Search Advertising: What It Is and How to Do It

Search advertising is a marketing technique that displays ads in the search enginge result pages (SERPs) when someone searches for products or services. It is a popular form of marketing that many people are turning to today. The sponsored entries are displayed at the top of the search results and a few at the bottom. While the search advertisements can be displayed in other ways, Google will indicate whether an ad is sponsored or not. Because the searches are based on the need of the users, there’s a likelihood of clicks and conversions.

Why Choose Search Advertising for Your Business?

Search ads typically come in the form of pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-click (CPC). The advertiser pays a small fee when someone clicks on their ads. Search advertising is offered by search engine companies like Google and Bing in the form of Google Ads or Bing Ads. These platforms allow advertisers to capitalize on a huge user bases. So, why should you use these search engines for your business?

You Only Pay For What the User Clicks On

Although the cost-per-click will depend on how competitive the keyword is, you only pay when someone clicks on the ad. So, whether you’re a startup or an established business, you will only pay what you are comfortable paying. This is because you can set a budget you feel comfortable with, and the platform will stop running the ad if it surpasses your budget. Also, if you’re not getting the desired results from your campaign, you can stop it at any time.

When you start your campaign, you should start with a minimal budget and then adjust it based on the traffic generated. If you like what you are seeing and are getting a high return on investment (ROI), then increase your budget. On average, every $1 spent, Google delivers an $2 return on investment overall. So, search advertising is typically a smart way to spend your marketing budget when seeking a higher return.

Increases Brand Recognition

Using search advertising is an excellent way to increase brand recognition. Brand recognition is another viable way to gain leads for your business. This happens by people seeing your advertisements and recognizing your brand and what you offer. When people are aware of your brand, they are more likely to initiate a sale.

Whether you use Google or Bing, you should attempt to get in front of an audience. Since not every user will click on your ads, you should use industry-related keywords that align with your brand name. This will help you increase your brand awareness across users, even if they don’t click on your website.

Gives Measurable Results

The beauty of search ads is that you will know the number of people who have seen your ads. From there, you can see your click-through rate (CTR), so you know how effective and engaging your ad was. More specifically, you can identify whether the users are male or female. This can help you identify your best target audience for your brand. When you know your best prospects who are interested in your business, you can target them more effectively.

Allows You to Advertise to a Specific Audience

Search advertising can be customized to specific demographics to allow businesses to target specific people. It also allows you to decide the time of the day or the week the ad should appear. Even better, you can narrow your search based on city, state, ZIP code, or country. Additionally, you can target people based on their interests, age, and more. This explains why paid search advertising is a great way to reach out to potential clients who are unsure of your brand.

Gives More Qualified Leads

With PPC ads, you can bring more leads from people who are interested in your brand to your website. This makes the traffic you drive to your site more qualified and effective. You can determine the page you want your prospects to see first. With search ads, you can decide the webpage you want your prospects to see first. Do you want them to see the homepage or service page first? That way, you can highlight certain aspects of your business.

While Google and Bing make the process of running a search ad seamless, there’s a lot that goes into making the campaign successful. To achieve your business goals, you should always track the performance of the ad. This way, you know you are targeting the right audience and are not wasting money.

How to Optimize Search Advertising Campaigns

While search advertising platforms are easy to use, there are best practices for ensuring your campaigns are optimized. When you optimize your search advertising campaigns, you will see much better results than you would normally. Below are just a few tactics you can use to help with this.

Avoid Negative Keywords

The keywords you use will determine who the search engines display your ads to. For instance, if you’re selling high-end shoes, you should avoid keywords like “affordable” or “cheap.” Make sure you brainstorm on the right words to use to ensure you target the right traffic. Perhaps the best way is to identify the top performing keywords. Keep an eye on new ones and adjust your bids accordingly. As you put together your list, use long-tail keywords, as they are much less competitive.

Never Run Just One Ad

If your ad has many clicks, it doesn’t mean that it’s performing well. The key performance indicator is whether the visitors are converted to customers or leads. To see what works best for your audience, it is best to do what is called an A/B test. This is where you run two similar campaigns, and compare their results. Even if it’s your first campaign, you need something to compare it to. Simply put, when you run two ads, you can measure which one is performing better than the other. After all, your goal is to bring more leads and minimize your spending.

 

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Fine-Tune Your Ad Copy

The words you use in your ad, also known as ad copy, will help the user decide whether to click on it or not. You don’t have to be pro at writing your ad copy– just keep it clear, engaging, concise. Users will stay away from fluff pieces. Not only that, but you should also have a few copies and try out which one works best, as mentioned above. You may also want to look at your competitors’ ad copy to figure out what you could be missing.

If you are unsure of the best practices for copywriting, we have an entire series about improving your copywriting skills. With the tips we offer, you can set up an effective advertising campaign with excellent advertising copy. When you do regular work on your copy and follow the best practices, you can beat the competition and rise to the top of the SERPs.

Search Advertising Management

Search ads are not something you should set and forget. Each campaign requires on-going management to ensure it’s effective and constantly being improved. Throughout your campaign, you should make the necessary adjustments to improve the results. Some of the elements you need to manage, as time goes on, are listed below.

Choose the Best Search Advertising Platform

First, you need to choose the best search advertising platform for your business. To do this, look at your advertisements on each platform and consider which is best for you. Currently, Google has the highest market share. So, Google may be best for you. However, other search engines, such as Bing, Ask, or Yahoo!, are effective for other businesses.

Unlike other advertising techniques, you don’t have to be a big business to use search advertising on search engines. Any business that invests in search ads can reap awesome benefits, no matter the platform. Statistics show that 75% of people who use paid search ads find the information they need on the website.

Splitting Ad Groups

When you split your ad groups, you can improve your CTR and quality score. Keep in mind that 91% of the average click-through rate appears on Google Search Network. So, be aware of your ad groups and which group is doing best for your business.

Refine Your Landing Pages

The content on your landing page and the call-to-action (CTA) should align with your search ads. The better your landing page, the better results you will get. So, be sure to put in a lot of time into your landing page. It should clearly define what you do, why someone should buy your product or service, and how much it is. This will help you get the best results possible without misusing your budget.

Update Your Keyword List

Your keyword list will greatly impact your results. When your keyword list is filled with highly-searched keywords, you will likely see the most success. Along the way, you should add more relevant keywords to your list and remove the poorly performing ones. Also, make sure they are relevant to your brand and industry.

Key Takeaways

If you want to increase your leads, you should consider investing in paid search ads. This is a great way to grow your business and reach out to potential clients. First, you should organize your account’s advertisements. Secondly, you should bet on the right keywords to ensure the ad is going to the most interested audiences. The idea is to get creative and put yourself in your audience’s shoes.

While search ads require an initial investment, the campaigns give attractive returns. You may want to work with an expert who understands the ins and outs of paid search advertising to develop campaigns that drive conversions. If you do want to work with an expert, feel free to contact us. Our team would love to help you set up your search advertising campaign.