Complete google ads course

The Guide That Takes You From Zero to Hero

What we are going to cover

• what is google ads and why google is so powerful?
• Ad rank and quality score
• Keywords and keyword match types
• negative keywords
• Keyword research
• ad extensions
• Bidding
• optimization

Why is Google so powerful?

There are 8.5 billion Google searches per day, roughly 2 trillion global searches annually, and 90.91% of global search engine market share is owned by Google. It knows users interests and activities, enabling accurate ad targeting and personalization.

What is google ads?

Google ads is an 𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 where businesses bid to show their ads shown in google  search engine and its network partner sites(gmail,youtube,maps,google shopping etc.)

• You bid on words and phrases that people type into search engine to find what they are looking for(keywords)
• Your bid is the amount that you are willing to pay for a user to click your ad and go to your website
• You only pay when a user clicks on your ad(ppc-pay per click)

Every time search triggers your keyword an auction takes place to decide weather or not your ads will show up in specific search term

Types of google ads

1 Search ads

Text ads that appear in google search results page when a user searches for specific keywords

2 Video ads

Ads that play before,during or after in youtube videos

3 Display ads

Visual ads that appear on websites within Google’s Display Network(Google display network-more than 2 million websites, videos, and apps where your Google Ads can appear)

4 Shopping ads

Products or listings that appear on google shopping or search results page

5 App ads

Ads promoting mobile apps across Google’s network, including Google Search, Play Store, YouTube, and more

Ad rank and quality score

What is quality score?

Quality Score (QS) is a metric that Google uses to evaluate the quality of an ad on a scale of 1–10 determined by relevance factors A higher score indicates that the ad is more relevant than competitors' ads Higher score = better ad placement, lower costs 

Factors that determine quality score

1 expected ctr(click through rate)

How frequently users click your ad over the competitor 

Google will estimate ctr of your keywords when you start a new campaign and through the duration of campaign

2 ad relevancy

Google determines how closely an ad campaign matches a user's search, determined by the relationship between keywords and landing page this process is known as crawling where google ssend out a team of bots (known as crawlers or spiders) to find new and updated content

3 expected landing page experience

how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad.easy navigation,mobile friendly,faster loading,no crashes etc..

What is ad rank?

Ad Rank is a set of values that are used to determine whether your ads are eligible to show and if eligible, where on the page your ads are shown  relative to other advertisers's ads

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 How ad rank is determined ?

Ad rank is calculated by the formula

{Quality score} x {max cpc} (maximum amount you willing to pay for a click)

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Keywords and keyword match types

What are keywords?

As mentioned previously keywords are shortened extractions of words or phrases that are used to match your ads with the terms people are searching for

Keyword match types

The keyword match types dictate how closely the keyword needs to match with the user's search query so that the ad can be considered for the auction

There are 3 main keyword match types

1-broad match

Broad match is a keyword match type in Google Ads that casts a wide net to reach a large audience. It allows your ad to show on searches that are related to the meaning of your keyword, even if the exact words aren't included in the search query

2 Exact match

In , exact match  ads show only for searches that match the exact keyword or close variations, like misspellings, singular/plural forms, or stemming. This provides precise control over who sees your ads, ensuring they appear only for highly relevant searches adding square brackets to a keyword makes it  a exact match keyword

3 Phrase match

Phrase match is a keyword type where your ads show searches that include the exact phrase or close variations, with additional words before or after. For example, if your keyword is "women's hats," your ad might show searches like "buy women's hats" or "women's hats on sale," providing a balance between broad reach and control.adding double quotes around a keyword makes it a phrase match keyword

Negative keywords

What are negative keywords?

In Google Ads, negative keywords are like bouncers for your ad campaign to prevent your ad from being triggered by a certain word or phrase even if they're related to your main keywords. This helps you target the right audience and save money on irrelevant clicks.

Negative keyword match types

1 Negative Broad Match:

 Ads won't show if the search query contains all the negative keyword terms, regardless of order. For example, if "cheap hats" is a negative broad match, ads won't appear for "buy cheap hats" or "cheap winter hats."

2 Negative Phrase Match:

 Ads won't show if the search query contains the exact negative keyword phrase in the specified order. For example, if "cheap hats" is a negative phrase match, ads won't appear for "buy cheap hats," but might still show for "hats that are cheap."

3 Negative Exact Match: 

Ads won't show if the search query is exactly the negative keyword phrase. For example, if "cheap hats" is a negative exact match, ads won't appear for "cheap hats" but could show for "buy cheap hats" or "cheap hats online."

How to find negative keywords?

• During keyword research
• Using search term reports
• By irrelevant terms google suggests when researching keywords
• Competitor Analysis 
• Brainstorming: Think about common misconceptions or irrelevant searches related to your product or service. These can be good negative keyword candidates.

Keyword research

What is keyword research?

the process of identifying and analyzing words and phrases that people use to search for information, products, or services on search engines. The goal of keyword research is to identify keywords that users frequently search for to find products or services that a business sells

How is this process done?

Brainstorm Seed Keywords: 

Start by brainstorming a list of general terms or phrases that relate to your business. These are your "seed keywords." For example, if you sell running shoes, your seed keywords might include "running shoes," "athletic footwear," and "sports shoes."

Use Keyword Planner: 

Google's Keyword Planner free within Google Ads that allows you to discover new keywords and get search volumes and forecasts. Enter your seed keywords into the Keyword Planner, and it will provide you with additional keyword ideas, along with metrics such as search volume, competition level, cpc,

Refine Keywords: 

Review the list of keyword ideas generated by the Keyword Planner and refine them based on relevance to your business and your advertising goals.you can use refine keywords tab in keyword planner Look for keywords with a balance of decent search volume exclude irrelevant keywords

Long-Tail Keywords: 

Don't overlook long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases. While they may have lower search volume individually, they often have higher intent and lower competition, making them valuable for targeting niche audiences.

Organize Keywords into Ad Groups: 

Group your keywords into themed ad groups based on relevance. This helps ensure that your ads are highly targeted and increases the likelihood of a good Quality Score, which can lower your cost per click and improve ad placement.

Ad extensions

 What is an ad extension?

An ad extension in Google Ads is additional information that you can include with your ads to make them more informative and compelling to potential customers. These extensions expand your ad with extra details and links, often enhancing their visibility and relevance

Types of ad extensions

Sitelink Extensions:

These allow you to showcase additional landing pages on your website beyond the main destination URL. For instance, if you're advertising a clothing store, you could include sitelinks to specific categories like "Men's Clothing," "Women's Clothing," "Accessories," etc. This provides users with more options to explore your website and find what they're looking for quickly.

Callout Extensions:

Callouts are short phrases that highlight unique selling points or key benefits of your products or services. They appear below your ad description and can be used to emphasize free shipping, 24/7 customer support, special offers, or any other compelling features that differentiate your business.

Structured Snippet Extensions:

These extensions provide additional context about your products or services by displaying predefined headers (e.g., "Service Catalog," "Product Types," "Brands," etc.) along with corresponding values. For example, if you're promoting a hotel, you could use structured snippets to showcase amenities like "Free Wi-Fi," "Swimming Pool," "Gym Facilities," etc.

Call Extensions:

Call extensions add a clickable phone number to your ad, allowing users to call your business directly with a simple tap. This is particularly useful for businesses that rely on phone inquiries or bookings, such as restaurants, hotels, or service providers. It streamlines the process for users who prefer to speak with a representative rather than visiting a website.

Location Extensions:

If you have physical storefronts or offices, location extensions display your business address alongside your ad. This helps users find you easily, especially when they're searching for nearby businesses or services. Location extensions can also include additional information like business hours, directions, and a clickable "Call" button.

Price Extensions:

Price extensions showcase your product or service offerings along with their respective prices directly within the ad. This gives users a clear idea of what to expect in terms of pricing before they click on your ad, helping to pre-qualify leads and potentially increasing the likelihood of conversion.

App Extensions:

If you have a mobile app, app extensions provide a direct link to download it from the relevant app store (e.g., Google Play Store for Android or Apple App Store for iOS). This allows users to install your app with minimal friction, making it easier for them to engage with your business on their mobile devices.

Bidding 

As mentioned previously, bidding determines how much you're willing to pay to show your ad and influences where it appears on search results pages(ad rank) . It's like an auction system where advertisers compete for ad space.

Bidding strategies 

Google offers different types of  bidding strategies to help you achieve your specific goals. These strategies can be broadly categorized into manual bidding and smart bidding

1 manual bidding

Manual cpc - allows you  to set your own maximum cost-per-click  for your  ads. Unlike automated bidding strategies, which rely on Google's algorithms to adjust bids, manual bidding gives you full control over how much you're willing to pay for each click on your ads.

Enhanced cpc- Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC) in Google Ads is a bidding strategy that automatically adjusts your manual bids to maximize conversions. eCPC increases bids for clicks likely to lead to conversions and decreases them for those less likely

2 smart bidding

Smart Bidding is a set of automated bidding strategies in Google Ads that use machine learning to optimize your bids These strategies are designed to help you achieve your specific goals by automatically setting the optimal bid for each auction, based on various  signals.

Types of smart bidding strategies

Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)

Target CPA aims to get as many conversions as possible at a specified cost per acquisition. Google uses machine learning to predict conversion likelihood and adjusts bids in real-time to meet the target CPA, ideal for maintaining consistent conversion costs.

Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

Target ROAS focuses on maximizing conversion value while achieving a specific return on ad spend. Google predicts potential revenue from conversions and adjusts bids to meet the target ROAS, perfect for advertisers seeking to maximize revenue within a specified ROI.

Maximize Conversions

Maximize Conversions aims to get the highest number of conversions within a set budget. Google automatically adjusts bids to drive as many conversions as possible, making it ideal for increasing conversion volume without specific CPA or ROAS targets.

Maximize Conversion Value

Maximize Conversion Value aims to achieve the highest total conversion value within a budget. Google adjusts bids to prioritize high-value conversions, maximizing overall revenue rather than just the number of conversions.

Other bidding strategies

Maximize Clicks: Automatically sets bids to get as many clicks as possible within your budget.

Target Impression Share: Sets bids to achieve a specific impression share in search results.

CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions): Pay per thousand impressions.

tCPM (Target CPM): Sets bids to achieve a target cost per thousand impressions.

CPV (Cost-Per-View): Used for video ads, you pay for each view or interaction with the video.

Optimizing Google Ads

The first step in optimizing Google Ads is to understand your audience. Identifying and targeting the right audience ensures your ads reach potential customers who are most likely to engage with your brand. Utilize Google’s audience insights to segment your audience based on demographics, interests, and behavior. This segmentation allows for more personalized ad content, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Keyword Optimization

Keywords are the backbone of Google Ads. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify high-performing keywords relevant to your products or services. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to discover keywords with high search volume and low competition. Additionally, consider long-tail keywords as they often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. Regularly review and update your keyword list to stay aligned with market trends and consumer behavior.

Compelling Ad Copy

Creating compelling ad copy is crucial for attracting and retaining the attention of potential customers. Your ad copy should be clear, concise, and highlight the unique selling points of your products or services. Incorporate strong calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage users to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource. A/B testing different versions of your ad copy can help determine which messages resonate most with your audience.

Effective Use of Ad Extensions

Ad extensions provide additional information and options to your ads, making them more appealing and useful to users. Utilize various ad extensions such as site link extensions, callout extensions, and structured snippet extensions to enhance your ad’s visibility and effectiveness. These extensions can improve your ad’s click-through rate (CTR) and overall performance by providing users with more reasons to engage with your ad.

Landing Page Optimization

Your landing page is where users end up after clicking your ad, making it a critical component of your Google Ads strategy. Ensure that your landing page is relevant to the ad and provides a seamless user experience. It should load quickly, be mobile-friendly, and have a clear and compelling call-to-action. A well-optimized landing page can significantly improve your conversion rates and reduce bounce rates.

Monitoring and Analyzing Performance

Continuous monitoring and analysis of your Google Ads campaigns are essential for ongoing optimization. Use Google Analytics and Google Ads reports to track key performance metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, cost-per-click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Regularly reviewing these metrics allows you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance your campaign performance.

Budget Management

Effective budget management ensures that you are allocating your resources to the most profitable campaigns. Set a realistic budget based on your overall marketing goals and regularly review your spending to ensure it aligns with your performance objectives. Adjust your bids and budgets based on the performance of different keywords and ad groups to maximize your ROI.