$95 BILLION..
That’s how much Google makes in a year for its ad revenue.
While this might sound crazy, the numbers are only going higher year on year as more companies invest their marketing budget on Google Ads pay per click campaign:
Source: [Statista]
But here’s the sad truth – most companies are paying Google WAY MORE than they should be. This is due to the common mistakes and settings companies make while launching the pay per click campaign.
After performing a ton of Google Ads audit for our clients, we have put together a guide on the 5 tips to help you run a profitable pay per click campaign and avoid the common mistakes.
If you don’t have a Google Ads account and have not run a campaign before, these tips will come in handy when you are ready to get started. Here’s the guide from Google on how to create an account.
Top 5 Tips for Google Ads Pay Per Click Campaign
1. Pick the Right Match Type for Your Keywords
2. Add Negative Keywords
3. Craft Engaging Ads to Maximize Clicks
4. Utilize Ads Extensions
5. Landing Page Optimization
Pay Per Click Tip #1 – Pick the Right Match Types for Your Keywords
There are 4 match types for every pay per click search campaign and we will discuss the differences in each match type.
For simplicity, let’s assume our keyword is “eye surgeon” for each match type examples.
Match Type 1 – Broad Match
The Broad Match type is where you allow Google to pick similar keywords to the keywords you have chosen.
So if your keyword is “eye surgeon”, Google could show your ad to people who type “heart surgeon” or “eye bag”. This can be very dangerous as you are wasting money on the unrelated search term.
Choosing Broad Match is probably the most common mistakes we have seen in our pay per click audit as companies literally lose thousands every month by going with Broad Match.
Avoiding this match type will save you a lot of money in the long run.
By default, the setting from Google is Broad Match, and we need to change that. What we want to go for is Broad Match Modifier, which is our second match type.
Match Type 2 – Broad Match Modifier
With Broad Match Modifier, Google will still show your ad broadly, BUT they would exclude similar keywords.
So if someone types “top eye surgeon” or “eye consultant surgeon”, your ad will be shown as both the word “eye” and “surgeon” are in the search term.
However, if they type similar keywords like “heart surgeon” or “cosmetic surgeon”, your ad will not be shown as the Broad Match Modifier has excluded similar keywords.
To use Broad Match Modifier, use the + symbol, in this case, you would set your keyword as +eye +surgeon.
Match Type 3 – Phrase Match
Phrase Match is a little different than Broad Match Modifier. Your keyword must appear in the same order in the search query.
For example, “eye laser surgeon” will not appear in your ad, but “top eye surgeon” or “eye surgeon in Malaysia” will appear because the word “eye” and surgeon” are in order.
To use Phrase Match, use the “ “symbol. In this case, you would set your keyword as “eye surgeon”.
Match Type 4 – Exact Match
Exact Match type is where your keyword matches the search query 100% without any variation.
Unlike all the other match types, Exact Match is restricted to the keywords you enter in the ad group.
If your keyword is “eye surgeon”, the only time your ad will appear on Google is when someone type eye surgeon.
If they type “best eye surgeon” or “eye surgeon in Kuala Lumpur”, your ad will not appear.
To use exact match, use the [ ] symbol, in this case, you would set your keyword as [eye surgeon] to tell Google you are selecting exact match type.
Exact Match is perfect for people who have already spent a lot of money on testing and know what are the exact keywords that are profitable for their business.
Match Types Setting
Under your campaign’s ad group, you can set your keywords.
Here is an example of the 4 match type variation while creating a campaign:
Action Steps for Match Types
Ditch the Broad Match and go with Broad Match Modifier by adding the + symbol to your keywords.
Once you have enough data on what are the search terms that generate the most clicks and conversion, allocate a higher budget to include Phrase Match and Exact Match in your campaign.
Pay Per Click Tip #2 – Add Negative Keywords
Our goal is to maximize the pay per click ROI and there are little details such as negative keywords which could make a significant difference. The keywords you exclude are called negative keywords.
Back to our example earlier, let’s say we use the Broad Match Modifier and our keyword is +eye +surgeon.
Depending on the nature of your business, you might want to exclude keywords like “cheap”, “course” or “career”.
Without negative keywords, your ads will be shown to people type “cheap eye surgeon” or “eye surgeon career” although these might not be your ideal customer.
To add negative keywords, go to Campaign > Keywords > Negative Keywords and click the + button.
Also, once your campaign has been running for a week, go to “Search Terms” to assess what are the keywords that have generated clicks for you.
If you noticed there are keywords that are not suitable, add these keywords to the Negative Keywords.
We recommend checking the search term report once or twice per week.
Action Steps for Negative Keywords
Before letting your campaign go live, add common negative keywords like “cheap”, “free”, “course”, career”. This is crucial to eliminate wasteful spending.
Once you have enough data on the search terms, continuously assess if you need to add more negative keywords.
Pay Per Click Tip #3 – Craft Engaging Ads
No one will click on generic and boring ads.
Every time someone types in a keyword, there will be the top 4 search results. Here’s an example:
The question is, how can you stand out and warrant that click on your ad?
Here are 5 best practices when writing your ad copy:
1. Include your keyword in the Headline and Description.
2. Give the searcher a reason to click. You could write things like “Free Consultation”, “20% Discount”, “Save 30%”, “Set up Fee Waived”, “Free Shipping” or “Free Demo”. Anything that creates urgency and excitement to click.
3. Where possible, include numbers and statistics in your headline or description.
4. For local ads, include the city name in the headline.
5. Capitalize the first word of every word in the description. Instead of saying “We use the latest innovative technology and..….”, say “We Use The Latest Innovative Technology And….”. It is these minor details that can make the difference.
Here’s an example of an ad with the keyword of “eye surgeon in KL”
√ Include keywords in headline and description – Eye Surgeon in KL
√ Give searcher reason to click – Free 1 to 1 Consultation
√ Numbers/Stats – Over 1,200 Happy Patients
√ Local ads city name – KL
√ Capitalize first words – As shown in description
Action Steps for Crafting Engaging Ads
As we are a big believer in testing and getting the optimal ad performance, create three different ads and assess which one works the best. There is always room for improvement.
Where possible, include all the 5 best practices above when writing your ad copy.
Pay Per Click Tip #4 – Utilize Ads Extensions
Ads extension are necessary to enhance your ads and give the searchers personalized options to click on.
The extensions will appear below the headline and description. Here’s an example of the ads extension:
The ads extension example – Video Production, Social Media Marketing, etc.
On your dashboard, go to Ads & Extensions > Extensions
While there are plenty of extensions you can add to your ads, these are the 3 most important extensions:
Sitelink Extensions
Sitelink extension allows you to point the searcher to different product & services page.
This extension is useful if you have more than one product or services.
For example, one of our ads keyword is “Digital Marketing Agency in Malaysia”. However, digital marketing is a broad topic and we have other services associated with digital marketing.
To make it easier for the searcher, we will include three sitelink extensions:
1. SEO page
2. Social Media Marketing page
3. Email Marketing page
With the sitelink extension, people who need social media marketing services can immediately click on the social media marketing service page.
Callout Extensions
Callout Extensions allow you to state what makes your business unique. You can also highlight the benefit of your products and services.
For example, we run ads for our web design services, and our callout extension is:
1. Mobile Responsive
2. Modern Web Design
Besides the ad headline and description, another feature that makes your ad stand out over your competitors is by having a Callout Extension.
Call Extension
Include your contact number by adding the call extension.
Instead of clicking on the ad, interested customers can call your business directly after seeing the ad.
Action Steps for Including Ads Extensions
Add sitelink extensions, callout extensions, and call extensions to all your ad copy.
By adding all 3 ad extensions, you will observe higher quality clicks and increased number of enquiries from customers.
Pay Per Click Tip #5 – Landing Page Optimization
This is the final component for a profitable search network pay per click campaign – Getting visitors to convert on your landing page.
A landing page is a URL you send visitors to when they click on your ad.
The landing page can be your own website OR a page you develop specifically for the purpose of getting leads using software like Kyvio or Clickfunnels.
Both will work well if you follow these tips:
#1 – Keyword Relevancy
Make sure the keyword in your ads match the landing page headline and content.
For example, let’s say we are advertising for “digital marketing course” in our ads:
On the landing page, we would include the keyword “digital marketing course” as well for ad relevancy:
Click here to view an example of our landing page.
By having the relevant keywords matching on your landing page, your ad will convert better.
#2 – Include Call to Action (“CTA”)
Don’t leave your visitors hanging and guessing on what to do next when they land on your landing page.
Always include a CTA, whether it is to collect their email address, sign up for an event, or purchase your product.
Back to our landing page example, here’s our CTA:
You will be able to see the glaring red button of “Sign Up” as our CTA.
Depending on what you are offering, your CTA could be “Download Now” or “Buy Now”. Just make sure you have at least one CTA on your landing page.
#3 – Explain Benefits of Taking Action
Why should your visitors take action?
Give them a reason to do so by showcasing the benefits of your product or services.
For our example, on our landing page we will explain the 3 benefits of learning digital marketing:
Besides listing the benefits, include the special offer (e.g. 20% off) in your landing page as well if you have one.
#4 – Mobile friendly Landing Page
With Google placing more emphasis on mobile, your landing page has to be mobile friendly.
Use Google’s mobile-friendly test and enter your URL to assess if your landing page is mobile friendly.
#5 – Social Proof
This is the final magic ingredient you can add to your landing page.
Social Proof!
When people are finding it hard to make a decision, we often will look at what others are doing.
In this case, a testimonial from your happy customers can be the push factor to convince people that they can trust you.
Or if you are featured in a magazine or newspaper, add those credibilities to the landing page as well.
If you are just starting out and have no customers, give away your product for free, then ask for testimonials. If your product is good, people are more than happy to give you a great testimonial.
Action Steps for Landing Page Optimization
Match the keywords in your ads to the landing page, include CTA, showcase benefits and offers, ensure the page is mobile-friendly, and include social proof.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap for today.
Google Ads pay per click platform is an effective way to bring in leads and sales for businesses.
If you follow the step by step guide above, you will be ahead of your competitors in terms of running Google ads.
Here’s a recap of the 5 tips to craft a successful Google Ads pay per click campaign:
1. Pick the Right Match Type for Your Keywords
2. Add Negative Keywords
3. Craft Engaging Ads to Maximize Clicks
4. Utilize Ads Extensions
5. Landing Page Optimization
If you require personal consultation on your campaign, head over to our Pay Per Click Malaysia service page to learn more and send your enquiry.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this guide, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below or email us at info@axceldigital.com