Getting started with Google AdWords is crazy easy at this point. Google knows that the best way to bring in advertising dollars is to make this process as streamlined as possible, and to provide better results than you could hope you for without it.
Setting up your account, and getting your first optimized ad out onto the web should only take you about 10 minutes. Really.
What is Google AdWords?
Adwords is a platform created and hosted by Google that allows you leverage the massive amount of data and web presence that Google controls, to deliver your own advertisements.
Adwords uses complex algorithms to determine the best pages to place your ad for maximum engagement. Google understands the intentions of its searchers better than anyone, and that knowledge will help direct the right eyes to your advertisements.
How Does it Work?
The process is relatively simple from the advertiser perspective.
When you set up your account, you choose a number of options to classify your business. These help AdWords to know where to place your ads.
Next, you begin creating your ad. Using a combination of factors including your ad copy, your classifications, and other keywords, AdWords builds a better sense of where to place your ads.
Once you’ve created a campaign, you’re also able to toggle your geographic targeting. This will help you keep your ads relevant, and your ad-spend down.
Once you’ve created your campaign and your target areas, you can set your daily and month bid prices. There are bound to be other companies shooting for your same target demographics, so Google utilizes a bidding system to determine who gets placed on the highest traffic pages and how often.
How Budgeting and Bidding Works
There are countless companies out there advertising on Google. AdWords utilizes a pay-per-click (PPC) marketing model. You don’t pay strictly for ad placements, like you might in a newspaper. You pay based on how many clicks your ad gets. Seems like a good deal; only pay for what you “use.” But, to how much you end up paying per click, depends on what you’re willing to bid, and how many quality clicks you want.
Companies willing to put up big advertising dollars on AdWords can rest assured that they will pop up in some high-profile, closely-related search queries that are almost guaranteed to garner clicks and conversions. Yes, they end up spending more total, but they bring in many more clicks. Low budgets mean that your ads will still appear on related search queries, but it will take some careful planning to get the best placements for the highest converting searches. Increasing your quality score, by posting well-crafted, related ads, and backing them up with high-quality search engine optimized content, will assure you get the most bang for your advertising buck. Creating poorly-crafted, or seemingly random ads will end up with you paying more for lower-quality clicks.
So take the time to understand your audience, research your key words, and create kick-ass ads. Or, have someone else do it for you! Get in touch if you think you need a hand with your next campaign!
DeMaio Digital Marketing 