If you are a manufacturer who has never used AdWords before, I know how intimidating and daunting the prospect of doing so might be. In this article, I will be sharing the necessary steps required to use AdWords successfully. You may want to bookmark this page as there are secrets you need to know to make paid advertisements successful.
I have spent a number of years as a marketing and B2B SEO consultant, and I must say I had not given PPC a thought. That is, until Google made a significant change by increasing the number of ads above the organic search bar to four.
This brought about a sudden change in SEO, especially with growing businesses that already have challenges with SEO. Going through my client’s sites, I discovered their ranking order was forced to the bottom and their CTR’s reduced drastically. This was when it dawned on me that I needed to start learning AdWords to provide a unique service to my clients.
Fortunately, I had a small manufacturer who wanted to start a limited AdWords campaign, and he let me set it up for him. This was the beginning of my experience with AdWords.
I introduced new skills to the campaign, such as direct response copywriting, online marketing, and analytic experience. However, drawing on my knowledge of SEO, I discovered I had made some mistakes. I needed time to research and figure out exactly what those mistakes were, and how to avoid them in the future.
I discovered that the learning curve of AdWords is steep - and I was fighting hard to make a difference for my clients, not to mention the small business owners who lack the knowledge they need to start using AdWords.
After years of experience, I was able to learn some of the ins and outs of using AdWords. So, if you are considering using AdWords, take the time to read the following list. I have put it together in a newbie-friendly way that will help you build your small business.
1. Do not be in haste to review the documentation
You’re deceiving yourself if you think setting up an AdWords campaign is simple. I know countless numbers of people who have wasted the money they have been saving for months on an ill-fated AdWords campaign. Google made it worse in that you can create an ad even before you have completed your account setup.
It takes an enormous amount of effort to set up an effective ad campaign. There are so many pieces to deal with on AdWords like remarketing, search & display networks - and other add-ons, such as adjusting bid by devices, dynamic insertion, extensions, and much more - that it is easy to think you have created an excellent ad campaign when you have not.
It is critical and constructive for you to read all of Google's documentation before opening your AdWords account. This will help you determine what you want from your ad, and the amount you need to spend on it.
Google has taken the time to explain how AdWords works, and you should take a week or more to go through all the basic guidelines. Be sure to watch all the videos attached to it, so you have the best understanding of the material. This learning process is best done little by little.
2. Come up with a simple strategy
There are two interfaces with Google AdWords: The AdWords interface where you log in and the AdWords Editor which is downloadable. As a newbie, this can be confusing.
Since you are starting small, spend your time on the AdWords interface and ignore the AdWords editor for now.
Below is a simple and easy strategy that you can use to setup your campaign:
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Daily budget - this can be easily setup
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Network - go for text only ads
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Time/day of the week - Monday - Friday, standard business hours
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Region - go with the US only
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Three Ad Groups - these should be based on your keyword research
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Two ads/Ad Group - Test ad copy
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Sitelinks - The site you will be linking your campaign to
3. Have good understanding of keyword matching options
The most challenging part of setting up an effective ad campaign is figuring out the right audience for your services.
Initially, I followed Google's advice by using broad match, but I quickly realized there was a problem. There were clicks, but they were irrelevant to what my client was offering.
I followed Google's advice of using many keywords, but soon realized it was not doing me any good. So, I reduced the number of keywords as well.
To solve the issue of keyword relevance, I researched getting relevant information on keyword matching options.
4. Your changes should be based on data, but they should be done one at a time
AdWords is truly an eye-opener because it helps you to see the search queries of other people. This data will help you determine whether the ads you set up based on your keyword research matches the demand for your product.
You may find it necessary to create a landing page that matches the keywords the majority of the people are using.
Don't create too many ads at a time. Start by setting up an Ad Group, then create a landing page for the group. This is necessary so you can run a test on the Modified Broad Match and determine whether your targeted ad would draw inquiries.
5. Make sure all clicks coming from your website are tracked
There are RFQ forms for most small business websites, and it is easy to track the conversions in Google Analytics. The greatest challenge most small manufacturers face is that a huge chunk of their inquiries is in the form of an email. Initially, this can be tracked manually, but it will quickly reach a point where it becomes cumbersome.
This issue can easily be solved by using the Google Tag Manager. With this tool, you can add codes to your website that will enable you to track events like video plays, mailto uses, button clicks, and PDF downloads.
6. The source of all your inquiries should be tracked
After you have followed all the above steps, your campaign should be starting to take shape. Your ads will be showing for the right search queries, clicks will begin to increase, and your ads on the SERP will start to improve.
Never let yourself be carried away by the activities of your competitors. You will see people adding the RFQ sitelink, but I advise you to remove it because it does not serve a reasonable purpose. One good thing about AdWords is its ability for the components of your campaign to be easily tested, which verifies if something is faulty or not.
7. Check your campaign as many times as possible during the week
If you are just starting an ad campaign, it is important you check your account every day to be sure everything is going well. After some time has passed and you have gained some experience, you may reduce your checking to a daily interval or even put it on autopilot.
Below are some of the benefits you may see when you check your account frequently:
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You can check the status of your ads regarding clicks, position, spending, and other things, especially after you have made changes.
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You can gain some insights by viewing search queries – your keyword match option is right if the clicks you are getting are the right ones, or what most people are searching.
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You can draw comparisons to your ad performance
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You can decide on your next course of action - for example, tweaking landing pages, creating new Ad groups, adjusting bids, and much more.
If you have been skeptical about using the AdWords campaign, I advise you to follow these steps one at a time and take the bull by the horns. You don’t need to be in a hurry; take your time and read all the available documentation before creating your campaign. With the tips given above, I am sure you are going to have a successful campaign, and I wish you well in your new endeavor.
Do you have any queries about your next AdWords campaign? Let us know in the comments section below.
