Using Google’s online advertising medium AdWords as a marketing tool to increase sales requires a bit of strategy. Why terms such as Ad Rank and Quality Score are important to your online campaign are good to understand in this highly competitive marketplace. Google AdWords if used effectively will yield the desired results.
Where You Stand
Your Ad Rank is where your advertisement is positioned on a page resulting from a search. It’s great if it lands in the number one position. However, there are several factors that affect when your ad rises to the top. Some factors include how much your bid is for the PPC (pay-per-click), the quality of your ad, and your website.
When developing your ad, it should be specific as possible.
- General ads won’t work especially if you’re selling a popular item or service.
- The keywords in your ad should relate to your landing pages. The landing pages should fulfill the promise in your Google AdWords.
- Keep in mind that Google rates your ads. They have criteria for calculating your Quality Score. Check your score and retool as needed.
A bid is simply your cost of advertising. A large budget doesn’t necessarily equal a high rank on Google’s search engine. Other factors are keyword relevance and ads that pop. Ads that include extensions, such as addresses or phone numbers also impact searches.
Google Tool-Box
My Client Center (MCC) will help you keep track of all of your client accounts in one spot. You can see all your Google AdWords accounts on one dashboard, run multiple reports, compare outcomes, and keep track of budgets.
Google Analytics is a great ad-on because it will monitor customer activity on your website. This is activity after the click. While it helps to know how many clicks your AdWords generate, what happens after the click is just as important. For example, when did clicks turn into sales? Having this information will optimize your ad’s effectiveness.
Google Partners is the next step after you’ve mastered analytics. It will give you access to additional training, events, updates, and will position you to obtain new clients. Google Partner requires certification.
When developing your ads, know your customer, what they want, and how to meet their need. Join the Google AdWords Community forum. It’s an informative opportunity to learn from others. These are professionals and novices willing to share tips and tools that work.
Google AdWords is an advertising solution for small and large businesses. Since you can set your own budget, it’s easy to jump in. You have the opportunity to experiment and reposition as needed. Understand that you should be prepared to stay with it long enough to see measureable results.
