Get Started with Google Ads

Introduction

As a business owner, understanding how to leverage Google Ads can make a significant difference in growing your business. This step-by-step guide is designed to make the process of creating your first Google Ads search campaign as straightforward as possible.

Google Ads is a powerful tool that allows businesses to display ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). When you create a Google Ads search campaign, you can target specific keywords relevant to your business, ensuring that your ads appear when potential customers are searching for the products or services you offer.

Creating a Google Ads search campaign can seem complex if you’re new to the platform, but don’t worry. This tutorial is designed with beginners in mind, and we will guide you through each step of the process.

Let’s get started!

Create a Google Ads Account

1. Visit the Google Ads homepage at ads.google.com. On the homepage, click on the “Start now” button.
2. If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll need to create one. You can do this by clicking on “Create account” and following the instructions. You’ll need to provide some basic information, including your name, preferred email address, and a password.
3. If you do have a Google account, you can simply sign in with your existing Google account.

Setting Up Your First Campaign

1. After logging in to your Google Ads account, you’ll be directed to the Google Ads dashboard. The dashboard is your central hub for creating and managing your ad campaigns.
2. On the left side of your dashboard, click on the “Campaigns” tab, then click the blue “+” button. This will initiate the process of creating a new campaign.
3. Next, you’ll be asked to select a goal for your campaign. Google Ads provides several options to align with your business objectives such as sales, leads, website traffic, product and brand consideration, brand awareness and reach, or app promotion.
4. After selecting a goal, choose the ‘Search’ campaign type. This means your ads will show up in Google’s search results when users type in relevant queries.
5. You’ll then be asked to specify the ways you’d like to reach your goal. This could include website visits, phone calls, or app downloads. If you’re not sure what to choose, you can always change these settings later.

Targeting and Audiences

1. In the “Networks” section, you’ll have the option to choose where your ads will appear. For a search campaign, you’ll typically want to choose the “Google search network”.
2. Then, set your geographical location targeting. This is critical because it determines who will see your ads. You can target by country, city, or even a specific radius around a particular location.
3. Under the “Audience” settings, you can narrow down your audience further. This could be by demographics, interests, habits, or you can re-target people who have already interacted with your business.

Budget and Bidding

1. Set your daily budget. This is the average amount you’re willing to spend each day on your ad campaign. Your monthly budget is determined by multiplying your daily budget by the average number of days in a month.
2. Next, you’ll choose your bid strategy. This is how you will pay for users to interact with your ads. If you’re new to Google Ads, the “Maximize Clicks” strategy is a good starting point. It’s an automatic bidding strategy that sets your bids to help get as many clicks as possible within your budget.

Create Your Ad Group and Keywords

1. Ad groups are subsets of your campaign, each with a common set of keywords, ads, and bids. After setting your budget and bidding, you will be asked to create your first ad group.
2. Choose your keywords within each ad group. These are the terms that, when searched by a user, might trigger your ad to appear. Try to choose highly relevant and specific keywords that your potential customers might use when searching for your product or service.

Create Your Ads

1. Now you get to write your ad. You’ll need to create a headline, which is the first thing people see. Make it catchy and relevant. You’ll also need a description, which gives more information about your product or service. Be sure to include a strong call-to-action.
2. You’ll also provide a display URL, which is the web address that appears with your ad. It gives potential customers an idea of where they’ll arrive after clicking your ad.
3. After writing your ad, click “Save and continue.”

Review and Launch

1. Before launching, review your campaign settings. Make sure your budget, bid strategy, target audience, ad groups, and ads are all set the way you want them.
2. If everything looks good, click “Continue to Campaign.” Your campaign is now ready to go. Click “Publish” to launch your first Google Ads search campaign.

Remember, running successful Google Ads campaigns requires regular monitoring and adjustments. Keep a close eye on your campaign’s performance metrics and don’t hesitate to tweak your settings to improve results.

Outsource Your PPC

While setting up and managing a PPC campaign can be a powerful step towards growing your business, it can also be quite time-consuming and complex. As a business owner, you may not always have the time or resources to devote to mastering Google Ads, and that’s perfectly okay.

If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by the intricacies of PPC, or if you’d rather concentrate on other aspects of your business, you might want to consider outsourcing your PPC needs to a professional agency. One such agency that specializes in PPC is The Hoth.

The Hoth offers an outstanding Managed PPC service that can handle all your Google Ads needs. They deliver a fully managed, hands-off solution that combines their expertise, a robust PPC strategy, compelling ad creation, and efficient campaign management, all backed by their top-notch staff and support.

Their team of PPC experts will analyze your business, identify key opportunities, and develop a personalized PPC strategy tailored to your business. They will handle everything from keyword selection and bid management to ad creation and performance tracking.

With The Hoth, you’re not just purchasing a service; you’re gaining a dedicated PPC partner. They provide regular, detailed updates on your campaign’s performance and adjustments. You’ll always be in the know about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.

Whether your goal is to attract local customers, target national audiences, or even establish a global presence, The Hoth has a package that’s suitable for your needs.

If you’re interested in exploring what The Hoth’s Managed PPC service can do for your business, visit their website at www.thehoth.com.

Choosing a managed PPC service, like The Hoth, allows you to reap the benefits of Google Ads without needing to become an expert yourself, freeing up your time to focus on running your business.

Questions

Have any questions about advertising on Google? Just email us at info@opstart.ca and we’d be happy to help!