Despite the economic uncertainty in recent years, Google remains a reliable advertising platform for all kinds of businesses. Due to travel and retail advertisers, Google saw a nearly 14% increase in search ad sales. These ads accounted for 81% of its $69.69 billion 2022 second-quarter revenue. Considering how 92.26% of global searches happen on Google, it’s unsurprising that many businesses are relying on the search engine for their advertising efforts.
However, given the high competition, it can be challenging for smaller businesses to establish an effective Google Ads campaign. There are several considerations especially involving search engine optimization (SEO), like keywords, SEO-friendly landing pages, and targeting specific geographic locations, to name a few. Here, we list five ways to improve your Google Ads' return on investment (ROI).
Optimize your website first
All SEO advice will point towards optimizing your website first. With as much as 60% of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s crucial that your webpage is both quick and mobile-friendly, lest your visitors leave your website immediately. Some of the best practices recommended by TechTarget to retain your audience include using a responsive layout that adapts to various screen sizes and testing your website regularly for both Android and iOS devices. This will ensure you not only improve your ranking on Google but also open more opportunities for conversion.
Boost your Google Ads quality score
Improving your Google Ads quality score is great for optimizing your resources. Google’s priority is to provide a top-notch experience to its users, which is why it considers click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience for your ad keywords. As such, Ayima points out how Google quality scores can make clicks cheaper, as the search engine recognizes that you are responding to your users’ needs. If you have a higher quality score than a competitor, it’s possible to achieve the same page ranking for a lower price— allowing you to meet your cost-per-action targets (CPA) faster. To improve your quality score, make sure to maximize as many ad extensions as physically possible. These provide additional information on your business, giving space for unique selling propositions (USPs) that can potentially boost your click-through rate (CTR).
Have landing pages corresponding to your ad
Aside from improving the efficiency of your overall website, it’s critical to have landing pages that correspond to your ad. Without a flawless transition, you’re more likely to lose your visitor and affect your quality score. For instance, if your ad offers a 20% discount, your landing page should have a visible button or code for redeeming it— fulfilling customer expectations and improving conversion rates. To optimize their website further, businesses can use Google Analytics or paid tools to see how pages perform, especially through A/B testing.
Make a list of negative keywords
When users enter a search, they may trigger ads related to your business but ultimately not what they’re searching for. For instance, if your business charges premium prices, a person looking for cheap services may not click your ad altogether, leading to a lower ad quality score. Rather than spend additional money on unqualified clickers, create a list of negative keywords that prevent your ads from being shown to them— helping improve your CTR. If you’re working with a limited budget, it’s recommended to use more restrictive negative keywords like broad and phrase match. These prevent ads from being shown on related topics as well as additional words after the keywords.
Consider using Google Ads Performance Max
If you’re looking for an efficient way to advertise, Performance Max can automate how ads serve your potential customers in various formats, including search, video, images, and much more. Our previous post “Google Ads Performance Max Campaigns: The Ultimate Guide” details how this option is best for marketers looking to meet specific campaign goals and boost their business reach. But even with an automated service, it’s always recommended to monitor your campaign’s performance every few days and assess its effectiveness after at least six weeks.
