Optimizing a Google Ad for peak performance can feel like shooting at a moving target – just when you lock in the perfect strategy, Google will overhaul the criteria for acceptable ads. Moreover, the search engine titan may also penalize any advertisements that do not align with preferred practices. To reach your marketing goals in a rapidly evolving digital environment, here are simple steps you can take to optimize your Google Ads account.
Review Your Google Ad Copy
The quickest way to achieve a relevant Google ad is to ensure you keep your copy specific, clear, and enticing. Match your copy to reflect a user’s search query, include keywords in the display URL, or use emotional appeals to capture attention. By making the most out of the additional headline and characters that Google now allows, you can boost quality, rank, and clicks.
Improving the copy in ad extensions ensures more enticing ads. Ad extensions bolster Google Ad performance because they improve rank, provide less visibility of competitor’s ads, and deliver more relevant information. Google Ad extensions may include site links, reviews, callout extensions, phone numbers, maps, and other additional information that pertains to your business. This information invites the user to engage with your ad directly. These are automated by Google or done manually and can improve leads, clicks, and conversions.
Optimizing Your PPC Keywords
Keywords are the strings that guide the user from the initial search query to impressions, clicks, and conversions. It is important to utilize relevant keywords that are consistent across advertisements and landing pages.
There are different keyword strategies to utilize depending on the goal. To reach broader audiences and build brand awareness, use short-tail keywords such as “winter jacket.” If you want to weed out users who are unlikely to convert, use long-tail keywords such as “women’s hooded winter jacket.” Long-tail keywords may result in fewer impressions but can lead to a user’s higher intent to purchase. To get more specific, use negative keywords to streamline your Google ads to receptive consumers who have a better probability of converting. Using a mix of these PPC keyword strategies can increase brand awareness, generate leads, and produce sales.
What is your Quality Score?
Your quality score reflects how successful your ads will be. On a scale of 1-10, Google measures – or rather predicts – how well your campaign will perform based on three factors:
- Expected click-through-rate (CTR)
- Ad relevance
- Landing page experience
Expected CTR is how well keywords used in your ads have performed in the past based on ad position. Ad relevance is how well the ad copy relates to the keywords used in the ad. To optimize expected CTR and ad relevance, make sure the keywords apply to the Google ad copy and possible search query. To maximize your quality score, create a user-friendly landing page that provides reliable and pertinent information. Take a look at your advertisements; are the ads relevant to a user’s search query? Is there a clear call to action? Is there a seamless transition to a relevant landing page?
Google ranks your ads based on these aspects to decide which ads are displayed where and at what time. Improving quality score can save you money as you can bid less for more impressions. Optimizing your quality score will help you make the most of your budget.
Synthesize Valuable Audience Data
Targeting people with related interests, or users who have previously visited your site improves the visibility of your Google ads. You can use this data to target different demographics and reach new audiences or to hone specific audiences who are already looking to purchase.
This tool captures data on demographics, interests, and intent. Further, you can use it to examine geographical information, the web browser used, the length of time the user was on the website, and the device used to complete a search query. This data allows you to serve up a Google Ad to various audiences based on any combination of demographics, search intent, location, and interests.
Using audience data can boost your sales and ROAS. This feature gives you greater control of where you spend your money and provides essential data to build new campaigns and adjust existing ones.
How to Handle Disapproved Google Ads
No one wants to risk disapproved Google ads and a suspended account. Be sure to get familiar with Google’s Authorized Buyers ad policies. This details prohibited content, prohibited practices, restricted content and features, and editorial and technical standards. It is important to know the guidelines and restrictions of the industry your business operates in to better ensure that your Google ad meet certain standards.
One of the most common issues causing rejection of Google ads is a discrepancy between the display URL and the domain. To solve this issue, the text should be consistent with the domain to which you are sending the user. The revision is submitted as soon as the correction is made and approved immediately.
Some other issues stem from using the same website in more than one ad in an ad group, lacking pertinent information on a landing page, remarketing without consent, punctuation issues, industry-specific (such as healthcare) issues, or ad content issues. To solve these issues, assess the reason for the disapproval and adjust according to Google ad policies.
Steering Clear of Google Ad Mistakes
As digital marketing evolves quickly, it is important to stay up to date on the best practices to improve your account and achieve your marketing goals. By regularly checking in to analyze key metrics, you can reallocate and adjust ad campaigns to optimize their performance. These tips will help you navigate and optimize your Google ads account in a constantly growing digital landscape with success. Dial (973) 346-8100 to connect with Premiere Creative’s trusted team of paid advertising specialists.