As the biggest and most popular search engine online, Google is the first place many people turn to when they’re searching for a product or service to buy. Whether you’re working with a digital marketing agency or are optimizing your site yourself, paid ads will likely be an important part of your online marketing strategy.

When buying ads, you want to find the best value for your budget. Many businesses find that the best paid strategy is Google AdWords. They allow you to reach users who are likely interested in the products or services you provide.

A Toronto SEO agency is always an asset, but there’s plenty of optimization a business owner can implement on their own. If you’re new to Google AdWords, here’s what you need to know:

Creating an AdWords Account

First, you’ll need to create an AdWords account. As you’re setting your account for the first time, you’ll need to select a campaign which fits your goals. There are five options:

• Search Network only
• Display Network only
• Search Network with Display Select
• Shopping
• Video

Most businesses focus on the Search Network only. As you create a search campaign, you want to target only people who are likely interested in the products or services you provide. When setting up your Search Network, you’ll select a variety of parameters including:

• Location
• Language
• Device Preference (Mobile, Desktop, both)
• Budget
• Bid Strategy

The bid strategy is probably the most intimidating to business owners. Establishing clear goals for your business is the best strategy. This way you can prevent losing focus and bidding on keywords which won’t help your brand in the long-run. (An online marketing firm can also provide assistance.)

Creating Ad Groups

After setting your search parameters, you’re ready to create your first ad group. This is where you input relevant keywords. Each ad group targets a specific type of consumers. Keywords selected for each ad group are designed to appeal to those consumers directly.

Part of managing an effective Google AdWords campaign is knowing which keywords you don’t want. These are called “negative keywords.” They’re keywords you don’t want associated with your ad. For instance, if you’re a plumber, you probably want to list the word “jobs” as a negative keyword. This filters out anyone looking for “plumbing jobs” when you only want to reach people looking to hire a plumber.

The keywords are used to create ads which will display to targeted groups of potential customers. By developing different ads for smaller groups, you can create ads with niche appeal using language, graphics and the type of offer.

Pay Per Click Explained

Google charges you whenever someone clicks on your ad. This is the Pay Per Click (or PPC) model. High volume keywords cost more per click. Google can determine your max bid automatically or you can establish a maximum cost per click.

In order for your Google AdWords campaign to succeed, your ads need to cost less than your earn in conversions. When someone clicks on an ad, you want to take them directly to a landing page which provides more info. Use the landing page to elaborate on the content of the ad.

Final Thoughts

Google AdWords can feel a little intimidating to many business owners, but the basics are pretty simple. If you need help, a Toronto digital marketing agency can help you make the most of your ad buys. Google AdWords is an easy, cost-effective way to reach potential customers.