Love it or hate it, over the past two decades Google has managed to weave its way into the very fabric of our society – from email to shopping and everything in between, its vast reach makes it an unavoidable feature of our daily lives.
The Google Behemoth
For the modern business – regardless of its size, structure, location, or industry – to ignore Google’s astonishing influence is not an option. Certainly, it’s possible – even preferable – to develop a strategy for success which forgoes the services offered by Google; but without developing and maintaining an understanding of the company’s influence, you are putting your business at a significant disadvantage.
Arguably the best way to achieve success in the Google arena is through website optimisation and establishing a strong presence across a range of organic search results. However, for a startup entering this hugely competitive and over-crowded field, a much simpler and quicker method is to utilise Google Ads and their pay-per-click (PPC) model.
Go It Alone?
Easier said than done. Google Ads (and indeed every form of PPC advertising) is a complex, ever-changing platform. Algorithms evolve, devices evolve, and even consumers evolve – for the average small- or mid-sized business owner, staying on top of these changes and their impacts is not an efficient use of time. This is where a specialist Google Ads management services agency like The Bank can help!
At The Bank, our Google Ads and PPC agency team serve to take all the headaches out of developing, implementing and maintaining a successful Google Ads campaign. No matter your business’ size or advertising budget, we can help you create an online advertising strategy which will result in consumer engagement, brand recognition and a positive ROI.
We’d love to hear from you to discuss your next Google Ads campaign! But why not first take a few minutes to refresh your Google Ads knowledge via this guide from our PPC management experts:
What Is Google AdWords?
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is a platform that allows businesses to create and operate ad campaigns across the company’s range of software services. Google’s sophisticated algorithms track online consumer behaviour, allowing advertisers to target their ads to incredibly specific demographics. A Google Ads campaign can filter targets through factors such as age, gender identification, hobbies and interests – even by where people are when they see the ad!
Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which levies a charge each time a user reaches a landing page from a paid ad. Combined with sophisticated demographic targeting, Google advertisements can be an incredibly effective way to build brand exposure, generate more leads, and make more sales.
Since the scheme’s formation, Google AdWords account-holders have also had the facilities to track how their ads are performing, allowing them to make modifications to their campaigns throughout. Conversion tracking and detailed reporting of performance metrics is unquestionably useful, but this data-driven field is often best left to a professional; this is why many businesses choose to invest a portion of their PPC ad spend retaining the services of a digital marketing agency, hired exclusively to meet their Google Ads management needs.
What Does a Google Ad Look Like?
Google has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a web search engine. The company has sprawled into many different areas, offering significant potential formats through which advertisers can place their pay-per-click ads.
At The Bank, we strive to build Google Ads campaigns which touch upon as many of these areas as possible, giving our clients more opportunities to reach more customers.
Let’s take a look under the hood of the Google Ads PPC options:
Search Ads (Google Search)
Google search ads are the most common type of Google Ads. They appear at the top and bottom of the search engine results pages (SERPs), and are triggered when someone types in a keyword that a campaign has chosen to target (more on that later). As with all Google Ads, advertisers only pay when a potential customer clicks on their ad.
Google search ads are typically marked as “Sponsored Links” or “Ads” to distinguish them from the organic search results below. A majority of internet traffic comes from people using a search engine to find what they’re looking for, and so paid search can provide an excellent return on investment (ROI) by targeting these customers specifically.
Display Ads (Google Display Network)
Google’s Display Network takes PPC ads away from the Google website itself, allowing advertisers to place ads on landing pages across the web. For businesses who need to target a wide audience, display advertising through Google can be an incredibly appealing option, allowing them to use a huge network of landing pages in order to target as many users as possible.
Unlike the PPC advertising model used by many Google services, the Display Network operates on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) basis, meaning you pay each time your ad is displayed to 1,000 users. This display advertisement model can prove more affordable than PPC advertising, and as it is still operated via the Google Ads account and company website, it offers the same simplicity for advertisers and their PPC agencies.
Video Ads (YouTube)
With over one billion users per month, YouTube is now the second most visited website in the world (guess which website is first…), which makes it a fantastic option for anyone building a Google Ads campaign.
YouTube ads come in two flavours: Bumper and TrueView.
- Bumper ads are non-skippable ads, up to six seconds in length. Like Google Display Network ads, they are charged on a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) basis.
- TrueView ads are those which allow users to skip to the main content after five seconds. There are a range of potential bidding strategies for TrueView YouTube ads, including cost-per-view (CPV), target cost-per-action (CPA), and target cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM). This allows for significant variability within a PPC marketing strategy. Sound confusing? Contact us today, our PPC team can help talk you through it.
Shopping Ads (Google Shopping)
Google Shopping ads appear as a list of products on the right-hand side of the Google Shopping platform. Like search ads, Google’s Shopping adverts are a form of PPC advertising, meaning a business is only charged once a user clicks on one of its ads.
Because Google Shopping users are commonly actively looking to make a purchase, these Google Ads often boost online sales and provide an extremely high return on investment. For example:
Let’s say you’ve set up a new fashion brand, and you want to drive traffic to the landing page of the new yellow scarf you’ve just got in stock. You’re a new company, so it’s going to be tough to drive that organic website traffic straight away. So, you go to your PPC management agency, and ask the Google Ads experts to develop an ad for the keyword “yellow scarf”. Now, every user who’s in the market for a yellow scarf will see your item, and if your photos look great and the price looks good, there’s a good chance they reach your site!
App Ads (UAC)
Specifically produced for app developers, Google Universal App Campaigns (UACs) is a newer Google Ads product that allows businesses to promote their Android or iOS apps across Google’s networks. UAC operates on a cost-per-install (CPI) basis, meaning you only pay when someone installs your app.
UAC is a great option for businesses that want to promote their apps across Google, as it targets users who are actively searching for new apps to install on their devices. Because UAC operates on a CPI basis, you only pay when someone installs your app, making it a more affordable option than traditional advertising methods.
How Can Google Ads Work for My Business?
Now you’ve seen the options available to your online business as a Google Ads advertiser, you’re probably already thinking of the ways in which you could make a Google Ads account work for you. Take a look at our three Rs for why you should use Google Ads:
- Reach – Google Ads offers the ability to target customers of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. This kind of reach is simply not offered by any other means.
- Refinement – Google’s massive user base provides them with consumer behaviour and online activity data that allows for incredible refinement and targeting across PPC campaigns.
- Results – Whatever business you run, the ultimate goal is to make more money. For e-commerce businesses, Google Shopping advertisements can provide instant online sales. For all other businesses, Google Ads provides the tools and options to ensure your campaign will achieve maximum return on investment, and ultimately reach satisfy all your business goals.
Do I Need a Google Ads Management Agency?
Okay, so we may be slightly biased, but when it comes to advertising your business online, using a Google Ads management agency can be extremely beneficial. By working with an experienced and knowledgeable PPC team, you can ensure that your campaigns are set up for maximum success, and that you’re getting the most value from your advertising budget.
Expertise
With a large dedicated team, a Google Ads agency offers economies of scale. A PPC agency like The Bank have the contacts, software tools, and collective expertise that you won’t find anywhere else.
Strategy
Strategy is an essential part of any marketing campaign – you need to set markers by which you’ll judge the success (or failure) of your endeavours. At The Bank, we can help with this complicated process, establishing realistic targets and laying out a plan for achieving them.
Account Management
The Bank is a PPC agency based in the North-East, but we serve clients throughout the UK. No matter your location, if you retain our services your dedicated Google Ads account manager will be on-hand any time to provide advice and assistance.
Data Analysis
Google Ads management and PPC management are fields which are notoriously – and often needlessly – oblique. Advertisers who utilise Google Ads are provided reams of performance data, most of which means nothing to the average business owner! By investing in Google Ads management services, you leave the interpretation up to someone else!
The Bank: Our PPC Agency Process
Hopefully, you’re starting to see the benefits of retaining PPC management services. But what does the PPC campaign development process look like in practice..?
When it comes to building Google Ads campaigns, The Bank’s PPC management experts follow a structure which allows for maximum integration with any business. We collaborate with our clients throughout the entire process – take a look at the steps below to see what’s involved:
1) Campaign Strategy Development
The Past
The first step is to map out an online marketing strategy for your PPC advertising campaign. If you’ve used Google AdWords in the past, we normally start with a free Google Ads audit, to see what lessons there are to be learned from past performance.
The Future
What are your aims for setting up a pay-per-click or Google Ads campaign? Do you want to make more money, or just direct new users to your landing pages? Your goals must be clearly defined before going live with any Google ads; aims which are unclear or diffuse rarely lead to success!
The Cost
Next, we talk about budget. It’s incredibly easy to over-spend when it comes to Google Ads and pay-per-click, so we want to make sure we can achieve your paid search goals without going over your designated Google Ads spend.
2) Implementation Options
What..?
With a strategy in place, we start to think about how we use your Google ad spend to the greatest effect. If you don’t already have a Google Ads account setup at this point, our team will help you get one setup. From here, we can manage your Google Ads PPC together, and you can gain access to reports and information whenever you need them.
Where..?
Which Google Ads channels will work best for your business? What kinds of non-Google website will work well with your ads?
How..?
What kinds of creative solutions can we find to maximise engagement with your ads? If we decide to target YouTube, how can we keep users watching past that first five seconds? If we’re going down the Shopping route, what can we do to make your product images pop?
3) Keyword Research
Positive
Next comes keyword research. What words can we target to ensure you’re ads are relevant to you, your business, and your customers? What words can we find that are under-represented or under-utilised in the PPC campaigns of your competitors?
Negative
Negative keywords can be just as important when it comes to refining your Google Ads campaign. Negative keywords give you the option to exclude certain terms from your PPC campaigns, letting you focus on only the keywords that matter.
4) Ad Copy
Words
At The Bank, our copywriters are experts in writing the best copy for your paid search ads. They know how to use keywords in ways which will reflect well on your brand, in addition to driving traffic to your website.
Pictures
A picture says a thousand words (a cliche, we know), and when creating Google Ads content you will often want to include photo images. We can introduce you to our network of photographers, or help you license images that send the right message to your customers.
Video
If YouTube ads is one of your PPC targets, you’re going to need video materials. As a leading digital marketing agency, The Bank has in-house editing and production expertise, as well as a network of video and talent professionals on-hand to get your video-based Google ads PPC-ready!
5) Performance Tracking and PPC Optimisation
Keyword Analysis
Remember we found those keywords? Now’s the time to go back and see how they’re performing. What can we do better? Do we have any new ideas? How are our competitors doing? Can we draw any inspiration from them, and from the areas they’ve seen success?
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
The work of a Google Ads agency is never done, and we monitor and scrutinise all changes – both positive and negative – to see how best we can optimise your PPC campaign.
6) Performance Measurement and Reporting
Reporting for Duty
Your Google Ads agency can promise the world, but without regular performance reports, you can’t be sure we’re helping you. That’s why The Bank will always provide you with the most accurate and clear data-driven results and analysis.
The Bank: Your New Google Ads Agency
As a business owner or marketing professional, you want to work only with the best Google Ads agency – we think that’s us!
Our Google Ads experts have unparalleled experience in the delivery of PPC management services and marketing campaign development.
Our PPC experts work closely with our account management and client services teams, ensuring the best knowledge and the best service possible.
Whilst we might not be the biggest, we strive to be the best Google Ads agency for service and dedication. Our PPC management service caters to clients of all sizes, from the local startup, to the multi-national retailer. No matter your size or advertising budget, our priority is always you!
So, if you think working with a PPC agency might benefit you, don’t settle for second-best – contact the top Google Ads agency today!
We can’t wait to start working together.
