How Google Ads works

Know how the Google Ads It's the best way to get immediate results in search engines. After all, Google owns almost 97% market share in Brazil and it is the tool most known to everyone.

Furthermore, there is nothing better than finding your target audience at the exact moment they are looking for your service or product, right? And the ZMOT (Zero Moment of True). This concept was introduced by Google in 2011 and portrays exactly the revolution that the internet caused.

What's more, the study shows what changes search tools have brought to consumer habits. Searching the web has now surpassed even typing in the browser's address bar, as we used to do. Nowadays, users don't bother typing the address of websites, typing directly into the bar, letting the search tool do the rest of the work.

If you are a reader of our blog, you must have already read about the SEO optimization tips. Working on SEO is the first step to improving organic search, but it also helps to improve your paid campaign. Let’s look at the main fundamentals of how Google Ads works to get a better picture:

Basics: How Google Ads Works

To know how Google Ads works It is essential for digital marketing strategies. Let's understand how the tool is designed. When a search is entered, ads are displayed at the top, side and bottom of the search results. These are called sponsored links. Ads are paid when clicked and lead to a certain page, according to the campaign configuration.

These ads have their position determined (first page, second, etc.), according to an electronic auction, which takes into account several criteria: maximum bid per click on each keyword, ad assembly and Quality Index. The quality index is related to some factors:

• SEO on your website: The keyword chosen in the ad must be related to the content of your website, which, in turn, must be well optimized. If you have already chosen to work well on your website's SEO, you will obtain better quality scores within Ads;
• Ad quality: Once again, Google will analyze whether your ad text is related to your keywords and the content of your website. He will check that everything is in accordance with the information on your website.

If you can achieve a good quality score, this will make the maximum bid you entered more likely to reach the first page. This happens because Google multiplies your bid with your index, arriving at a number, called AdRank.

If you have a better quality score than your competitor, even if you bid less than them, you can achieve a AdRank higher. This way, your ad will move up in position. Therefore, the bid is not mandatory in the position of the ads within the sponsored links. Therefore: SEO done right, money saved!

Configure your Ads campaign

Start by understanding what your target audience is searching for on the web: Analyze what you are offering and search the internet, both on Google and on social media. Put your keywords in Google Keyword Planner and see search volume and CPC (Cost Per Click) simulations. Note that it may be best to choose a few keywords with low competition if you are just starting out. The secret to working in Ads is experimentation, as the habits of those searching can change from one moment to the next.

Set a clear objective for your campaign: This will have an impact on your keywords, your quality score and also your destination URL. This URL can be the home of your website, but it can be a page with an offer, or with calls to action more effective for conversion.

Set goals and budgets: define what metrics will be used and the available budget. Cross-referencing these two data will give you a view of how your campaign is doing in terms of performance. A good marketing strategy will give you immediate results. Therefore, analyze before, during and after (if the campaign has a specific period).

Analyze and review your keywords whenever possible: Monitoring the campaign daily is ideal. You can narrow down and segment your campaign's keywords as much as possible, in order to achieve more significant results. This concept is called long tail or simply the well-known niche marketing. (Chris Anderson – The Long Tail, 2008). It also applies to keywords, showing that more specific ones are more relevant and lead to higher conversion rates.

Be very specific and segment as much as possible

Create very specific offers: the more specific and to the point the ad is (according to your offer), the better. The idea is always to optimize clicks. Always remember that if the user clicked on your ad, it is because they are interested in what you are offering. If the ad is more specific, you will have better results. The internet favors niche marketing. If you know how to use this feature, you will have a Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) smaller.

Segment your campaign: you can restrict your campaign according to your region. It's always interesting to test the campaign's reach, as it helps to map the volume of searches and demand for your product/service. This information is important as it helps the sales team understand where there is the greatest demand. You can, for example, choose to run a campaign to strengthen a certain region. These tests also apply to ads. You can test the same campaign with different texts and see which one is getting the most clicks. This is what we call A/B testing, which applies to any action in digital marketing.

Do not forget. The secret to optimizing results in digital marketing is to carry out tests and constantly evaluate the results. Therefore, never stop following your campaign. Evaluate and evolve, that’s our mantra!

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Marcel Castilho

Marcel Castilho is a specialist in digital marketing, neuromarketing, neuroscience, mindfulness and positive psychology. In addition to being an advertiser, he also has a Master's degree in Neurolinguistic Programming. He is the founder and owner of Vero Comunicação and also the digital agency Vero Contents.