If you’re thinking about starting a Google Ads campaign, you may be overwhelmed by the options. There are a lot of different setting configurations and a lot of different small decisions to make. How to choose? Let’s break down the big 3 things you need to plan before starting your Google Ads campaign.
Or perhaps you run a Google Ads agency and need to get better at communicating with new clients what your needs are. If you have a new client and need to build a new campaign for them, what are the things you simply must know?
Let’s break down what you really need to know before you get your Google Ads campaign up and running. Here’s everything you need to know to get your Google campaign in the BAG (business, audience, goals):
Your Business
The first thing you need to know is what kind of business you have and what type of product or service you offer. This is the first step towards determining what kind of Google Ads campaign will serve your needs best. For example, if you work in the service space doing electrical work, moving, plumbing, or any other type of business where you are focusing on getting and converting leads rather than selling items, a search campaign will be a great place to start.
Next, determine the pages on your website you want to direct people towards. Google Ads allows you to include site links, or additional links to other pages on your site, within your ad (and we highly recommend doing so, to improve your click rate and Google rating). So it’s a good idea to map out the pages you want to link to. Your website can also help you craft ad copy and callout extensions that appeal to your customers.
Your Audience
Next, it’s time to determine your audience. Who does your business most benefit? What kind of people do you want to get in front of? What ages, genders and income levels are most profitable for your business? If you’re a women’s clothing retailer, you would want to target females within whatever age range your clothing is designed for. If you’re a moving company, you would likely be interested in finding large moves from people with big homes and a big budget, so you might exclude the 18-24 age range and the lowest 50% of income zip codes in your particular area.
Speaking of your area, where are your customers? What geographic location do you want to run ads in? Do you just want a 20-mile radius around your business location, or your entire state or region, or your whole country?
When does your ideal customer search the web for your business? Perhaps you offer B2B solutions and they are only likely to be researching for your type of business during business hours, Monday through Friday between 9-5. Or perhaps you offer the best pizza in town and only want to advertise between 3pm and 9pm Thursday through Sunday.
Finally, what does your customer want? Presumably, they want your product or service, and that’s how they’ll usually search in Google for your company (But at the end of the day, what they really want is not a plumber, but a clean, dry home for their children to sleep in safely. They don’t want a moving company, but rather an easy, fast, affordable transition to their new home with their belongings kept safe. They don’t want a lawyer, but rather a settled situation and peace of mind. Determining what your audience wants will help you to choose the right keywords and craft ads that appeal to their deepest needs and increase the number of clicks (click-through-rate) you receive.
Determining who your audience is, where they are, when they’re searching, and what their needs are is one of the big keys to success in Google Ads.
Your Goals
The kind of business you run will help you determine your goals for Google Ads. Do you want purchases on your website, phone calls, and/or lead forms? What kind of conversion do you want to aim for? (A conversion is anything valuable a customer can do in relation to your business.)
Now you need to determine the maximum you can pay for these conversions and still remain profitable. For instance, if your profit per new customer is $500, your average lead costs $100 and one out of every 3 leads becomes a new customer, then you have a profit margin of $200. If your average click costs $10, then you’ll know that you need one lead per 10 clicks to make Google Ads profitable for you. Check out our handy dandy Google Ads Profit Calculator to nail these numbers down quickly. Once you know these numbers, you’ll be able to intelligently set up your bids on Google Ads, knowing exactly how much you’re able to profitably spend.
