Setting up a Google advertising campaign is a simple and cost effective approach to internet marketing. Small business owners can advertise to a worldwide audience of millions of people or select a much smaller and more targeted group, all in a few clicks.
If only 25% of the world’s population uses the internet, the figure approaches 2 billion users. Google has reported that 80% of people online use their ads. This presents a potential market of 1.6 billion people.
For an online marketer, the real value in Google ads is the ability to target a specific niche market or demographic, making it a highly efficient and powerful tool.
Let’s take a look at the process of setting up an advertising account through Google.
After signing up for the free account, the next step involves researching for profitable keywords.
For small business owners on a limited budget, “long tailed” keywords carry the greatest leverage.
An example of the differentiation would be – a person selling rubber boots online might use the keywords “red rubber boots” and “purchasing red rubber boots” instead of simply using “boots.”
Essentially, short tail/long tail keywords are broad/narrow keywords.
Once keywords are selected, the campaign can be as specific as targeting a specific geographic area or the entire globe, and anywhere in between.
If the red rubber boots are being sold out of a shop in Blackburn, an advertising campaign can target online users within a specified radius of that town.
Bids are placed for the cost per click of each keyword and the account is charged that fee every time a person clicks on one of the ads. Those keywords with little or no competition are the least expensive.
The next step in your Google advertising ad campaign is to create clear, well-written copy for the ads. Keep in mind that customers will not see the keyword unless it is used in the text.
Ideally each ad should have the following four components: keyword; a unique selling point; a call to action; and a link to the web page. This link should take the user directly to the product mentioned in the ad such as “www.(site).com/red-rubber-boots.”
Ad copy should be specific and explain to the reader exactly what is being offered. “Red rubber boots on sale, all sizes available. Free shipping. Buy now!”
Return on investment (ROI) can be easily tracked throughout the life of each campaign. Data on click through rates, sales and traffic can be carefully monitored and adjusted to further optimise the ROI.
