Marketing is a great field to go into, but the world of digital marketing can appear confusing. Between affiliate and content marketing, social media, Search Engine Optimization, and Google Ads, there’s a lot of options. 

If you’re hoping to get a career in digital marketing, or simply want to learn how to grow your business more efficiently, taking the time to learn and understand Google Ads will benefit you in many ways. This article will briefly explain what every beginner needs to know about Google Ads. 

What is a Google Ads?

Google Ads is a digital marketing platform with multiple networks. The networks are Search, Shopping, Video, and Display. Each Google Ads account can launch a campaign in one or more of the networks. Google will generate your advertisements in Search results, Shopping results, YouTube videos, and more, depending on the campaign type. 

Since Google Ads uses a Pay Per Click (PPC) system, it produces results faster than Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Businesses bid on keywords and Google generates and ranks ads in the Search results.

Google Ads can help businesses grow, increase traffic, and boost sales. 

Why is Google Ads a valuable digital marketing channel?

Organic traffic is very difficult to generate, and SEO takes months or years to become profitable. 

Social media marketing, such as Facebook and Instagram ads, tend to produce inconsistent results. This could be due to the fast-paced cycle of what is trending or viral. Google Ads, however, are almost always consistent. 

How do you get involved with Google Ads?

Mastering Google Ads is a necessity if you’re hoping to have a career in digital marketing. The most obvious entry into the Google Ads world is working in a Google AdWords agency. You can apply for an entry level position or as an intern and learn the ins-and-outs of Google Ads if you have no experience.

Agencies run the Google Ads accounts for multiple clients. They work with businesses and manage the campaigns, keywords, and bids. If you don’t want to work for an agency and would rather focus and oversee one company’s account, you can opt to work in-house for a company. 

The last option is if you start your own business, you can experiment with Google Ads. Launching a Search campaign is a great way to grow a new business, and if you’re managing the Google Ads yourself, you can see how it compares to other digital marketing channels first-hand. 

If you’re interested in working with Google Ads, spend time learning some of the basics before you get started. 

How do you set up a Google Ads account?

Simply creating a Google Ads account is easy. Setting up an account and campaigns with the right foundation for success is the difficult part. 

All you need to do is enter a Gmail to register for a Google Ads Account. Then, you’ll enter your business’ website to connect to the account and click continue. 

Once the logistics over, you must learn the metrics, research search terms and keywords, choose a campaign, and create ads. 

Tips from a Google Ads expert for success:

1. Learn the metrics

Metrics such as quality score, cost per sale, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and conversion rates are important to frequently monitor. If your quality score is low, Google will rank your ads lower. If your conversion rate for a specific keyword and ad is low, you may want to remove that keyword or lower the bid. If your CTR is high, that means most people who see your ad click on it. 

Understanding and tracking these metrics can help you determine what is and isn’t working in your campaign. Without monitoring them, you’ll miss out on opportunities to boost your ads performance and increase your overall profits. 

2. Research search terms and keywords

The keyword list and match types you select are what Google uses to generate your ads in the Search results page. You can use tools such as Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to see which search terms are popular and relevant. Based on this knowledge, you can curate a keyword list prior to launching a campaign. Once your ads are up and running, you can track metrics and use the data to improve and add on to your keyword list. 

3. Choose the right a campaign

Google Ads has four different campaign types: Search, Shopping, Video, and Display. Google’s Search Network is the most useful and beneficial for businesses. Search ads are text ads that appear at the top of the Google Search results, which means it reaches a large audience and generates tons of traffic. 

Shopping ads are for products from Ecommerce stores. They are shown in the Google Search and Shopping results, or they can be used for remarketing. Video ads are typically YouTube advertisements and Display ads are pop-ups or in the margins of webpages. 

Select whichever campaigns work best for your business, but it is highly recommended you always use a Search campaign.

4. Write good ad copy

Once your campaign and keywords have been chosen, it’s time to write your ad copy. Ad copy is the headlines and descriptions of your ads. 

If your ad is ranked at the top of the Search results and someone comes across it, they’ll read the headline and description before clicking on it. Since it’s the last thing holding people back from clicking on your ad and you pay for each click, you want great ad copy that will persuade potential customers to click it. 

Try having one version of an ad with creative ad copy, and another with straightforward ad copy. Test them both to see which works best with your audience. 

There are plenty of helpful digital marketing strategies that are useful to businesses, but Google Ads is one of the best. All aspiring digital marketers or entrepreneurs should work at mastering Google Ads, as it will help them in their career and make them a better marketer.