It’s no surprise that paid search advertising plays a huge role in the online marketing strategies of modern businesses. Not only do these ads serve as a cost effective way to increase a brand’s visibility online, but it’s proven to have great success in converting leads into sales. In addition, this method of online marketing is measurable, allows for maximum relevance and enables a business to accurately target their audience, explains Craig Schelin (CEO) Invade Digital Media
As marketing professionals, we see how this effective method of advertising excites business owners, and rightly so! The problem comes in where business owners end up researching their own company to see their adverts in action, and end up being frustrated when their adverts don’t pop up every time. This is absolutely NORMAL and can happen for any of the following reasons:
- When setting up an AdWords campaign, details like target audience, time, budget and location all play a role in how and when your advert is displayed. Before jumping to other conclusions, ensure your settings are adjusted to get the most from your AdWords campaign.
- Google AdWords works on a basis where your ad campaigns are rotated throughout the day, according to your budget and your selected keywords. This means you may not necessarily see your advert each and every time you search a relevant keyword, as Google is spacing out your visibility evenly throughout the allotted time you’ve selected.
- In addition to the spacing out of adverts, if someone has recently viewed your advert, Google may choose to push your advert to the end of the rotation, to give other paying advertisers a chance and to ensure your adverts are seen by a wider audience at different times of the day. Remember, the higher your daily budget, and the more optimised your keywords are, the more frequently your ads will be seen.
- Google analyses Internet users’ click behaviour – as in what they click on and how often – to determine their interests and adjust the content to be more relevant to the individual. When business owners research their own adverts and refrain from clicking on them, Google may deem these adverts as irrelevant content and reduce the frequency that these ads are displayed, which is the opposite of what any advertiser wants.
As much as the temptation may arise to Google yourself (and we understand this fully) it is in fact an absolute ‘no-no’ and can do more harm than good, as explained above. Due to the cost per click method (CPC), you would generally plug your keywords into the search bar and once seeing your ads, leave the page without clicking on them. By Googling your adverts without clicking on them, it lowers your click through rate which has huge impact on how Google ranks your adverts in comparison to others. A low CTR (click through rate) lowers the rank of your advert quality, which in turn lowers your Google Ad score and requires additional costs to ensure your advert is still seen and your position on Google remains untarnished.
DON’T STRESS, THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE!
As a business owner, there is no doubt you would love to see your Google Ads in motion… and now you can! To combat all the negative effects the above actions may have on your online reputation, Google has constructed an AdWord review tool called Google Ad Review, which allows you to see exactly what your ads are doing and how they are displayed, without having to impose the negative effects on your ad campaigns. In addition, this tool helps you to keep an eye on your competitors and ensures you are always ahead of your game.
All things being said, the best approach towards ensuring your AdWords are successful and you’re getting the most bang for your buck, is to hand the control over to the experts. Boost Digital Marketing Solutions offers an array of online marketing services to help your business excel in the online world. With a special flair for search engine optimisation (SEO) and unrivalled expertise in Google AdWords, we are able to take your business to new heights and ensure you are recognised and appreciated by your audience. For insight on how we can boost your reputation online, visit our website: www.boostdigital.co.za or get in touch with Boost Digital on +27 87 135 2444 or info@boostdigital.co.za.