Google AdWords: How it works and why you should use it

31 Oct' 14 | By Amanda Smith

Google is the indisputable No.1 player in paid search. In fact AdWords works so well that one study found that 40% of consumers are unaware that Google AdWords are even adverts.

Today we’re taking a look at Google AdWords, Google’s own advertising service which allows you to place adverts for your website on a search engine results page (SERP). If the words people type in Google match your keywords, your ad can appear above or next to the search results.

This means there’s no need to wait around for your new or existing site to work its way naturally up the rankings.

What is paid search?

Paid search relates to advertising within the listings of the Google SERP and it’s Display Network. These can appear at the top of the SERP or to the side, and can only really be detected by a small yellow ‘Ad’ label, which Google places on them. The Display Network is a group of over a million websites, apps and videos that include specific Google sites such as Gmail, YouTube and Blogger, giving brands and businesses a titanic audience.

How do AdWords work?

In it’s simplest form, pick some keywords that a searcher might use on Google to find your business or products, then create an advert that will appear on the SERP, set a daily budget and you’re good to go.

It’s probably worth noting, that you’re not going to be the only company wanting to attract customers who use those particular keywords. Competitor companies can bid for the same keyword, meaning keywords with the highest bids (how much you’re willing to pay Google every time a searcher clicks, views or completes an acquisition on your ad) are more likely to appear in the search results.

However, it’s not all about how deep your pockets are. Unlike other real-time bidding machines, Google also uses something called a ‘quality-score’.

This is where Google will anaylse how relevant and useful your ad is to the searcher and the keywords they’ve inputted. It will also look at how many clicks your ad has received previously, known in the digital world as a click-through-rate (CTR) and how relevant your landing page is. For example, if the searcher types ‘Blue Ballpoint Pen’ and your advert appears saying ‘buy Blue Ballpoint Pen here’, once the ad is clicked it must lead the searcher directly to a page selling that product. If it goes to a generic homepage, it’s not good enough.

The higher your quality score, the better. Your bid might even be less than a competitor, but your ad may appear above theirs if your quality score is superior.

Why should you be using AdWords?
Online marketing, including PPC ads, is 54% more successful at generating leads.

By running ads that use the right keywords for your target audiences, you’re reaching people that already have an interest in your product or service. Once your AdWords campaign goes live, ads will appear and you’ll see immediate results, compare this to the slow burner of SEO.
The average click-through rate for a Google ad is 3.16% and with ad options like Click-to-Call these networks instantly allow customers to get in touch – 70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from Google Search.

In 2014, 72% of Google AdWords marketers plan to increase their PPC budgets. Why not talk to our Certified Google AdWords Expert to start your new campaign today? Click here to get in touch.

Source:
Wishpond, 2014