Aloha. Nick Ponte here, coming to you from Maui, Hawaii. I head up a digital marketing agency, and I love helping small business owners jump into the world of SEO and local advertising. Here on my blog, I offer weekly tips about reaching new customers through various methods of digital marketing.
This week, we’re talking about a direct approach to reaching users on Google’s search engine.
Google Adwords, Google Ads gives businesses an experience catered to particular needs when it comes to getting screen time with audiences. With customized reporting and the ability to display ads to local customers, you can choose the level and budget your preferred level of investment in an advertisement campaign.
Best of all, this tool is part of Google’s set of free resources for business owners. You only pay for your ad if someone clicks on it.
As you consider the elements of your ad campaign, you’ll have options for cost-per-click (CPC) ads. These ads are really effective for you because you only pay when users actually click on your ads and go through to your landing page.
How can you use these Google features and get the best benefits?
Also Read: 3 Ways to Use New Google Features for Local SEO in 2022
The Perks of Winning Ad Auctions
One of the features that sometimes trips up business owners is the ad auction. Every ad owner remotely participates in a live ad auction every time a potential customer uses a search engine. By choosing predetermined auction parameters, ad owners compete for the top slots on each search engine results page (SERP).
Obviously, you want to win these bids! Getting more ads in front of more people increases the chances of future purchases and growing revenue. Visibility is crucial to gaining more customers, and the ads give you a paid option besides organic searches. A local restaurant that pops up at the top of an SERP will be far more likely to have customers want to find out more and search for their location.
If you want to win more customers, that means you need to have the right combination of elements to show up for the right customers. How can you make sure you’ll beat the other bidders? Keep reading to find out.
Also Read: The Definitive Guide to SEO Keyword Selection
How to Bid to Win Ad Auctions
Want to know how you can increase your chances of visibility through ad auctions? Check out these four tips:
- Bid High on the RIGHT Keywords
Just throwing more money at an auction won’t really help. While yes, you do need to spend money to make money, you can end up wasting your ad budget if you’re not careful. In the end, a larger sum won’t give you the best return on investment (ROI).
Instead, choose the right keywords. Put most of your effort into crafting those. Try including some “bargain” keywords—ones a bit different from what everyone else uses. That way you’ll stand out without alienating your site from common searches.
- Create An Excellent User Experience on Your Website
You need to have the SEO and user experience on your own site figured out, so users have a smooth and pleasant experience when they visit. This will also give you an edge on the competition in the ad auction.
Don’t forget to pay attention to your content as you evaluate your marketing strategies. You want to have catchy copy and good keyword use. Your content affects how search engines view your site, and also how customers see you as an authority within your industry.
All of these points help to ensure people who click on your ad have a great time while on your website.
- Hire a Pro to Write the Ads for You
Speaking of choosing the right keywords and making sure your copy attracts customers, it’s a great idea to hire a professional to craft the ad for you.
This delegation takes the pressure of the task off your plate. The pro knows what to do to create a strong ad to draw in users. Then, you can sit back and watch your statistics go up and your customer base increase.
As an agency, we do this for our clients. so we know the tips and tricks that work best. Our tested methods give many satisfied clients the edge when it comes to winning these bids, and their company revenue shows it!
- Get on Google My Business
For added firepower, make sure you’re signed up for Google My Business. It’s FREE and you get access to their suite of tools aimed at helping your business perform in search engines and the web. I recommend this to all our clients, and it’s such a game changer.
Not only do they give you the tools to succeed, they give you the answers about how to get the most out of all their local business resources. For instance, check out their instructions and tutorials about how to navigate the auctions and fine-tune keywords. Plus, you get the benefits of customizing your business’s information that shows up when users see your business on SERPs.
Take these tips and run toward those auctions. If you want to get more information, or if you’d like to really get an edge on the competition, we’d love to help you. Reach out to us today!
Further Reading: 3 Ways to Optimize Your Website and Google My Business to Drive Leads
Photos Courtesy of Amanda Phung, Phillip Goldsberry, & Duncan Meyer