Google Ads 101: A Beginners Guide to Paid Advertising

Shawn Wang, Director of Performance Marketing & Analytics, Wheel Pros

Google Ads is one of the most popular and extensively used digital advertising platforms. It allows businesses to create and run ads on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) and Google's Display Network (GDN), which includes a network of partner websites that display Google ads. However, with so many features and options, it can be challenging to make the most of the platform. This article will discuss tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Google Ads campaigns.

“Using different match types, you can ensure that your ad is only shown to people most likely interested in your product or service”

Keyword Match Types

Keyword match types allow you to control how closely a search term needs to match your keywords for your ad to be shown. Using different match types, you can ensure that your ad is only shown to people most likely interested in your product or service. The four main match types are broad match, phrase match, exact match, and negative match.

Broad match is the default match type and is the most general. It will show your ad when someone searches for a term that includes any of the words in your keyword. Phrase match is more specific and only shows your ad when someone searches for a term that contains the exact phrase of your keyword in the order that you specify. The exact match is the most specific and only shows your ad when someone searches for the same keyword term. A negative match allows you to exclude particular keywords so that your ad will not be shown when someone searches for those terms.

Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are additional information that can be added to your ad to provide more information about your business. Many ad extensions include site links, callouts, structured snippets, and more. These extensions can help your ad stand out and provide more information to potential customers. Additionally, extensions can increase your ads' click-through rate (CTR), which can help improve your Quality Score and lower your cost per click (CPC).

Remarketing Strategies

Remarketing allows you to target people who have previously interacted with your business, such as visiting your website or viewing your products. You can create a remarketing list and target your ads to that list of customers. This technique can effectively bring people back to your website and convert them into customers. Additionally, you can create customized ads for people who have taken specific actions on your website, such as viewing a product or adding something to their cart.

Smart Bidding

Smart bidding is an automated bidding strategy that uses machine learning to adjust your bids in real-time to get the most conversions at the lowest cost. Smart bidding strategies include Target CPA, Target ROAS, and Maximize Conversions. These strategies allow you to set a target cost per acquisition (CPA) or return on ad spend (ROAS), and then Google Ads will adjust your bids to try to achieve that target. This strategy can save time and help you get the most out of your budget.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. You can gain valuable insights into how your ads perform by linking your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics account. This data includes which keywords are driving the most conversions, which ads are getting the most clicks, and which pages are getting the most traffic. This information can help you make data-driven decisions about your ad campaigns and optimize them for better results.

In conclusion, Google Ads is a powerful digital advertising platform that can help you reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. These tips and tricks can make the most of your campaigns, and to achieve better results, it is essential to A/B test with new strategies and ad formats. Additionally, it is crucial to keep an eye on your metrics and track your progress. This process will allow you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your campaigns for better results. Overall, by utilizing the full range of features that Google Ads offers and being strategic and data-driven in your approach, you can achieve your marketing goals and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.