Google AdWords is a highly popular way to advertise your business online.
Google AdWords search and display ads are an effective way to augment your online marketing strategy, and since you only pay Google if someone clicks on the ad or calls you, it’s also very affordable. Like everything, though, AdWords has some quirks. The better you understand how it works, the more you will get out of using it as a marketing vehicle for your business.
What are Search Ads?
AdWords Search Ads are simply the text advertisements that you see in your search engine results. They may show up at the top of your screen, on the bottom, or to the right of your results. You will see that they are marked with a little green box that says “Ad.”
What are Display Ads?
Display Ads are the graphic advertisements that you see on websites all over the Internet. These advertisements can contain text, a URL, interactive elements, or animation. They appear as banner ads on websites, as in-app ads in targeted categories of mobile apps, or even as custom ads in Gmail.
Do I Implement Search, Display, or Both?
In general, the click-through rate (CTR) in AdWords is more impressive on the search network than on the display network. We can speculate that the disparity comes from years of consumers being barraged by display ads. That – mixed with the fact that almost half of users can’t tell a paid text ad from regular organic search (under certain conditions) – gives the search network the upper hand.
What’s my industry’s CTR?
We always track industry averages for our clients when it comes to AdWords CTRs (and organic search traffic). Your industry average CTR is a good point to benchmark when you first begin using AdWords. If you can’t hit the average, then you need to delve into your strategy to see how you can improve ad content and placement.
Why is CTR important?
Your CTR is one of many tools you can use to judge the success of your ad campaign. The higher the CTR, the better your return on investment will be when it comes to your AdWords dollars. Why? The more success you have with a specific keyword, the cheaper Google will make each click for you. Another thing to note is that the better your website ranks for the CTR of a keyword, the cheaper Google will make it for you to bid on.
How do I improve my ads?
There are many tips when it comes to improving ads on both networks.
Search Ad Tips
- Place a special offer in your headline.
- Ensure your primary keyword is in the displayed URL.
- Put a period at the end of your description on line one.
- Perfect your ad copy, making sure it lines up with keyword phrases.
- Study how Google ranks your ads based on your budget (i.e., how the auction works).
Display Ad Tips
- Remove mobile and in-app ads (because you’ll end up paying for accidental clicks).
- Keep your ads away from error pages and seedy websites.
- Increase your ad variety – mix in some text-only ads.
What if I need help?
If you don’t think that you can navigate the AdWords waters alone, Conveyance can help. We enjoy implementing balanced strategies for our clients that include both AdWords and organic search. Contact us today if you’re ready to outperform your industry’s average CTR.