Is your cost per click (CPC) eye-wateringly through the roof? Does your ROAS, or return on ad spend, leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Are you on the verge of throwing in the towel on your Google Ad campaigns because nothing seems to work? You may be in such a tight spot because you’re not imploring the latest SEO services and Google ad optimization techniques. Today, we’ll be looking at prevailing techniques that are sure to make you a killer with your ads, and return the spring to your step once more. Here we go:
Spy on your competition for missed keyword opportunities
Every digital marketing company on the planet uses the Google Ads Keyword Planner to research and dig up catchy keywords. It’s great and all, but if you want more in-depth insights and to avoid competing over the same keywords, you’d need other research weaponry as well.
There are a ton of PPC Spy tools you could consider, think SEMrush, Similar Web, and MixRank. But whichever way you go, you ideally want one that can give you:
- An estimated range of cost per click
- An overview of what keywords your competition is targeting
- A peek behind the curtains on your competitors’ most successful campaigns
All in all, this information will bring to your attention valuable keywords that you may miss if you solely rely on traditional keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner. Our Google ads specialist team recommends free keyword tools such as Ubersuggest, and WordStream to get you started.
Smaller keyword groups are the way to go
In most cases, brands research and unearth a plethora of keywords, stuff all they can in one go, then push out the ads and wait for results. Big mistake! It may seem like by doing so you’re covering all your bases, but you’re actually hurting your campaigns as it becomes a nightmare to track ROI.
Our digital marketing agency recommends instead that you narrow your focus to a tighter keyword, advisably 7 ad groups per campaign, which makes it:
- Easier to follow up on keywords and identify your best sellers and those not doing you any favors
- Simpler and more effective to budget and bid for every ad group
- Easier to create keyword-specific copy that hits the bullseye
Advisably, the keywords you choose should leave no room for doubt about what you offer and should serve your leads’ immediate needs. Be sure to also incorporate negative keywords to this effect. As a rule of thumb, we recommend no more than 20 keywords for each of your ad groups per campaign.
Slice up your demographic with Google’s RSLAs
Better known as Google RSLAs, Remarketing Lists for Search Ads enable you to reach past site visitors with targeted ads. When executed to perfection, RSLAs pack the following benefits
- Enhanced conversion rates
- Efficient ad spend
- Improved ROI
Some advanced Google RSLA strategies worth the try include imploring exclusion lists, which are especially essential if your market is made up of one-time buyers. For instance, if you’re selling a course or other one-time offers that may benefit from excluding existing customers.
Also, your remarketing list presents the perfect opportunity to bid higher. In an ideal world, your customers would be loyal to a fault, and return when they need a related product. However, most just head back to Google Search, but chances are high that you get preference from this group of buyers if you top search results.
Switch to more conservative manual bidding
What Google Ads bidding strategy do you use? Many eCommerce businesses love to automate their bidding to get out of the work of regular, manual updates. Automation is great because it allows the search engine to automatically bid higher when the chances of conversion go up significantly. However, Google isn’t perfect and can burn a hole in your budget as automation also takes budget and bidding control out of your hands.
Better yet, take more charge of your bidding by making the switch to manual bidding, and capitalize on important opportunities in your eCommerce journey to raise your bids and reel in conversions, especially in reference to those remarketing lists we were talking about before. When it comes to manual bidding, paddling your own canoe can be overwhelming especially if you’re inexperienced. That’s where an expert Google ads manager like Genexod comes in.
Take out vanity metrics and pay attention to CTR
What data columns have you set up to track your Google Ads? More importantly, do you use all of them day-to-day, and do they add real value? If the answer is “No,” these are the vanity metrics we’re talking about, and they can be distracting rather than constructive.
For instance, our Google ads specialist team recommends you take out the “search lmp.share” column if you’re budget-strapped and instead concentrate on CTR. One way to improve your CTR while keeping bids from rising is by experimenting with shorter, pain point-based copy. You may need a digital marketing agency for eCommerce to help with this, that is if you want fresh, creative, and viral ideas.
Always be on the lookout for red flags
Checking in regularly on your Google Ads campaign is essential to nipping problems in the bud that would otherwise not only affect conversions but ad spend as well. Some of the things you should be on high alert for include:
- Drastic fluctuations: If a certain keyword spend catapults from $20 to $2,000, or the other way around, you know you have a problem on your hands and it’s time to take a closer look
- Disapproval alerts: Many businesses miss ad disapproval alerts, so you want to set a filter so that such messages never get past you. While you’re at it, take a look at your extensions such as site links because Google doesn’t offer notifications about such disapprovals.
- First-page bid: Without checking your bids you won’t know if you’re getting left behind. Automation has its usefulness, and here’s one prime area that you could automate, although you could also opt to do this manually as well.
While customizing your bid adjustments, it’s wise to keep an eye on potential areas that could benefit depending on metrics around audiences, devices, and locations.
Let Genexod get you the most of your ROAS
Optimizing for Google Ads campaigns is vital to getting better results much quicker, and without blowing your budget. Creating strong campaigns isn’t a one-off process. It requires constant work and these tips today are among many that you should incorporate into your Google Ads strategy. For the ultimate guide to killer Google Ad campaigns, turn to our digital marketing services today. Get in touch today to maximize your return on ad spend.