For the founders of most startups, the harsh environment of Google AdWords can feel daunting. Advertising your own business for the first time can always be very stressful. No matter what you do, it will seem like the wrong choice.
This is despite Google who makes campaign creation relatively straightforward. But with A/B testing ad copy and keyword research, ROAS (Return On Advertising Spending), Google Shopping vs. non-branded search; it sure can get overwhelming. These are the several final points you need to know about.
The first step
Automation, i.e., rule-based workflows that handle the movement from lead to sale are the hottest thing for marketers right now. And with remarketing, you can basically do the same thing from an advertising perspective.
With Google and remarketing you’re only paying for clicks, so when you’re showing remarketing ads to people who have opted in (become leads), you’re getting the impressions for free (even with very few clicks). It is incredibly cost-effective; you’re making use of ads as a frequent reminder for those who have already engaged with you and want to take more steps.
Come to think of it; you’re going to have a more captive audience for your ads than with cold ad traffic. So your very first endeavor into Google AdWords should be to set up remarketing.
Targeting the Traffic
Next, you should be looking at those points on your website that indicate show heightened levels of interest. Such as:-
- Visited contact page
- Downloaded white paper
- Visited pricing page
- Started checkout
The easiest way to set up audiences will be to simply base it on the destination URLs.
Managing keywords and costs
In competitive industries, you’ll be subject to absolutely ridiculous costs per click. You need to be aware of conversion rates for campaigns and how much a click will cost; the two metrics that tell you everything you need to know.
Use AdWords to fill in the gaps where you’re missing out on organic traffic. Start out by linking Google Analytics and the Search Console. This will show you how many impressions you get for organic keywords and where you rank. Identify keywords for which you currently don’t rank high, and add them to your AdWords campaigns.
When starting from scratch, take a broad list of keywords and pop them into your campaign. These broad match keywords are likely to be triggered by a wider variety of searches. Start off by using very small budgets and move them up slowly until you start getting impressions.
Then move on to phrases and long-tail searches that will give you a better sense of what keywords to use. By bumping up keywords and taking things slowly, you will be able to get an idea what keywords work and the cost to get into the top ad positions. Calculate your average conversion rate for traffic as a whole. Based on your target CPA, decide on which keywords to pursue.
Setting up remarketing and taking a deep look at keywords and estimating the cost you will take time, but it will be worth it.
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