How to set up Google Ads for your business

Using Google Ads to advertise your products or services is a common online marketing method you can use to attract new customers. But it can be confusing to know where to start and how to set your ads up for success.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the basics of Google Ads and then discuss eight tips to consider for effective Google Ads set-up.

What are Google Ads?

Formerly known as Google AdWords, Google Ads form part of an advertising system that allows businesses to bid on certain keywords, in order for their ads to appear in Google’s search results.

Are Google ads worth it?

The short answer is: yes they can be, as long as you know how to optimise them or you work with someone who does. Google Ads can help you to:

• Reach people when they’re looking for your products or services via search engines like Google
• Promote your business within specific geographic regions so you are only targeting people in the areas you do business in
• Encourage more potential customers to visit your website to learn more about your business or service

How much does it cost to use Google Ads?

You’re able to set a budget that works for you. However, according to Wordstream data — the average cost per click in Google Ads is between $1 and $2 on the search network. But the system allows you to adjust, pause or cancel your campaigns at any time. Google also gives you an estimate of what results you can expect (i.e how many clicks) for the budget you set.

How do Google ads work?

We recommend you watch Google’s AdWords tutorial, to learn how AdWords works in under five minutes.

There’s a lot of room for testing and seeing what works for any marketing channel. But we understand that not every business — especially a start-up — has the marketing budget to do this.

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8 tips for effective Google Ads set-up

Here are eight tips to make sure you are effective in using Google Ads to power your online marketing.

1. Set your daily budget

Remember, Google won’t charge unless someone clicks on your ad. Google’s algorithm is able to improve the efficiency of your ads and spend, by only showing it to people who are looking for your products or services.

2. Optimise your landing page

Your online ad should drive people (leads) to a specific page on your website that has been created with the intention to convert that person into a paying customer. It’s important that your landing page is aligned with similar messaging to your online ad. If the messaging isn’t consistent, it can confuse people and lead them to question if they’ve landed on the right page.

3. Select relevant keywords

Google allows you to choose 15-20 keywords and will show you how much monthly search traffic you could expect from a specific keyword. Be warned that Google’s automatic suggestions can be hit and miss, so make sure you conduct (or get some help) conducting keyword research to know what’s going to be the best for your business.

4. Exclude negative keywords

You can build negative keywords lists within your Google Ads manager. Negative keywords are designed to help you keep your traffic relevant and matched specifically to your product and the keywords you’re targeting.

For example, if you are selling an affordable or budget service — you can filter out keywords such as ‘luxury’ or ‘premium’. What this does is ensure that when customers are searching for ‘luxury x’ your ads aren’t triggered to show up, and waste your advertising money.

5. Write your ad copy

To cut through the competition on Google, you have to turn your attention to the customer. Make sure you are crafting ad copy that speaks directly to your customers’ search queries, so they want to click on your ad over your competition.

Start with a great headline that attracts your customers’ attention and is relevant to what they searched for. Then use the description sections to highlight the benefits of your product and give them an incentive to click.

Make sure you always have a clear call to action on your ads. For example, if you're a childcare business, you might have ‘Schedule a Tour’ or if you’re a fitness business, you might have ‘Free Trial’.

Don’t underestimate the power of effective ad copy. You might want to get some help from a copywriting or marketing expert to help you get started. Otherwise, take the time to watch or read some tutorials.

6. Use ad scheduling

You have the opportunity to choose when your ads will appear in Google Ads. This not only helps you manage your budget more effectively, but you can choose to show ads during certain days or during business hours only. Once you monitor your results over a period of time, you’ll start to learn more about the most effective time to schedule your ads, based on customer activity.

7. Set geo-targeting

You can optimise your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns with geo-targeted bids based on your customers’ physical location. This depends on where your business is based and how far people are willing to travel. Make sure you include neighbouring suburbs, too. Google will be able to tell you what the estimated reach is, based on the locations you choose, which means you can see how many people are estimated to see your ad.

8. Choose your networks

You’re given the option to choose if you want your ad to be displayed in Google search and/or the display network, which is Google content sites and non-Google content partners. If you want maximum reach, go for both. If you’d rather a more targeted audience, choose Search network.

Running effective Google Ads campaigns requires continuous optimisation

Unfortunately, this is not something you can set and forget. While it is an effective way to boost targeted traffic to your website, there are always little improvements you can make to ensure you are maximising your spend.

Further reading

5 marketing mistakes that can impact your cash flow