to enter your business name and website URL. If you already use other Google tools, like Google Analytics, linking them will make setup quicker. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll land on the main Google Ads dashboard. Don’t worry—it’s simple to navigate. This is where you’ll create your campaigns and keep an eye on how they’re doing. If this is your first time, Google will set you up in Smart Mode by default. It’s a simpler setup that helps you get started quickly, but limits some of the advanced options. You can switch to Expert Mode at any time for more control over your campaigns and targeting. 2. Choose your campaign goal Next up: pick your campaign goal. This is the big picture—what do you want your Google Ads to achieve? Choosing the right goal helps Google show your ads to the people most likely to respond. Google Ads offers several options depending on what you want to achieve. Here’s a look at your options: ☐ Drive website clicks – More clicks, more eyes on your business. ☐ Generate leads – If you’re after sign-ups, form submissions, or customer inquiries, this is the one. ☐ Boost sales – Set this goal to focus on increasing purchases or conversions on your site. 3. Set your budget and bidding Before your ads start running, you’ll need to set your budget and get to grips with “bidding”. Think of it like an auction for clicks: every time someone clicks your ad, you pay a bit. Bidding is just the fancy word for how much you’re willing to pay per click. Decide whether a daily or monthly budget works best for you. If you’re new to this, start small and increase gradually as you see what’s working. When it comes to bidding, there are two main ways of going about it: ☐ Manual bidding – Setting the maximum amount you’re willing to pay per click for full control. ☐ Automated bidding – This lets Google optimise your bids to get the best results within your budget. 4. Start creating your ads Now it’s time to make your ads! Google Ads gives you several ways to get noticed, depending on how you want to
Understanding searchers to maximise your site
The Google Keyword Volume Tool has been around for years in some form or other but via the odd tweak here and there has now evolved into a ‘must visit’ site for anybody designing a new web project. The Keyword tool is linked with Google Adwords designed to find you words you might want to bid on and use in any paid for campaignsm but you don’t need to be logged in to use the Keyword Tool. Searching is simple and the results show you how many searches have been made for that term in the past month – both locally, based on your location and globally. The Competition bar also shows how competitive the market is for buying up adwords for that term. If you think there is value in you moving into a pay-per-click campaign then you can get an idea as to how much that might cost you by using the Traffic Estimator link on the left. This will provide as estimate on the likely cost per click of the keyword and also the likely volume of traffic and how much that is then likely to cost you per day. All your research ready prepared and easily presented. If you are designing any new site, even just planning a new project the Keyword Tool is something you can’t fail to ignore, the results offfer valuable insight into words to use on your site both hidden and visual and even your site name. Do you use Google’s Keyword Tool? Any tips? If you want to drive more traffic and sales to your site, read more about our Pay-Per-Click management solutions to see how we can help.