Google Ads

Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an online advertising platform that Google developed. It allows advertisers to bid to display short advertisements, service offerings, and product listings to web users. It can place ads on search engines such as Google Search (the Google Search Network) and non-search websites, mobile applications, and videos (the Google Display Network). The pricing structure for services is pay-per-click (PPC). Google Ads, which generated US$168.6 million in 2020, is Alphabet Inc's main source of revenue.

Advertise on Google?

Google is the most popular search engine. It receives over 5 billion queries per day. Google Ads has been around for almost two decades and is considered a leader in paid advertising. People use Google to find answers to their questions. This includes both organic and paid results. Google claims that advertisers earn $8 per $1 spent on Google Ads. There are many reasons to advertise on Google. Do you need another reason? You might be competing with Google Ads. They may even be bidding for your terms. Google Ads is used by thousands of businesses to promote their business. This means that even though you rank organically for a search phrase, your results will be pushed down the page below your competitors. Google Ads is a must-have part of any paid strategy if you use PPC to promote your products or services (except perhaps Facebook Ads, which are another article).

Google Ads Best Practices

Don't quit if you have failed to get your Google Ads campaign noticed. Your Google Ads may be underperforming for many reasons. Let's cover some common Google Ads best practices.

1. Use a PPC planning tool.

A planner helps you keep your PPC projects in order. You can see how your ads will appear online with Google and HubSpot's PPC Planning Template. You can also view your character counts and manage your campaigns from one place.

2. Avoid using broad keywords.

It is essential to master your keywords. This is why you should test and adjust your strategy. Google will not place your ad before the right audience if your keywords are too broad. This can lead to fewer clicks and higher ad spending. Examine what is working and adjust accordingly. What keywords are driving clicks? Adjust them to match your ads to your target audience. It is likely that you won't be able to get the mix right the first time. However, you can keep adding, subtracting, and tweaking keywords until it becomes perfect.

3. Don't run irrelevant ads.

Your ad won't be clicked enough if it doesn't match the searcher's intent. Your headline and ad copy must match the keywords that you are bidding on. The solution your ad marketing offers must solve the searcher's problem. You can combine them to get the results you want, but it might only take a few tweaks. This feature allows you to create multiple ads for a campaign. You can use it to split-test which ads perform best. Better yet, you can use Google's Responsive search Ads feature.

4. Your Quality Score (QS) can be improved.

Google's Quality Score (QS) is the way Google decides where your ad should rank. Your placements will be better if you have a higher rank. Your quality score will be lower, which means you will have fewer people viewing your ads and fewer conversions. Google will inform you about your Quality Score. However, you can improve it.

5. Optimize your Ad Landing Page.

Your efforts should not stop at your ad. The user experience after clicking is equally important. What do your users see after they click your ad? Your landing page should be optimized for conversions. It should use the same keywords. Is the page able to solve the user's problem or answer their question? The user should have a smooth transition from the initial page to conversion.

Google Ads Terms to Understand

These terms will assist you in setting up, managing, and optimizing your Google Ads. These terms are not only specific to Google Ads. Others are general PPC terms. These are important to be able to run an effective campaign.

1. AdRank

Your AdRank determines your ad placement. Your AdRank determines how many people will see your ad and whether they click it. Your maximum bid multiplied by your Quality Score determines your AdRank.

2. Bidding

Google Ads works on a bidding system. You, the advertiser, select a maximum amount you are willing to pay per click on your advertisement. Your placement will be better if you bid higher. There are three ways to bid: CPC (CPM), CPE, or CPE.

CPC (cost-per-click) is the price you pay for every click on an ad.

CPM (cost per mille) is the price you pay to have your ad shown to one thousand people.

CPE (cost per engagement) is the cost you pay to have someone take a predetermined action in response to your ad.

3. Type of campaign

You can choose from one of three types of the campaign before you start a paid Google Ads campaign: display, search, or video. Search ads are text ads displayed on Google's results pages. Display ads are usually image-based and appear on pages within the Google Display Network. YouTube has video ads that last between 6 and 15 seconds.

4. Click-Through Rate

CTR refers to the number of clicks that you get for your ad as a percentage of the views it gets. Higher CTR means that your ad matches search intent and targets relevant keywords.

5. Conversion Rate (CVR).

CVR refers to the percentage of visitors who submit forms to your landing pages. Simply put, high CVR indicates that your landing pages offer a seamless user experience that lives up to the promises of the ad.

6. Display Network

Google ads can appear on search results pages and web pages within Google Display Network (GDN). GDN is a network that allows space on websites for Google Ads. These ads can be image or text-based and displayed alongside relevant content to your target keywords. Google Shopping and App Campaigns are the most popular Display Ad options.

7. Extensions

Ad extensions allow you to add additional information to your ad at no extra cost. These extensions can be classified under one of five categories: Call, Location, or Offer. We'll discuss each of these extensions below.

8. Keywords

Google will return a list of search results that matches the query entered by a Google user. Keywords are words and phrases that match the query of a searcher. Your ad will be displayed alongside the queries that you have chosen keywords. A searcher who types "how to clean gum from shoes" will get results for advertisers that target keywords such as "gum on shoes" or "clean shoes."

Negative keywords are keyword terms you don't want to rank for. These keywords will be pulled by Google based on the bid. These keywords are usually semi-related to the search terms you want to rank for, but they fall outside the scope of what your offer or desire to rank for.

9. PPC

Pay-per-click (or PPC) is a type of advertising in which the advertiser pays per click for an ad. Although PPC isn't specific to Google Ads, it is the most popular type of paid campaign. Before you launch your first Google Ads campaign, it is important to fully understand PPC.

10. Quality Score (QS).

Your Quality Score is a measure of the quality and relevance of your keywords, your click-through rates (CTR), quality of landing pages, and past performance on the SERP. Your AdRank is determined by QS.

Controversies

Trademarked keywords

Google has been criticized for allowing AdWords advertisers the ability to bid on trademarked keywords. Google began allowing advertisers to bid for search terms in the US, Canada, and other countries in 2004. This policy was expanded to the UK in 2008 and Ireland in May 2008. Advertisers cannot use trademarks of other companies in their advertisements text unless the trademark has been registered with the Advertising Legal Support team. Google was involved in a trademark infringement lawsuit in March 2010 involving three French firms that have Louis Vuitton trademarks. The lawsuit questioned whether Google was responsible for keywords purchased by advertisers that infringe trademark infringement. The Court of Justice of the European Union ultimately ruled that Google AdWords weren't a breach of EU trademark laws but that the content of some ads that are linked to Google keywords could well be in breach depending on the particular facts of the case." In some American jurisdictions, the use of someone's name for keyword advertising or trade purposes without the person's consent raises Right to Privacy concerns. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 1-800 Contacts, Inc. v. Lens.com, Inc. that Lens.com, an online seller of contact lenses, did not violate trademark law when it purchased AdWords as well as other search ads using 1-800 Contacts' Federally Registered 1800 CONTACTS trademark. The Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative lawsuit against 1-800 Contacts in August 2016. It alleged that its search advertising trademark enforcement policies have unreasonably restricted competition in violation of the FTC Act. 1-800 Contacts deny any wrongdoing. They are scheduled to appear before an FTC administrative judge in April 2017.

IT support banned

Google introduced a policy change in 2018 that restricts consumer technical support advertising, such as "troubleshooting and security," "virus removal," internet connectivity, online accounts (for instance, password resets and login support), or software installation." David Graff, Google's Director for Global Product Policy, stated that the policy was designed to address abuse and fraud from third-party technical assistance providers and that a verification program would be implemented "in the coming month." The Google Ads platform has been effectively banned from all IT support and repair services. Some commentators are concerned that Google is trying to restrict consumers' ability to repair their electronic devices.

Greenwashing by fossil fuel companies

Google Ads is a major customer of fossil fuel companies, funders, and public relations agencies, such as ExxonMobil Shell, McKinsey, and McKinsey. One-fifth of Google Ads that were targeted at climate-related terms (e.g., net-zero, carbon storage, and carbon capture) were paid for by fossil fuel corporations. According to InfluenceMap and The Guardian, Shell's ads were seen on 86% of searches for "net zero." A 2020 survey found that more than half of respondents couldn't tell the difference between a regular Google result and an Ad. InfluenceMap, one of the study's authors, stated that Google allows groups with a financial interest in fossil fuels to influence what resources users receive when they try to learn more. The oil and gas industry has shifted away from disputing climate change science and is now trying to influence public debates about decarbonization in their favor.