Google AdWords Management Brainerd

Google AdWords is the old name for Google Ads. It is the advertising system that helps Google generate the vast majority of their income!

Without the cynicism, it is an advertising platform that allows businesses to show their ads in a highly targeted way to people who are searching for their product or service, provided their Account is optimized to do so.

Google does assist businesses in setting up the account, however, one must retain the cynicism present in the above paragraph if deciding to use their assistance. Their representatives work for Google, not you!

Google AdWords is a powerful advertising platform that can:

1. Increase leads and sales.
2. Identify new opportunities and markets.
3. Improve insights into target market online behaviour.

The different types of Advertising you can do through Google include:

1. Search Network
2. Display Network
3. YouTube Network

Each network has different targeting options that allow you to narrow down your audience in order to show your Ads to people most likely to buy your product!

Google AdWords Search Network gives you the opportunity to bid on Keywords related to your product or service so that your Ads can be seen on the first page when someone searches for that Keyword.

The higher your bid, the more likely you are to be at the top of the page!

Of course, outbidding people for the position means that you will pay a higher Cost Per Click if your Ad gets clicked on. Ensuring that your Ads are highly targeted, your Quality Score is high, and your Keywords are optimized for Conversions is of the utmost importance - if you don't know what that means, we recommend having a chat to us first!

Google Ads Display Network has many uses and opportunities.

Yes, that is explained on our Facebook Advertising page.

Facebook ads are very different to Google Ads. Google's ads, especially the ones in search are unique. They get your product or service in front of potential customers when they're looking for you. Facebook ads is less active, it is more like traditional ads on the television or radio - they're interrupting people's day with an ad offering something they didn't know they wanted. There are excellent opportunities there, but it is a very different beast from Google's Search Ads.

Google AdWords can be a short, medium, and long term strategy, depending on the business and how it is used. It complements the long term SEO strategy in many ways and can be used as a "quick pivot" medium of testing new markets.

Consider these three factors:-

1. Budget
2. Time
3. Competition

Budget and time are the two main factors as they affect the outcome of the Google AdWords account. If you have a small Budget, you will need more time to gather the data necessary to make qualified decisions, but if you have a large Budget, that can help you gather data quicker.

Your Competition affects your cost per click, which in turn affects your Budget and therefore affects the time factor as well. Ensuring that your Google AdWords account is properly targeted reduces wasted spend in the early weeks of a Campaign, and improves the performance of the account by reducing the time it takes to identify that which is performing, such as which Keywords and Ads is most likely to result in a Conversion.

In our years of experience, we have found that it takes around 12 weeks on average to gather the required data that allows you to significantly improve the performance of your AdWords account.

In many cases we strike gold in a Campaign much earlier than that, however, we recommend our clients use this rough guideline to gauge where they are at the present vs where they will be in the future via Cost Per Acquisition identification.

Many clients continue to use Google AdWords even when their SEO Strategy has them at the top of the Organic Search Results. Sometimes it is for brand recognition, sometimes it is because the Google Ads take up so much real estate on the front page now that it means their competitors are on top of them, sometimes it is to test out new targeting or new markets!

No, but you can if you really want to. We provide the format and character limits, you provide the copy! Sounds simple and effective, yes?

In the past clients have begun their engagements with us by specifying strict editorial control, i.e. they want to write every single word that appears on their Ads. However, due to a number of factors, including Google Best Practice, this slows everything down massively and isn't advised.

Matter Solutions have been writing brilliant Ads for more than a decade that achieve high Click Through Rates, however, we understand that you'd like to make sure that your brand is being properly portrayed...

1. We write our Ads based on the messaging within the website.
2. We write our Ads based on the messaging within the website and send through an example for your approval.
3. You write your Ads, send them to us, we have to pimp your Ad Text in accordance with Google Best Practice guidelines and our extensive marketing experience... and then send it back to you for approval.

In some fields (finance, healthcare and legal) we know that clients must approve our Ads before publication - Option C is the clear path for these clients.

Option A is recommended if you trust the messaging on your website. We simply distill that messaging to fit the character limits, while ensuring the Headlines are attractive to the person who is searching, and create an appealing Call To Action relevant to your business.

If you think that your website's messaging might need tweaking for new potential clients, we'd recommend Option B - we still write it, you advise of any minor tweaking for potential clients, we administer those changes and send it live.

If you ask Google this question, the answer would be undoubtedly "yes", other than increasing your budget or allowing an Artificial Intelligence to bid for you.

If you ask anyone who has had any experience with Google AdWords, the answer will be a long drawn out "nooooooo" with the person wide-eyed terrified at the thought of leaving a Campaign in Google's hands with no optimisation.

While it is true that there is a flurry of activity in the early months of a Google AdWords Campaign as various tactics are employed, with a significant amount of Negative Keywords being added, Bids being adjusted, Keywords paused or new Campaigns created, among many other activities, the effort moves to executing the broader strategy by analysis of Ad engagement, while also viewing the behaviour of people once they visit your site.

Many clients are happy that they have halved their Cost Per Acquisition in the first few months, but after a while this rate of improvement slows and some clients wonder why there isn't the same activity happening on their accounts. At this point some clients decide that Google AdWords has reached its peak for their business and they'd rather save the management fee per month.

They then leave the account alone and it trundles along, never really improving, just maintaining. The thing is that improvements to a Campaign after the first six-ish months may be incremental, but they are still improvements.

In my many years of Google AdWords experience, the clients that stick around for years see the greatest benefit. Over that time the Campaign continues to be refined, and while the CPA might not halve every three months, even a mere ten percent improvement year on year after the Campaign is returning a healthy ROI means that the business profits despite the small Management Fee.

1. Consult someone who understands Google Ads.
2. Calculate the investment period and don't be afraid to commit to it.
3. Find a provider who you can work with you on short, medium and long term returns to suit your needs.

DIY? Our tip about preparing to use Google Ads is a good place to start.

We use a scientific data-driven approach that is based on the Pareto Principle and formulated around a proprietary Theory called Core, that identifies and targets the performing elements of an Account and focusses the Budget there in order to gain an ROI.

Google Ads requires us to consider two things, the algorithm upon which the Ads are distributed, and the people to which the Ads are showing. Or as we like to put it:

Appeal to the human, satisfy the AI.

The first principle we use:

Is the person who triggered my Keywords while Searching on Google looking for my product or service, and does my Ad Text entice them to visit my site?

The fundamentals don't change that much. In fact, it sounds downright simple. But if it was easy, then you wouldn't be here.

This concept has many moving parts, from Keyword selection to Negative Keyword implementation, to perfecting the three Headlines to reflect the person's intent, within 30 Characters, to creating Ad Descriptions that entice, inform, and perform.

Another principle is to satisfy the platform, the algorithm, the Artificial Intelligence, the "AI", that you show your Ads on:

Google is looking to reward the best Ads, so ensure that your Ads reflect Best Practice!

The best thing about Google's algorithm for the Quality Score is that, as long as you abide by some pretty basic guidelines, as long as you Appeal to the Human, you're likely going to Satisfy the AI.

Two factors that cross-over:

1. Ensuring the Headlines reflect what is being searched for,
2. Sending the potential client to the best landing page.

Again, fairly simple, but far from easy. Keywords evolve as more Search Terms come in, better Ad Text, analysis of Google Analytics data and pivoting targeting where behaviour dictates, new features come on the scene, the list goes on. In fact, the range of optimisation tactics that can be implemented to improve the Campaigns is virtually endless, but the strategy remains the same.

Appeal to the Human, Satisfy the AI.

We use two analogies for this question in the past, one relates to Real Estate, and one relates to warfare.

If you're a student of successful business, you'll know about Ray Kroc, the "founder" of McDonald's, and you'll be aware that "required reading" for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies includes Sun Tzu's The Art of War. This is relevant, I promise.

There is an anecdote about an appearance by Ray Kroc where he asks the crowd what business people think McDonald's is in. Invariably someone from the crowd responds with "hamburgers".

"Incorrect, Maccas isn't the best hamburger maker, you can make a better one at home," says Ray (paraphrased using Aussie lingo), "the actual business we are in is Real Estate!"

And it is true, at the time of this anecdote, the only rival for Real Estate holdings in the world was the Catholic Church.

You're wondering what this waffling has got to do with Google Ads and whether you need it? Here it is:

The Convenience of being in the Right Place at the Right Time.

No offence to Maccas, but they're not number 1 on anyone's list over the age of 10. They're well priced, but it is their convenience that makes them best at what they do. They're in the Right Place at the Right Time.

And with the analytical tools with Google and the Google Ads system, you can show up in the Right Place at the Right Time with your Ads and sell your hamburgers... or whatever it is you sell.

Let's look at the Sun Tzu analogy.

BE WHERE YOUR ENEMY IS NOT.

The Art Of War has many relevant passages, but this one shows us that we can learn relevant Search Terms through Google Ads that our opposition simply might have missed or doesn't have a stronghold over.

This allows us to use our Google Ads account like foot soldiers, exploring and holding strategic positions while our artillery builds up a presence in the background. In this case, the artillery is your SEO and the "background" is the Organic listing.

And finally, a mish mash of the Real Estate and Military analogies

Location. Location. Location. We've all heard this Golden Rule of Real Estate, apply it to your digital strategy. If you are at the top of Google in the Organic section, the Maps section, and the Google Ads section, that means that there are THREE listings on the battleground that is the front page of Google that your competition isn't showing their listings.

Oh, for sure! If you have the time and expertise to ensure that your Google Ads account will be spending money where it is going to make you money, go for it!

Learning how to recognize performing and non-performing elements of a Campaign goes much deeper than simply looking at how much the Clicks cost, or improving your Click Through Rate.

Conversions don't magically appear because you have some enticing Ad Copy and as the manager of your Google Ads account, you need to be empowered with the knowledge of what happens before, during, and after someone clicks on your Ads.

This means not only understanding the data in the Google AdWords account, but also being able to analyse the behaviour of people on your site in your Google Analytics account to optimize your advertising performance, across all Digital Channels!

Our commitment to success extends to helping clients through comprehensive, hands on, targeted, and company-specific Google Ads Training. We'd strongly recommend this training if you are looking to look after your Google AdWords account yourself.

No, definitely not.

The best thing about digital marketing with Google Ads is that it is quantifiable. Not only will you be able to see the Clicks to your site, but we will show you what Clicks become Conversions (Sale or Lead), and even better, what people were Searching for in order to Convert.

The digital marketing optimisation process does include your expertise, it is your business after all.

You will learn how and why the system works, we'll also teach you how to analyse the data coming in as we believe not only in transparency, but we also know that the more you know about the system's capabilities and limitations, the better our combined strategies will result in ROI.

The only way to guarantee the top position in the Google Ads section is to have an unlimited Budget and be willing to pay top dollar for a Click.

While we'd love to work with clients who have unlimited Budgets (get at me!), we are realists. Google Ads' Quality Score system may provide a mechanism to reduce the Cost Per Click of your Campaign, these days most people have at least attempted to optimize their Ads in order to better compete.

Our Ads are written with Best Practice in mind and therefore have the best opportunity to have a lower Cost Per Click, but even then we wouldn't recommend being in the top position!

In some cases, particularly if your industry is competitive, the person who clicks the Number 1 Ad will often look at the Ads in position 2, 3 and 4 in order to do their version of "due diligence". And if your offering is similar to the last website they look at, you have potentially spent top dollar in order to give the person in position 4 the Conversion.

Data-driven results come from testing what position is best to Convert in the Search Results. Sometimes being Number 1 can really be Number 2 (sorry for the toilet humour).

If you find yourself on the edge of buying Google Ads services from someone who guarantees top position, ask this question, and get the answer in writing, ideally enjoined into the contractual agreement.

How do you circumvent Google Ads policy to make these guarantees?

How long is a piece of string?

There are many factors at play with Google Ads and how much it costs, particularly in relation to Keywords:

1. Competition.
2. Cost per Click.
3. Search Volume.

In our initial review, we delve deep into what you are looking to achieve, what is the core of your business and what Keywords to target through Keyword Research. We then provide you with an initial report that takes into account the above factors and gives you an approximate Cost per day/week/month.

It needs to be kept in mind that the approximate Cost is for the Keywords uncovered in the course of consultation and through Keyword analysis. Over time this Cost could increase or decrease due to optimisation and Search Term analysis that results in Negative Keywords being added to the Campaigns

This is important, IF THE DATA PROVES THE INCREASE/DECREASE TO BE JUSTIFIABLE ONLY THEN WILL WE RECOMMEND AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN BUDGET.

We are data-driven, in the course of optimizing a Campaign we often find new Keywords to work with that perform well and therefore need to increase the Daily Budget. Alternatively, we might find that there are some Keywords that simply do not have an ROI and therefore there is no point in spending money on them, in which case we'd be able to reduce the Daily Budget.

The primary factor in the Cost of Google Ads is competition. Your competitors are the ones that increase or decrease your Cost Per Click, and it is them that you must "battle" for position in the Search Results of Google Ads.

Remember that scene from Bruce Almighty when Bruce grants everyone what they wished in their prayers? And there was chaos as all these people won the lottery?

Many people have left the "battle" up to Google in the hopes that the Almighty's Algorithm is benevolent to them and their business. Their competitors had the same idea.

Increasing your bids every time your competition increases theirs simply results in massively high bids and ultimately, the pricing of yourself out of the market. As I've said above, the only people who win this war are those with the unlimited Budget.

Working out how to optimize when you show, where you show, and what you show in order to beat your competition will assist in reducing your Cost.

You've probably used Google Ads before, or have heard about it. You might even be one of the unfortunate people to believe that Google Ads is a horror story in the making.

In order to properly determine if Google Ads is right for you, you must consider the Return on Investment for your business. Answering these questions should help...

1. Do people look for what you do on Google? (Sometimes they don't)
2. Do you think the people who look for what you do on Google would want to get help from you?
3. Can you help those people and make a profit?

If you answered "yes" to all three of these questions then Google Ads is a great option for you in the short- to mid-term, even if it is just to tide you over until your SEO campaign begins to take full effect.

The beauty of Google Ads is that Campaign performance can be determined fairly quickly, with the performing elements of the Campaign being readily identified using advanced Conversion Tracking and analysing online behaviour in the back end of your website.

Results as a term is subjective in the Digital Marketing world, but you as a business owner use it to mean one thing: SALES.

We get that, so we won't come to you with feigned excitement about how our Click Through Rate is high, or how the Cost Per Click is getting lower, or the Bounce Rate is really good. These are "results" for the Campaign, but mean little to nothing to you.

Our recommendation is to prepare for approximately three months of testing and optimisation. From our extensive experience, this is when we have determined what is performing, and how to better target those elements of the Campaign with the allocated Budget.

Sometimes it takes a little longer but there is always an indication of ROI, and in many cases we strike gold straight away.

We help clients craft Digital Marketing Strategies.

Some clients already have a strategic digital marketing plan defined and need a specialist Search Marketing Company like Matter Solutions to deliver on its activities and meet its objectives.

In either case our Google Ads Campaigns are designed and executed by specialists at Matter Solutions, or other agencies, who provide complementary activities and objectives, e.g.

• Email Marketing
• Pay Per Click Social Media Advertising (Facebook and LinkedIn)
• Google Ads Management
• Content Marketing
• SEO

Our Google Ads management includes a monthly report and catch up session.

In the first 6 weeks of a Campaign, we are in contact at least once weekly. In these 20-30 minute phone reviews we go through the data in the Account with targeted questions regarding the experience on the floor in your business.

What does this mean? Think about it this way, the Campaign could be producing hundreds of enquiries that are showing up as Conversions. Without being in contact, this would look great to us. What if those Conversions were duds?

Contact in those first few weeks allows two things:

1. Identify performing/non-performing elements of the Campaign to maximise/minimise where required.
2. Inform and teach you as a client to be able to read the data in the Google Ads and Google Analytics.

An informed business owner is then able to receive our monthly reports moving forward and make decisions based on the information.