Google AdWords & the Road to Online Marketing
Paid online advertising is a great way to drive more traffic to your website and boost your business. It's a similar to last week's foundational concept that it is more advantageous to show up on Page 1 of Google, rather than Page 40, but different in the sense that SEO is organic and paid search is, of course, paid. So, how can you make sure you are getting most from your advertising online? There are several simple things you can do ensure the most performance for the money you spend.
Know Your Keywords. Before you start using online advertising, you need to understand how it all works. Keywords are terms used by your customers to look for you online (think of what they would type into a Google Search). Keywords then trigger your ad to appear. For example, good keywords might be: "automotive recycler yard", "automotive recycle near me", "recycle my car". For more information on this, check out Google's AdWords Tool. Remember, broader keywords are not always better. Your own website can be a great resource for keywords. The survey tool, Qualaroo can be useful for finding out exactly what your customers are looking for when they visit your website. Those answers can become effective keywords for your online advertising campaigns.
Know The Landscape. There are several types of online advertisements out there. You need to know which type of ad is right for you. Banner Ads immediately come to mind when people think of online advertising. While very common, effective, and available in a variety of sizes, banner ads tend to target customers who are not actively looking for your business.
Text ads are commonly seen on the primary search page of Google. These ads are usually less expensive than banner ads and target customers who are actively looking for what your business offers (your keywords). See examples below.
Google AdWords is the choice of many businesses. These ads offer both display and text ads in association with highly targeted keywords. The longer you use Google AdWords, the better your ROI will be because Google rewards long-term customers with a better "quality score" for your ads the longer they run.
Social Media advertising has grown in popularity in the past few years. Facebook and LinkedIn combine text and display elements and target users based on their preferences, demographic, and location. This kind of targeting helps to place your ad in front of the people most likely to become a customer.
Be a Track Star. Follow how your ads are performing. One of the best parts of online advertising is the ability to track everything. Google Analytics is a must-have tool; it is free and easy to install. Other tools such as KissMetrics can provide you a funnel report for your ads to see how many of those clicks converted to genuine leads or purchases.
Call To Action. Last but not least, create a call to action! This message should convert them into a lead or a customer. A good call to action will tell the visitor exactly what you want them to do.
Online advertising is a powerful tool for your business. Set a budget and plan for the long term. Be prepared to make adjustments to your keywords, ad content, and call to actions based on your tracking results. With the above tips in mind, you will ready for success when you start your online advertising.
Examples of banner ads and text ads follow:
