Keep Your Search Results Afloat Using Google Adwords

Written By: Lauren Elizabeth Weingartz

“Think of this approach as rigging thousands of individual baited hooks on a long line and exposing them at precisely the right time to catch the species of fish you want. You won’t catch a fish on each and every hook. But with so many properly baited hooks, you will certainly catch lots of the fish you are fishing for.” — David Meerman Scott, The New Rules of Marketing & PR

Google leads other Search Engine Sites on many levels, including simple to set up advertising.

Google is one of the leading search engines of this day and age. It is the central location on the Internet for plethora information. This is the place that individuals all over are drawn towards when they are looking up information, news, vacation ideas or even that perfect Christmas cookie recipe. The use of this website has transformed into a verb, “Googling.”

While Internet users are “googling,” Google has found it important to pay close attention to the words be entered into the search bar. It is these words that trigger the results that are available to the searcher.  As Google has emphasized, Marketers have begun to understand the importance of search engine keyword-based advertising.

To optimize on this opportunity, Google has created Adwords.
Here are the basic steps to using this application:

1. Take a minute to step back and think about what your web page has to offer to the basic consumer, or your target. Now, what kinds of things will they search to try to find your solution? Write them down.
2. To utilize Adwords, you must create a Google Adwords account. Once your account is created, let the fun begin.
3. Create ads using the application to entice Google users to your web page. There are five different formats of Google Ads: Text, Image, Vide, Local Business, Mobile
4. Each of your ads will correspond with your chosen keywords. When these Keywords are entered your ads will be eligible for appearance. Google Ads can also be placed using placement, this requires the advertiser to pay for the particular spot on a Google page, or website.

Tips on Swimming with the Fishes

To keep up with other Google Advertisers, understand these terms, and take advantages of suggestions:

• Cost-per-click: You are charged for each click on your ad, no click = no charge
• Quality Score: Higher the score, lower the cost. The score is a measurement of your keyword, and Cost-per-clicks
• First Page Bid Estimates: Using the Keywords Analysis page, this allows you to see how high your bid needs to be on a keyword to reach the first page of the Google Search Results
• Clickthrough Rate: How well is your ad doing in the Google-Sphere? Determined by the number of clicks over the number of impressions.
• Keep your Keywords simple, yet understandable. Really put yourself in the shoes of those that you are hoping will be searching for you, and think about what they would search, then utilize that keyword.
• Google has created two keyword tools to help optimize your choices:
  Search-Based Keyword Tool
  Adwords Keyword Tool
  Uses these to see what variations there are to keywords you have in mind, or to see what keywords are already working for your site.

• Watch out for being too generic. There are a lot of people out there trying to advertise for the same thing, make sure your keywords really apply to what you are trying to appeal. Otherwise, you will be lost in the mess of all the other similar companies.
  

Now remember, before your go fishing with the big guys, understand these simple Adwords hints. It never hurts to start out small, so pace yourself with your keywords, and you will be catching the target in no time!