There are a lot of settings to decide on, and helpfully (or not!) some will be set by Adwords automatically. Then it's up to you to change them to what you want.
If you are not familiar with Adwords, these settings can be fine at first although you may spend more money using the default settings. After all, Google is a business and they aren't going to discourage you from spending money!
So, once you are more comfortable using the Adwords interface, what are some simple tweaks that can get you more bang for buck (especially if you are working with a modest budget)?
]]>If you are running Google Adwords, there's a good chance that you haven't been able to resist searching with your target keywords to see if your ad shows up, where and how it looks.
You have also probably come across a situation where your ad doesn't show up – either it doesn't show up no matter what you search for, or it shows up for some phrases and not others.
And so naturally, you become concerned that something is wrong. But don't worry - there are legitimate reasons why this happens. Here are the most common:
If your daily budget is small, you can reach the limit quite quickly. So Google will try and schedule the delivery of your ads to get the best results – from that you can assume that there will be quite long periods of time that your ads won't show no matter what you search for.
This is more likely to be the case for high volume search terms and low budgets. You can choose accelerated delivery if you don't mind your budget being used up within a short space of time but we don't recommend it unless there is a very particular reason.
If your target audience is unlikely to be looking for your products and services on a weekend, showing your ads in that time may well lead to low-quality clicks on your ads.
So to get more 'bang for buck' it makes sense to limit when it is show. Which means if you search for your ad outside those times – you won't see it.
If a search term historically has had very low numbers of searches, Google's system can decide not to show the ads. These keyword phrases may (or may not) have a message next to them saying 'rarely shown due to low search volume'.
Google's response to this is to wait until the term starts to get higher traffic volumes which isn't particularly helpful – it might be that the search term gets low volume, but they could still be very profitable phrases for you.
Having said that, based on my experience the number would have to be VERY low for Google to elect not to show them. We also often exclude very low volume phrases if their click through rate (CTR) is also low because this can affect the overall performance of the campaign in terms of bidding cost.
If you repeatedly search for your own ad on Google Search but never click on it, you may stop seeing it. This is because Google's system recognizes your computer and stops showing you ads it thinks you not interested in.
Some advertiser's campaigns are based on impression numbers – ie they pay when the ad is shown, not clicked on. So this would be bad for them in particular.
If you are targeting a specific location and you aren't in it – you won't see the ad. Because of the way New Zealand's IP numbers were allocated historically, location targeting can be unreliable, so in fact you may still see ads even if you are outside the target location.
If your ad quality score is low it means Google doesn't think it is a good match for a particular search phrase and can limit how often it is shown (or not show it at all). Google wants people to have a good experience – not see ads (and organic results for that matter) that are unrelated to what they are looking for.
A particular ad may not be showing for violating any one of a long list of Google's ad policies.
Restricted products that can't be advertised include weapons, cigarettes, pyrotechnic devices, sexual services or products made from endangered species. There are also limits to how and where you can advertise alcohol, financial and legal services. Use of brand names and trademarks (eg iPhone) are also limited depending on the brand owner.
Your ad may have something technically wrong with it like conflicting display and destination URLs or there's something up with your landing page.
If your ad has been declined for a policy violation you probably know about it anyway.
We've found the Google Support folk very helpful, so if you get really stuck - ask them to check your campaign. You will generally get a response and some kind of resolution within 48 hours.
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Broad Match
Let's look at the difference between each one using the seed word 'chocolate'.
As the name suggests, a broad match for the keyword chocolate will be any search phrase that includes the word chocolate in any order including plurals, close variations and synonyms:
Phrase Match
If you set a single keyword to phrase match it will get the same results as above, but for multiple word phrases such as chocolate cake, you will get results that have the words in that order, eg:
Keywords set to phrase match will show with "quote marks"
Exact Match
This means your ad won't show unless the search types in exactly the same phrase in that order (but will include synonyms and close variants) . These words will show with [square brackets].
Broad Match Modifier
Adding a + sign before a keyword phrase set to broad match will mean the search phrase has to include that word eg +chocolate cake +recipies.
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How do you know if your campaign is running as well as it could?
First things - is it generating quality leads and/or sales?
That is the most important factor. If it's increasing your profits, then that's all good then.
Unlesss....
You aren't getting a good return on your investment
If you are paying $1000 a month for your Adwords campaign including management fees and you are seeing a $1500 increase in revenue, then that's good too, right?
But revenue doesn't mean profit. If that $1500 only results in $500 profit then you are at least $500 worse off.
This is why tracking the sales that comes from Adwords is very important.
So, what are the signs within the campaign itself that indicate it could be improved.
1. There is no conversion tracking in place
If you haven't got Google Analytics linked to your Adwords Account and have conversion tracking in place you won't know how successful your campaign is. Conversion tracking is when you can measure each enquiry form completion, document download, sign up or sale.
Even if your business is one that can't track anything tangible, you could look at factors like time on site.
2. The click through rates are low.
What is an acceptable click through rate (CTR)? It's hard to say, but we consider anything less that 3% an area for improvement. We do see clients with click-throughs of 1o%, 35% and higher but this is unusual except for very specific search phrases. The more generic the phrase, the lower the click through rate. If you've got click through rates between 0.0 and 2%, I'd be looking at those keywords and dumping them, or trying to improve the click through rate.
Look at the click through rates of each keyword individually, not the campaign as a whole. Dump the ones that are getting low CTRs. Look at the CTR of your Ads as well, and test out different wording to improve their click rate.
3. Low quality scores
If your quality score is less than 5, this can increase the amount you pay for the click and lower the position at which your ad is shown which will in turn lower your click through rates.
4. Large numbers of keywords.
If you have a large number (20, 30 or more) all under one Ad Group and/or with only one or two ads being triggered this is a sign of a poorly targeted campaign.
There is no 'rule' about how many keywords in each group, but the smaller the number the better targeting you can do.
5. Broad Match Types
If you set your keywords to use the match type 'Broad' then you could be getting a lot of search phrases triggering your ads that are not that relevant to your offer.
For example a broad match on 'hotel' could include 'luxury hotel', 'cheap hotel', 'back packers hotel' 'five star hotel' 'hotel with casino' 'family friendly hotel' etc. And you can see not all of these would be relevant to an exclusive, 5 star hotel.
For more see Keyword Match Types Explained
6. Low impression numbers
This can be simply because your budget it set too low. Once you met your daily limit of click charges (if you've set one) your ads will stop showing.
You may also be targeting keywords that people simply don't use when looking for your products or services.
Or it could be that your target audience doesn't look for what you offer via search (Yes, it DOES happen).
OR - no one wants what you have to offer - worse case scenario, but that happens too!
7. Low conversion rates.
Click through rates good but still no sales?
If you know you have a compelling offer, It's probably your landing page at fault and will be because of:
Refer to the article Crafting great campaign landing pages to see how to improve this one.
There are lots of things you can do to improve performance of a campaign so you have to always be testing and trying new things. Keep what works, and stop doing what doesn't!
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But other than that, surely they have nothing in common?! What kind of mad analogy is this? Well, just stay with me!
Drift net fishing involves large nets, with a combination of floats and weights to keep the net hanging vertical in the water. It's popular because it's cost effective for fishing companies, and brings in large amounts of fish in one catch. But they are also often referred to as 'walls of death' because anything that comes in contact with the nets are likely to perish.
The big concern with this type of fishing is that 'unintended' targets are also caught in the net. Not just small fish and species not intended for sale, but dolphins, turtles, sharks, seals and sea birds. Which is bad from both sustainability and animal welfare perspectives.
So how can an innocent Adwords campaign be compared to something so controversial and devastating for it's victims?
Well, drift nets are set (usually by low powered vessels) and left to 'see what gets caught'. Sometimes they come adrift and are lost to cause havoc around the oceans (called Ghost nets).
This is much like many Adwords campaigns that take a 'one size grabs all' approach.
These would be campaigns set-up with:
Adwords campaigns are sometimes left alone or even forgotten about - till the bill comes in!
Who is the victim in this scenario? Not people who click on the ads only to find a poor match to their need – although this can be annoying.
It's the business. They end up paying for ad clicks that don't lead to sales. Or they lead to sales with low profit margins. A poor user experience can mean the brand's reputation may also take a hit.
It's understandable that many businesses are wooed by the potential size of the catch – in the form of search volumes. Offers of easy set up and low maintenance are persuasive.
But many are left wondering why the campaign doesn't actually put food on the table.
Ask any fisherman. The old fashioned way with a line and reel means equipment, bait, time and even method can be carefully chosen with a specific fish in mind. Like using Sardines to catch Snapper or Squid to catch Hapuka. And if the fish aren't biting – well, just move to another spot, try another hook or use different bait.
And as for the wildlife caught by mistake? Anything that is too small or not the right species can be released to live another day. Yay.
Adwords campaigns need care and attention.
Not just obsessing over bids but thinking about what bait to use, where the best spot is and what kind of 'fish' you want to catch.
Like fishing it takes patience and practice. And it doesn't hurt to have a crusty old fisherman (or person) to help you with it.
]]>When your audience clicks on an ad or link you should take them to a purpose built page (sometimes called a squeeze page) or dedicated micro-site.
If you dump them onto your website homepage, as many businesses do - it's like getting into a taxi, giving the driver an address and having them drop you off 'somewhere' on the right street. For the visitor it's frustrating. For you, visitors can end up wandering off track and you'll lose the sale. Just because big brands do it, that doesn't make it right!
]]>Sign up for a Google Adwords account - it's free to set one up.
There is online or telephone help that can guide you through this process if you need it, but it is pretty straight forward.
Keywords are phrases that your target audience use when looking for your services or products and form the basis of your campaign.
So you need to create a list of potential keyword phrases that are:
Begin with starter or 'seed' keywords to find related search phrases and the average number of searches each one gets.
Google Adwords 'Keyword Tool' generates a list based on seed phrases, and will suggest Ad groups for you as well. You'll also be able to get an idea of costs.
Set preferences at campaign level – your budget, duration, devices and geographic targeting.
Then write your Ads, load your keywords, setting billing preferences and you are off! (Easy, Eh?).
Create an Ad Group for each service or product you want to promote - this makes it easier to turn ads on/off and see how each one is performing.
Writing ads are an art in itself but Google provides a guide for doing this.
Make sure you link Adwords to your Google Analytics Account so you can track performance.
Because the higher your ads appear on search result pages the better the response, you want to get as close to the top spot as your budget allows.
Google decides this ad 'rank' with an bidding formula that says:
Page Position = Maximum Cost per Click (bid) x Quality Score
Pay less for top positions by having a high quality score. You do this by having relevant, targeted ads, competitive bids and an effective landing page.
Include those tightly focused keywords in your ad text.
Once your campaign is up and running, you need to monitor which keywords and ads are getting the highest click through rate (CTR), and remove the ones that aren't performing.
Low CTR's impact your quality score because it is an indication of poor relevance.
Load negative keywords to stop your ad showing for certain search terms such as 'free' or 'cheap'.
Set keyword match types to something other than 'broad', otherwise you will get a lot of matches that only loosely relate to your offer. See Keyword Matching Explained for more.
Once people click on your ad, you want as many as possible to call you, fill out the form, or purchase a product.
To do this:
The page can stand alone if you want to – the quality of the rest of your website does not impact on your landing page. It can even be completely seperate to your website.
We've had a lot of debates about whether a seperate landing page is the best approach, or really necessary.
In an ideal world, you'd test both approaches and see which works the best. But if your buget is small (say, under $1000 per month) you may not get enough data to make a determination, and you will need very good conversion tracking. Most smaller businesses with modest campaigns don't have this so it's guess work.
All we can say is online marketing of any kind is more successful when focused on a single message to a specific audience with a specific need. Your landing page/micro site should support these. If you are trying to generally raise awareness of your brand, or are going broad with your campaign targets it becomes more difficult to be focused.
We recommend landing pages (and it is 'best practise') but sometimes it's just not possible due to lack of budget or willingness. So make up your own mind about whether people will need to see all the information on your site to make a decision to get in touch or buy your product.
Once your campaign is up and running, you need to see how effective it is.
You should have goals for your campaign such as number of leads, so you can measure how effective the campaign is. If it's phone calls (like many small local businesses) try and get a seperate phone number for your campaign so you can see how many calls you get.
Google Analytics integrates with Adwords to provide in-depth reporting on many different aspects of your campaign's performance.
And try out different things all the time to figure out what gets the best response - tweak wording on your ads, your landing pages, timing etc.
]]>What is the difference between paid search results (PPC) and organic results (SEO)
Organic results are a list of websites that Google decides is the best fit for the words the searcher entered. Your 'rank' is based on a complex formula of things about your website. You can't pay to appear in this list.
Paid listings appear on the right hand side or top of the organic results.
What are the set up costs?
It will cost you a $10.00 set up fee when you enter your billing details. Other than that, there is only the cost of the clicks on your ads - which you specify.
How long will they run for?
As long as you want, which you can set when you set up the campaign. You can also pause it at any time.
Also, your ads will stop showing when your daily set budget has been reached.
Where do they show up?
On the right or top of search results, and any display network websites you specify. You can also specify desktop and/or mobile devices.
The display network is a group of websites showing Google ads, within which you can display text, image or video ads.
Can I stop my competition clicking on my ads?
Google has steps in place to detect invalid clicks, such as multiple clicks from a single source. If you think there is still a problem, you can contact Google.
How do I know they are working?
Log into your Adwords account and you can see if your ads are running and how many clicks you are getting.
What is the Quality Score?
It is an indication of how good a match your Ad is to the keyword you are using to trigger it. It is a combination of relevance, landing page experience and bid. The lower your quality score, the more you'll have to pay for each click if you want to get it to the number one position.
Can I stop at any time?
Yes, you can pause your campaign or specific ads and keywords at any time.
Can I run an Adwords campaign independently of my website?
Yes – you will need a page to promote, but this can either be one that is on your website or completely independent. But there is no reliance on your web developer to set up the campaign itself.
Can I direct the ads to my homepage?
Yes but it is likely that you will reduce the number of people who take action if they can't see what they want straight away.
Your homepage has to meet the needs for a range of different visitors to your site, and so will not be focused specifically on the needs of the person who clicked on your ad.
How much will I pay?
It depends on your budget, goals and the competitiveness of the keywords you are targeting. You can pay anything from a few hundred dollars a month to hundreds of thousands! You can manage the costs per click by improving your quality score, and turning as many leads to sales or enquiries by having a well designed landing page.
Why has my ad been disapproved?
An ad that is disapproved will not be shown. Most often this is because the landing page you are sending it to has something on it that goes against Google's Adwords policy. This can include landing pages with nothing on but links and other poor user experience issues. If an ad is disapproved, Google will provide more information about why and what to do about it.
Do I have to use an agency or can I do it myself?
No – you can do it yourself if you feel confident and have the time to manage it correctly. You don't have to be qualified or certified. You can use an agency but shop around to get the best fit for you and your business.
Once you have an Adwords Account you can setup your first campaign but there is one thing you need to do before you start.
Once you know what keywords you want to target, it's time to...
1. Log into Adwords and click on "create a new campaign"
2. You will be asked to set general settings:
3. Click on Save and Continue
4. You will then have to setup a new Adgroup first - an Ad group is a group of one or more ads grouped together with a set of keywords that will trigger the Ads
5. Click on Save and Continue
6. You then need to setup your billing details (but can do it later if you wish). Billing to your credit card is by far the easier- but watch your budget so you don't get a scare at the end of the month!
Google provide tips and links to detailed instructions and help along the way, so follow their guide.
Once you have setup your first campaign you should go back and fine tune it: