What are Ads by Google: How to Use Google Ads for Business?

Do you know that over 3.5 billion Google searches are recorded per day? And almost every result page of those searches contains ads by Google.

In recent times, ads displayed on Google search engine result pages (SERP) have been improved to look very similar to organic listings. Google helps several businesses to run ads that help them achieve their marketing goals and grow online.

The fact is, the more targeted your campaigns are, the more traffic you’ll get. When done right, ads by Google can open up opportunities to convert leads and land new clients for your business.

In this guide, you will know what ads by Google are, how they work, and how to use these ads to grow your business online.

What are Ads by Google?

You’ve probably seen ads by Google topping the SERP when you search for a keyword. They are sponsored results that look very much like organic results.

Google Ads are paid advertisements that appear on search results pages, the Google Display Network, AdSense program, YouTube, and other platforms.

These ads are effective methods to drive high-value traffic to your site when people search for keywords related to your business. This channel can help increase conversions such as more engagements, subscribers, leads, and sales.

Ads by Google are paid marketing channels to promote your business online, whether you want to create awareness, grow your audience, get more traffic, or sell your products or services. The ad campaigns can be created and edited in Google Ads accounts.

There’s no set limit for the amount you spend on ads—you set an ad budget based on your convenience and choose places you want your ads to be displayed for your target audience to see.

Types of Ads by Google

Google Ads starts with a marketing goal and a campaign.  You’ll select one of these campaign types based on your marketing goals and ad strategy.

1. Search Ads

Search ads are sponsored results displayed as text on the Google Search Network, including Google results pages and other search-related websites.  These text ads are usually labeled “Ad” in the search engine result pages.

For example, the screenshot below shows sponsored results for the search term “real estate agent.”

2. Display Ads

The Google Display Network displays your ads to your target audience when they watch a Youtube video, visit their favorite websites, or log in to their Gmail accounts.  This campaign option allows you to show your offer to potential customers.

If there’s a new product that you want to promote, Google’s display ads are the best way to reach your target customers and capture their interests. It takes them away from the sites’ content and focuses their attention on your ad.

Display ads look like this:

3. Video Ads

Video ads target your audience when they search and watch videos on YouTube. These campaign types are displayed before, between, and after watching YouTube videos. Video ads can increase your website engagement as they capture the attention of potential customers.

4. Shopping Ads

With shopping campaigns, you can promote your business, drive traffic to your online or local store, and find customers for your products. This ad type displays product images, prices, and other relevant info to target buyers. It allows you to advertise specific products and add their images and prices.

For example, if you search for “yellow shoes,” on the search result page, you will see shopping ads like:

5. App Ads

You can easily advertise your application across Google Search Network, Google Display Network, Google Play, YouTube, and other platforms.

When running App ads, you don’t structure the campaign yourself. Google does it for you—just submit details about your app and audience. Identify the conversion action you want your audience to take. For example, you may want them to install the app. Then, place a bid, and Google handles the rest.

If you want to promote your app using an app ad by Google, it will look like this,

6. Google Ads Ad Extensions

With Ad Extensions, your ads can only get better. It allows your ad to look more appealing on Google SERP. You can provide contact info, additional website, product images, and other details that will compel your audience to engage your ad. Google Ads provide different ad extensions based on your business type and goal.

For instance, If you want leads to call and set up appointments, you should use a Call Extension (to include a phone number your leads can call in your ad).

How are Ads Placed and Displayed by Google?

Ads displayed by Google follow a bidding system. When you want to run a campaign for your business, you select relevant keywords and bid the maximum amount you can pay per click your ad gets. Hence the name “cost per click” (CPC).

The more you bid, the higher position your ad is likely to be in  Google SERP. Typically, when items are auctioned, the highest bidder takes it. However,  it’s different for Google Ads. Bidding is confidential, and being the highest bidder doesn’t guarantee the top spot.

Several other factors, like conversion rate, quality score, and clickthrough rate, determine the ad that gets the top spot. For instance, if you have a high quality score for a keyword, you might not have to pay your maximum bid in full.

• For Search Ads campaign ad type, Google displays ads based on three major factors which are: your bid, quality score of your ads, and your ad extensions effect. It also takes the campaign type into account.
• The auction for Display Ads differs from Search Ads. To get to the next top ad position, you’ll pay only for increased clicks your ad gets from being in its current position.
• For App Ads, you can optimize your bid and target specific campaign goals like more app users or increased in-app actions. Your bid gets charged every time someone installs your app or performs specific in-app actions.
• For Shopping Ad campaigns, you pay Google at the lowest Product Group This is so that you get more traffic to your eCommerce store.
• Overall, the bidding system varies for different ad campaigns. Depending on your marketing goals and ad strategy, you have the options to choose that which suits your advertising needs.
• The different bidding systems include cost per click (CPC), cost per mile (CPM), cost per engagement (CPE), cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), enhanced cost per click (ECPC), etc.

How Can Google Ads Get the Best ROI?

The aim of every advertiser is a good return on investment (ROI). Every Google ad campaign starts with an advertising strategy, combined with marketing goals, budget, and targeting. All these determine the ROI.

Return on investment is how much profit you make from your ad in comparison to how much you’ve spent on it. Ideally, you want to generate an advertising ROI of at least  25% to 50%, if not more. The following are effective steps to create Google Ads with the best ROI.

1. Budgeting

This is the maximum amount you bid for your ad. It’s what Google charges every time you get a click. Setting a budget helps you control money spent on ads. Whether your ad gets results is determined by factors like your bid position and how relevant your keyword choices are to your business.

2. Keywords

To reach your advertising goal, it is crucial to target your audience with the best keywords that match your business. To get in front of your potential customers, do thorough keyword research to find high-value keyword ideas. Select the most suitable keyword options for your campaign.

3. Competitor Research

The best way to thrive in any industry is to study what your competitors are up to, so you can learn what works and identify opportunities they aren’t already exploiting. This strategy isn’t copycatting. Instead, it helps you improve and connect more with your audience. Take time to do competitor research analysis to:

• Know keywords they are using and how it can help you
• Access their ad copy and landing pages
• Discover offers that might attract your target audience.
• Find other relevant data that can boost your ad performance.

4. Landing page

It is vital to have a compelling landing page attached to your copy. When people click your ad, they won’t see your site and bounce because it is irrelevant to the ad or their needs. Here are some tips for creating a conversion-driven landing page:

• Use simple designs
• Write an attention-grabbing headline
• Include images that support your ad
• Be clear with your offer
• Use bullets to make the page easy to read.
• Add a strong call-to-action
• Improve your site speed

5. Campaign

Before you can run a Google Ad, you need to set up a campaign. You have the option to select a campaign type based on your advertising goals. Some features can enhance your campaign performance. These are:

• Demographic targeting – Your ads will have a better conversion rate if you use more specific targeting. With Google Ads, you can target your audience by income, gender, age, and parental status.
• Ad rotation – This makes ad tests possible. With an optimized ad rotation, you can choose the best ad for your marketing goals. Google does this, and you determine the most suitable one.
• Click-to-call – This is a call extension feature that allows you to add a call button to your ad campaign. Potential customers can click from your ad and call you immediately. It boosts conversion, although it takes time to set up.

6. Ad

Simple ads work best. Just add in a concise, clear, and catchy message. Use high-value keywords, tell potential customers your unique value proposition, and add a call-to-action to take them to your landing page.

Advantages of Using Ads by Google

Using Google Ads to promote your business online has so many benefits. Google ads allow you to:

1. Achieve Your Marketing Goals

You can use different customized campaign types to your advantage, depending on your marketing goals. This could be using display networks, adding a call button, website engagement, app installation, etc.

2. Increase Your Brand Awareness

Using ads by Google Ads is an effective method to let people know about your business. Even search engine rankings depend on the search volume a brand gets. This is why increasing your brand awareness through Google ads is an excellent strategy in the long-run.

3. Retarget Website Visitors

Google Ads makes it possible to retarget visitors who got to your landing page the first time but didn’t take any action. It allows you to remarket your products or services by running retargeting campaigns.

4. Target Your Audience

You can select your audience, places they hang out, age range, interests, and a lot more. Doing this will ensure your ad is displayed on Google networks where they can see and interact with it.

5. Evaluate Your Marketing Performance

It isn’t easy to measure the ROI of traditional advertising with the inflow of leads from different sources. On the contrary, Google Ads gives a marketing performance analysis so that you can measure your ROI. It tells you:

• The number of those who clicked your ad
• The keyword that generated the most conversion
• The amount of traffic your site got from ad clicks
• The number of leads generated.
• The cost per click/lead

These details will help you know how your ad performed and what to improve on to achieve better results.

6. Stand Out From Your Competitors

If you are not running ads when your competitors are, that means you’re losing clients before they can reach you. The truth is, no matter how good your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is, if your competitors run ads targeting your keywords, they will always top the SERP. You can handle competition effectively by running Google Ads that will reach your potential customer before your competitors do.

7. Pay For Results

A Google Ads campaign gives you the freedom to choose your advertising budget. You’re charged only when someone engages with your ad.

8. Get Results Faster Than SEO

SEO, as well as Google Advertising, are both search engine marketing strategies. But running a Google Ads campaign gives you the chance to snatch the top spot in Google SERP and rank higher than even the best SEO-optimized website. This is because you can target multiple keywords at once and get in front of searchers who might be interested in your products or services.

Google Ads Analysis with PPCexpo Reporting Tools

When Google Ads are analyzed, evaluated, and optimized consistently, it leads to improved ad campaigns that achieve advertising goals. To meet marketing objectives, an advertiser should know what works and what doesn’t and improve her ad strategy to get the best ROI.

Although managing ad campaigns can be tasking for several small businesses with limited resources, the PPCExpo Reporting Tool makes ad analysis easy. This is the simplest time-saving method to analyze your campaign, know where to improve, and work on these metrics to increase your ROI.

For example:: You can use the PPCExpo wasted spend report to audit the wasted spend of your ads and help you optimize your ad campaigns.

There is a need to account for costs in marketing campaigns. The PPCExpo Cost Analysis Report helps you analyze the costs of actions performed on your ads.

The PPCExpo Reporting tool makes marketing performance analysis easy. It gives you a summary of your advertising efforts and how to get better.

There are several different reports by PPCexpo Reporting Tool to measure your campaign performance.

FAQS

1. Which is better, Google Ads or Facebook Ads?

Google and Facebook are giant platforms that get tremendous numbers of visitors and engagements. So, the advertising platform will depend on your marketing goals.

2. Are Google Ads worth it?

This depends on whether you’re getting unique conversions or not. When a Google Ads gets several clicks, it’s often not genuine as the majority of those who click don’t ever intend to buy anything.

3. When does Google Ads auction run?

Ad auctions run billions of times every month to know the best ads for a specific audience at a particular time.

4. How does a Google ad enter an auction?

Your ads become qualified for an auction when you bid on relevant keywords people are searching for. Your bid, keyword relevance, quality score, and other factors will determine your ad display and placement on Google’s SERP.

5. What is Quality Score?

This metric helps to determine your Ad Rank. It indicates how valuable your ad is to your audience by measuring clickthrough rate (CTR), landing page quality, keyword relevance. The higher your Quality Score, the better your ad ranking.

6. How does Google decide your cost?

Google will charge you depending on your maximum bid, Quality Score, and how competitive your keyword is (which is why you should go for a relevant keyword with low competition).

7. What is Google Ad Rank?

Ad Rank determines the position of your ad on Google SERP. It is your Quality Score multiplied by your maximum bid.

8. How does Ad Group work?

Ad groups contain ads with similar advertising goals. You can use them to organize your business ads and keywords using themes. Google favors advertisers who create ad campaigns with well-structured ad groups.

9. What is Ad relevance?

It is how closely related an ad is to a user’s search. It is a combination of how related your keyword, ad copy, and landing page are. Higher ad relevance can boost your CTR.

Wrap Up

Ads by Google offer several business growth opportunities like increased brand awareness, website traffic and engagement, audience, and sales.

You can achieve your business goals and get the best ROI with Google Ads. However, you can spend a lot of money advertising your business and still not get the results you want if you don’t take the time to optimize your campaign.

The ROI of your Google Ads campaign depends on factors like keywords, ad, landing page, targeting, bid, etc. With this guide, you can create an effective Google Ads campaign to drive you towards your marketing goals.