What is Adwords? And Why Should You Use it?

Adwords is Paid Advertising on Google

Unlike organic search results, which are based on Google’s opinion of how well your website matches the terms of a search, Adwords results are paid ads. The ads appear above or to the right of Google’s organic search results, as well as on other sites.

You can pay per impression (when your ad shows up) or per click (when somebody clicks on the ad to visit your web page). For 90% of our clients, pay-per-click [PPC] is the best way to get a good return on your marketing investment. You only pay when someone clicks on your ads. Besides being instant (as soon as your campaign is approved, you can start showing up in search engine results), PPC ads can be limited to certain geographic areas, so you don’t pay to advertise to people who would never come to your business.


Who Should Use Adwords? 
Almost everybody! It used to be that if your organic search results were good enough, you could avoid PPC ads. However, the web has gotten so competitive that it really pays to have as many signposts as possible. So, the obvious reasons for PPC ads are that: (1) more ads means more potential listings on search results; and (2) more potential visitors to your site.

But there is another very important reason to consider a PPC campaign: to help narrowly define the keywords and phrases for your marketing efforts. Our experts can research what keywords are used to find products and services like yours, but the best specific data comes from the process of monitoring which keywords are actually driving visitors to your site. Ads and keywords that bring the most visitors are the ones you should be focusing your other digital marketing and SEO efforts on.

How Do We Do It? 
Our first step is determining what people are generally searching for when they’re looking for products or services like yours. One tool we use is the Adwords Keyword Planner. This allows us to enter a few primary description words (like “auto repair” or “family dentist”), and produce a lengthy list of what terms people in the US are actually typing into Google. We work through the first 50 or 100 of those terms to develop a set of words or phrases for your website.

Our second step is to review the list of core keywords with you. We determine the highly precise list to focus on and monitor for SEO. Depending on your account, that could mean as few as 3 keywords or as many as 20 or more. Together, we narrow down the longer list and come up with your “core” keywords. We use these in “4-in-1 optimization,” “link anchor text,” and in our social media and other efforts on your behalf. 
 
Our third step is to monitor your results. If you’re not using PPC ads, we monitor traffic to your site, the search terms used to find you, comments on your social media posts, blogs, and so forth. If you are using PPC ads, we monitor the click through rate so we know which keywords are getting the most interest. We constantly monitor your ad text to make sure it is compelling, truthful, and that it aligns with your market niche and your target clientele. The goal is to learn exactly what people are typing into Google to find you, and what to show them so make sure they know how wonderful you are. Even tiny changes in ad text can make a big difference, which is why we have to pay close attention to your results.

Our final step is actually not a single step, but a process. If keywords or phrases are getting you good numbers of visitors, we try to find more places to use them. We also try similar terms to see if we can get you even more good results! If some aren’t getting good results, we improve them ... if that doesn’t help, we remove them. Our SEO experts are never satisfied with “just good enough.” 

For truly meaningful results in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace, the process of test & measure, improve or remove should go on for as long as you stay in business. If you’re involved in the process, too, you can learn a TON about the mindset of your customers ... and that’s priceless!


So, What Should You Do? 
Even if your website frequently appears at or near the top of the organic search results, we recommend using a PPC campaign. It’s an important part of a well-balanced marketing plan, and the only way to get instant search results. Contact us today to discuss whether a PPC campaign* makes sense as a part of your marketing plan!


*By the way, there are PPC ads available on Facebook, Yahoo! and a variety of other platforms. Depending on your marketing goals and budget, many of these may be a good fit for your business!