Whether you’re looking to bring in new website visitors, grow online sales, get the phones ringing, increase brand awareness or keep customers coming back for more, Google Adwords can help your business. Here’s how…

When people go to Google, they’re searching for something specific. That means they have intent. They’re actively looking for something to buy. They’re literally telling you what they want to buy by typing out words related to your products and services.

For example, if your garage door won’t open because it has a broken spring… you pull out your cell phone and do a quick Google search for “garage door service near me”.

You click on the first result which says, “24/7 Garage Door Repair – Call Us Now”, click on the phone number and presto… you’re speaking to “mister (or misses) garage door fix-it”.

Your problem has been solved… the garage door company has a new customer… and Google just got paid for having the best and most utilized Search Engine on the planet.

That’s why Google AdWords is so powerful (and profitable). There’s no better form of SEM (search engine marketing) out there.

Have you tried Google Adwords PPC? Does it work for your business?

If not, you may not be utilizing your AdWords account effectively. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to self-diagnose significant faults in your AdWords account to make it more profitable.

In this article, we’ll share five steps you can take today, that will help you build a profitable AdWords account for your business.

1. Pay Attention to Your AdWords Account Structure

Take stock of how many different campaign types you’re currently utilizing (Search, Shopping, Display, Remarketing, etc.), and how many campaigns you’re running per type, and on average… how many ad groups you have in a campaign.

A strong campaign structure includes:

  • 2 or more campaign types (Search & Remarketing at least)
  • 5 or more ad groups within each campaign
  • 10+ keywords within each ad group using multiple keyword match types
  • 2+ ad variations per ad group

2. Manage Campaign Settings

AdWords gives you access to many settings that can be used to manage your campaigns with a greater level of detail. When you’re trying to build a profitable AdWords account, pay close attention to the following:

  • Campaign Types (Standard vs All Features)
  • Networks (Search, Display or Both)
  • Locations (Local, Regional, Statewide, National, etc)
  • Ad Schedules (time of day, day of week, etc)
  • Ad Rotations (Optimize or Rotate Evenly)
  • Devices

Optimal settings will always depend on the type of products and services that you offer, but can also depend on the kind of business you run as well. For help with your Google Adwords Campaign settings, request a free Google Adwords consultation.

3. Keyword Usage

Keyword matching helps your ads show up when people use Google for searches. It’s important to use multiple keyword match types instead of limiting your campaign to just one. The more match types you use, the more opportunities and leads your ads will generate. Additionally, don’t make the mistake of neglecting your negative keywords.

  • Exact matches are perfect for when customers are looking for a very specific product or service.
  • Phrase matches are great for general product descriptions.
  • Broad matches are, generally speaking, not recommended.
  • Broad match modified allows for wide reach with added control by placing a “+” in front of the keyword.
  • Negative match keyword variations must be added manually, but are very useful. Actually, imperative for you to use so you can weed out any unwanted clicks.

In order to maximize results and avoid wasting budget on irrelevant searches, set aside some time to analyze your keywords and match types. Remove any keywords that are disrupting the intended results of your campaign. When in doubt, be sure to vary your selection of match types.

4. Google Analytics is Key to Understanding What’s Working & What’s Not Working

Analytics can help you identify how your users interact with your website. For instance, it can give you insights into how users find your website, how many users leave their carts with items still in them and how many people comment or interact with the content that you create.

Analytics can help you generate a picture of how your customers react to your ads and your ad copy. Use audience reports, acquisition reports and conversion reports to analyze how effective (or ineffective) your ads are and what changes you can make to boost conversion rates and keyword choices.

5. Set Your Goals

Without goals, you’ll find it hard to create a coherent plan for your AdWords campaigns. Common goals for AdWords campaigns include generating website leads, increasing conversion rates, increasing profits from a conversion and also increasing your return on ad spend.

Before you even start to build out your ad structure, take some time to figure out what your goals are and how they will help your business and your brand. Starting with clearly defined goals will be an essential tool for creating effective AdWords campaigns that drive results.

Ready to Get Started?

It takes a bit of patience and a lot of experience, but with enough dedication and planning, it’s possible to create effective and dependable strategies that will help you transform your AdWords account into a profitable venture.

If you’re ready to grow your online sales, get the phones ringing and keep customers coming back for more, Sprout Media Lab is ready to help you build a great Google AdWords campaign! Request a Quote or give us a call at (800) 617-6975 to speak with one of our Digital Marketing experts.