There are currently 3.5 billion searches on average on Google each day and 1.2 trillion search queries entered per year worldwide. Google is one of the most-used search engines in the world, which means that advertising on this platform is not only lucrative for organizations but also necessary.
If your organization is not currently utilizing Google search ads as a part of its digital marketing strategy, it’s a great time to ensure your organization is seen by potential prospects when they search for your organization or events/activities that it may offer to the community. Beginning your journey into integrating Google into your digital marketing strategy can be intimidating and over whelming. Ease your fears and trepidation by reading our breakdown of Google search and how to utilize it effectively.
What Is Google Search?
Have you noticed when you enter a search query on Google that the first three and last three results on each search engine results page (SERP)are ads? That’s the Google Search Network in action. It’s likely that if your search engine optimization (SEO) is good that your organization’s website will appear within the first or second search engine results page, but if you want to ensure prospects will see your organization, creating ads for Google search is imperative.
Forty-one percent of clicks on a search engine results page go to the top three paid ads within the search results, so if your organization doesn’t have an ad in one of those top three spots, you are seriously missing out on potential conversions. In fact, people are 50% more likely to make a purchase from those ads compared to those who found the website through organic results.
Google Skillshop
If you want to learn about the Google Search Network and become certified in it, you can do so within Google’s Skillshop, a free learning and certification tool provided by Google. Certification lasts for a year before you have to re-certify, and there is a lot of learning material to prepare you for your certification test so you can study at you own pace. However, the certification test is timed.
Types of Search Ads
There are multiple types of search ads with text ads being the most popular. Each of the ads will appear with the word “Ad” or “Ads” label.
Text Ads
Ads that appear on each search engine results page as the top three or bottom three results are text ads. Advertisers are limited to a character count of 30 for the headline and 90 for the description.
Shopping Ads
Primarily for retailers, Google shopping ads help promote online and local inventory, as well as boost traffic to a website or local store. When a prospect searches for a clothing item, for example, shopping ads appear at the top or the right-hand side of the search engine results page depending on if you are searching on a computer or a mobile device. These ads require up-to-date product data shared at least every 30 days.
Ad Extensions
A great way to increase the click-through rate of your text ads is to include ad extensions. Ad extensions give additional information to prospects through call buttons, links to specific parts of your organization’s website, location information and more.
Keep in mind that ad extensions are not guaranteed to show with your ad every time it ‘ served. They will show with your ad when it is predicted to improve your campaign’s performance or your ad’s position when the ad rank is high enough; Google Ads requires a minimum Ad Rank.
Types of extensions include:
Location extensions: Show your organization’s address, a map to your location or the distance to your business
Affiliate extensions: If you work in the retail space, this extension helps those searching for your product, or a keyword related to your product, find it in nearby stores that sell it.
Callout extensions: This extension is for promoting your organization’s unique offerings and promotions.
Call extensions: Add your organization’s contact number to your search ad with a call extension. With this extension, prospect scan tap or click a button to call your organization.
Sitelink extensions: Drive prospects to specific pages on your website with sitelink extensions.
Structured snippet extensions: Structured snippets show beneath a text ad and highlight specific aspects of what you offer.
Price extensions: This extension allows for more space to tell prospects about what your organization offers. If your organization offers specific classes, this extension would place up to eight cards below the ad with the name of the class and the price.
App extensions: If your organization has an app, app extensions would link to the mobile or tablet app from the text ad.
Lead form extensions: Collect prospect information directly from your text ad with lead form extensions. This extension places a form where prospects can submit their information directly in the ad.
A lot more goes into creating search ads in Google’s ad platform, but familiarizing yourself with the types of ads and extensions is a great starting point.
ACTIVE Can Make Your Organization’s Search Ads a Success
ACTIVE’s digital marketing services can get your organization in front of the right audience by utilizing paid ads on Google and social platforms, as well as improve your website’s SEO. Our digital marketing services team can assist you with the creation, implementation and optimization of a digital marketing strategy that’s sure to see a return on investment. Connect with us today to see how ACTIVE can help set up and run your Google ads and more!
