GOOGLE ADS MADE USEFUL
A little knowledge goes a long way (towards profitability)
There are over 500 metrics in Google Ads, most of them are obscure, and the ones that are useful often lack context, making it difficult to grasp how a campaign is actually performing, and what to do next.
The metrics listed below are the key metrics I use when measuring campaign performance at a glance. These are broad strokes that will give an indication of how the campaign is performing, without getting lost in the weeds.
If you hire someone to run your Google Ads, these metrics will help to inform your decision making process and give nuance to any conversations regarding campaign performance.
There is also merit to letting them do their thing (please, let them do their thing!), but I’ve heard too many PPC horror stories that could have been avoided by a few basic checks and balances.
Gain the competitive advantage
Google Ads is a live auction. This means that you are bidding to have your ads shown in an auction with other advertisers who are also bidding on the same keywords.
Understanding how you are performing against competitors can provide valuable insight into the marketplace and help to inform your decision making process about where to allocate resources.
For most small-medium sized businesses, the free tools and techniques below will provide enough information to take action, without needing to invest in more comprehensive tools such as Semrush and Ahrefs.
Follow this simple strategy to see how you are performing against competitors, and what steps you need to take in order to gain competitive advantage.
Not quite ready for Google Ads? Start here
To unlock the true potential of search engine marketing – or any marketing really – you need to be in it for the long haul, with a dedicated budget that is worked into the cost of your goods and services.
If you have a small business that is experiencing growth, but would struggle to justify the monthly costs of Google ads, chances are your budget will be better spent elsewhere. Google ads can be expensive and are not suitable for every stage of business growth.
But that doesn’t mean you are walled off from the Google ecosystem, far from it.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is just one of the tools and services Google has on offer, and most of these can be used to leverage the presence of your business for free.
Here are 4 preemptive strategies – all of which are free or low cost – to prepare your business for success AND organically boost your search presence along the way.
It’s time to rethink Google Display ads
Whenever Google Display ads are first brought up with clients, the response usually falls under one of four categories:
- “Why? Nobody clicks on Display ads.”
- “Isn’t it better to focus all our budget on Search?”
- “You mean those annoying ads that follow me around the internet? I hate those!”
- “Great, the more exposure for my business the better. Let’s get started!”
Just to be clear, response number 4 is the correct answer!
The first 3 responses highlight the misconceptions many people have about Display ads and are usually based on personal experience, not actual data.
Let’s have a look at each point of view in more detail, debunk the myths and find out why Google Display ads are worth your marketing budget.