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Category: Google Ads

Can I Manage Google Ads Myself?

Posted on by Phil Robinson

Can I Manage Google Ads Myself?

The quick answer is, Yes, you can. You can create a google ads account and set up an advert that’ll be up and running fairly quickly. But ask yourself, how well can you manage Google Ads? Do you understand the intricacies of:

  • Identifying key reports that will give you the most insight into your campaigns?
  • Are you comfortable interpreting the data in your account and knowing what actions to take to optimise your campaigns?
  • Can you explain key Google Ads data such as Ad Rank, Search Impression Share, Quality Score, or Interaction Rate?

If you do, then you probably don’t need to read on, and I’ll bid you a good day. However, if those things seem a little foreign to you then perhaps you should consider outsourcing an expert to Manage google ads for you.
Can, would, or do you service your own vehicle? Or if you employ people do you do your own employment contracts? And do you do all of your accounting with the aid of an expert in their field?
Again if this is something to consider. Having an Expert manage google ads for you will ultimately give you the best opportunity to see measurable, tangible results – and a positive ROI.
If you choose to manage Google Ads yourself, whilst it may seem easy to get started, it is virtually impossible for a novice user to know whether or not they are getting the best results possible, and there are a lot of parts to a successful campaign.

Managing Google Ads

Managing a Google Ad account is not simply looking at the reports once a month and making a couple of random tweaks. It’s about knowing exactly what’s happening in the account day to day. And then being able to dedicate time each week to check key reports. It’s also important to understand how to research ppc keywords, costs per click, and even the user’s search intent. Then there is the landing page each ad directs the user to. Is it optimised for user experience, is it even relevant?

Google is pretty smart – we all know this. But an expert in Google ads will make calculated adjustments and apply new opportunities to maximise traffic, conversion, and ultimately revenue.

In competitive industries, like law firms, travel, and tourism, or Finance and insurance to name a few – this requires daily check-ins and adjustments to bids strategies, for example, just to maintain the ad position and level of traffic to the website.

A lot can happen in the space of a month. Google Ads is definitely not a “set and forget” platform, so don’t be tempted to think that a profitable campaign will remain profitable without any intervention from you. It’s likely that it’s taken months, maybe years, to get it to a profitable state, and it will continue to require work and time to keep it profitable.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water…

You may have heard the saying ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’. This also applies to Google Ads. And in particular your website. Imagine the information (or content) on your website is the water. Once you lead your prospects to said water, you need to ensure they find what they are looking for. Simply put, what do you want those visitors to do once they get there? And how easy is it for them to drink – or take that action – How will you make them stay longer? How will you convert them into contacts and then customers?

And if they do convert, what is your lead nurturing process or strategy?

These are all relevant questions to be thinking about and if possible answering before you even set up the Google Ad account.

A &Quot;Working Website&Quot; Picture Pasted On A Cardboard Box

Why you shouldn’t Manage Google Ads yourself

On more than one occasion I have heard from clients who tried to manage Google Ads on their own. And all too often, have made a complete mess of it. They end up spending thousands of dollars and have no idea if they got any ROI from it.
We’re all human, and with digital marketing being such a minefield, we understand the attraction to manage Google Ads yourself.

Google encourages you to have a go, with their ‘easy’ AdWords Express offer that pops up with every Google service you sign up to.
It seems by doing it yourself you will save on agency fees.
There are so many companies offering SEO and Google Ads services. They hail from who knows where around the world at seemingly cheap rates. (if you’re like me you get at least a few emails a week in your inbox)
All the Google Ads companies claim to be “experts”
Yellow Pages have sale reps selling Google Ads every time you want to talk about how expensive their adverts are.
It’s really hard to know who you can trust and at least if you manage your digital marketing yourself, you’re the one in control right?

If you have tried outsourcing to digital marketing companies before you may have had a bad experience. Unfortunately, as marketing companies, even the honest ones, often get tarred with the same brush, or worse we inherit the distrust or the baggage the client carries with them from the previous firm.

How Do You Choose The Right Marketing Agency?

There are still a number of reasons you’ll see better results using a certified expert to manage Google Ads and should avoid trying to do it yourself –

  1. Being found in ways you don’t want to be
  2. Showing the Search Results in the wrong locations
  3. Being found for the wrong keywords
  4. Appearing for negative searches
  5. It’s always Changing

Get a professional to Manage Google Ads for you

Like the references above in the first section, about vehicle servicing legal contracts and accounting practices, there are some tasks or jobs we don’t (or shouldn’t) do ourselves. Factors like not having the time, resources, or expertise to do them as well as they need to be done all contribute here..
Some people may ‘have a crack’ at certain tasks (probably) to save money, some may just enjoy learning or doing it themselves. When it comes to digital marketing and Google Ads, it all depends on how much time you have to learn and keep up-to-date with the ever-evolving changes.
It’s a well-known fact that time is our most valuable commodity – in fact, the one thing on earth we can literally never obtain or acquire is more time. Smart people understand that swapping money for (other people’s) time is an investment – after all, we can always get more money – but we can never get more time!

The Damaging Effects of upsetting Google

We see this so often. To save money, people sacrifice their time to create their own templated websites. Often they try to do their own SEO and manage Google Ads themselves too. Months down the track, they give up in frustration and ask for help. Or worse – they deduce that digital marketing doesn’t work! The trouble is that on the internet, some things last a long time. A website that has been penalised by Google or damaging SEO practices can take months (or more) to put right.
If you’ve tried to manage Google Ads yourself, we understand you’re probably just trying to lead your horse to water. But you may be just getting led down the garden path…
You could actually be doing or already have done some lasting damage that will take time to put right. If you’re spending a bunch of money on Google Ads but not getting results, or even worse, you have no idea if you’re getting results at all – the best advice we can give you is, STOP! Talk to someone who understands and get yourself back on track.

Do Google Ads work?

Posted on by Phil Robinson

The internet is rife with advertising. Ads appear before YouTube videos, in the middle of Facebook feeds, and on top of Google results. Google Ads–formerly Google AdWords–are the ads that appear before the normal results. They’re a quick way to get to spot one on Google quickly. But does advertising on Google Ads really work?

For many businesses, yes, it does. However, success depends on many factors, such as how much time you invest into creating the ads, the quality of the website itself, and of course, advertising budget. Even on a smaller budget, Google Ads can work–as long as they’re done right.

The different goals of advertising on Google Ads

Ask most businesses what their goal for Google Ads is, and they’ll answer with “Get more customers”. And Google Ads can help with that. But the final sale or new customer is only one stage of the Buyer’s Journey. There are several different types of goals in Google Ads with the main ones being getting website visits, getting leads, and making sales.

Get Free Audit On Your Google Ads Account

Getting website visits through Google Ads

Not all sites need or even want sales or customers. For some, the goal is to raise awareness. Think of non-profits like charities, who want people to be aware of a specific issue. They may not have anything to sell. They may not accept donations. For these types of sites, the goal is to educate customers, and you’ll pay Google Ads for each click on your ad that leads to your website, with the average across all industries being about $3.80 NZD per click.

One study showed that educated customers are over 130% more likely to do business with a company. And the more expensive the product or service, the more likely someone is to do thorough research before making a decision. Using the website traffic goal can help get people to your website–then it’s up to you to have the right information on the site to keep them interested. If your site is small and simple and you don’t add articles or updates regularly, the website traffic goal may not be right for you.

Since costs per click (CPC) are relatively low, they’re a fantastic option for a smaller budget. Sometimes, people simply don’t know that you’re an option. By showing up in Google for the right keywords, they can find you, learn about you, and maybe decide to do business with you.

Getting leads through Google Ads

When you can’t make sales directly through the website or are looking to get leads, advertising on Google Ads can help you get them. Google Ads can help by having you pay for each conversion. Standard options for conversions include calls made by clicking the call button on an ad or filling out a contact form. You can also set them for custom actions–like if someone visits a thank you page–but these require adding some code to your site manually or by using Google Tag Manager. Naturally, the cost for a conversion action is much higher than the cost per click, currently at around $70 NZD per conversion.

The benefit of using this kind of goal and bidding strategy is that you can see how many leads come directly from ads. If you sell a service that profits you $500 and ends up costing $50 to get a customer, then you’ve gotten yourself a pretty good deal… Especially if they become a regular!

Getting Sales through Google Ads

If you have the ability for people to buy products directly on your website, you can create Google Ads to target getting purchases. Using this goal is great because it’s easy to track if your ads are making you money. However, to work properly it requires extra setup and adding code to your website to track purchases. Technically, a sale is considered a conversion action by Google Ads. This means across all industries, the average is $70 NZD.

For smaller, less expensive products however, this amount can be much lower. The cost per action on apparel, for example, is around $15 NZD. On the opposite end, for high-tech industries, it’s over $180 NZD.

How do you get your cost per click or cost per action lower?

If those costs seem like they’re a bit on the high side, that’s because they are. Properly made and optimised ads can be much cheaper and deliver better results. But these require a bigger time investment both for the ads and for the website itself.

Google decides how much an ad costs to run based on Quality Score. This quality score is a scale of 1-10 and includes the relevance of the keywords, the design and writing on the ad itself, and the relevance of the page the ad leads to. Using the keyword “best” and with an ad that just says “We’re the best” and a page with only “Call us now” will be closer to a 1. Well-written ads leading to an optimised page clearly related to the search term can get you a 10. And the difference in cost for quality ads isn’t just a little bit either. A 10 ad can cost half as much of a 4 ad and several times less than a 1.

Real-world examples of successful Google Ads

At Back9 Creative, we have several clients who are consistently outperforming others in their industry with better results at a lower cost. Some of these include:

  • A retail store with a cost per click of 20 cents NZD–less than 1/10 of the average across all industries and less than 1/5 of the average for other e-commerce sites.
  • A property maintenance company with $34 NZD cost per action — less than half of the Consumer Services average of $84 NZD.
  • A speciality service B2B business with under $2 NZD cost per click and $60 NZD cost per action — with average B2B at $160 NZD per action and $4.67 NZD per click.

So how are these costs so much lower than average? First, we are certified in Google Ads, which involves taking courses created by Google and passing the certification exam. We also aim to maximise Quality Score through a combination of creating professional ads with excellent website experiences. Finally, we update ads, campaigns and keywords regularly to maximise effectiveness. If you’re looking to advertise on Google Ads successfully, get in touch with us today and see what Google Ads can do for your business.

Google Ads Packages

9 Powerful Reasons to Use Google Ads for Winning Results

Posted on by Phil Robinson

Do Google Ads really work? Yes! Google Ads is one of the most effective ways to increase your sales fast and, with the right setup and management, it’s an extremely powerful tool that can bring in a whole new set of customers. And more customers equals more money for you! In this article, we’ll go over 9 key reasons to use Google Ads for your business, and why now is the best time to start.

One of the best strategies to use Google Ads is to target specific keywords that potential customers are searching for. By doing this, you can effectively reach your desired audience.

1. Get your business on the 1st page of Google

By utilising Google Ads, businesses can showcase their offerings to those who are actively seeking relevant products or services. This is a crucial advantage of using Google Ads.

The most straightforward reason to use Google Ads is that it will get your business found on Google. And as an ad, you can jump straight to the top of Page 1. This doesn’t mean that your ad will show every single time someone searches for your industry, but it does mean that it will show up frequently. Without Google Ads, it will often take a few months for your website to rank well on Google (but that’s a whole other story, and requires lots of work!) But with Google Ads, the results can start right away.

Moreover, when you use Google Ads, you can create tailored ads that resonate with your target demographic, ensuring a higher click-through rate.

2. Reach people anywhere

Using Google Ads effectively can also lead to improved engagement with your audience, resulting in higher conversion rates.

Even with the best flyers and print ads, your reach is going to be limited by distribution and region. Since Google Ads is on the internet, you can reach the next city, the next region, even countries on the other side of the world. If you have the ability to ship internationally, you can target people in say, the US who would’ve never heard your revolutionary radio ad. You can reach people anywhere, and even gain fans and followers for your brand from outside the country. 75% of users say that paid search ads make it easier to find information, which is especially relevant when they live far away from you and wouldn’t see your local advertising. 

Furthermore, businesses that use Google Ads often report a significant increase in customer inquiries and sales, making it a worthwhile investment.

3. Increase the number of visitors to your website

Additionally, when you use Google Ads, you can track and analyse your ad performance to optimise for better results continually.

The more people that view your website, the more likely they are to hear and understand what you have to say. They may share it with their friends, family, or other people they know that have a question you can answer. Even if they don’t share it, more visitors to your website can help your organic SEO (which means getting found without paying google for ads) grow, which can help you get more visitors, to get your more sales, to get you more visitors, and so on.

This ability to measure success is another compelling reason to use Google Ads in your marketing strategy.

Ultimately, the decision to use Google Ads should be based on thorough research and planning to maximise your return on investment.

4. Find customers ready to buy from you

It’s not just quantity that matters, but quality. People that take the time to click on ads are 30%-50% more likely to make a purchase than regular website visitors. People that come across your website on accident may be looking to buy, but they may just be doing research. But if someone clicks on an ad, they tend to know that they’re being sold to–and continue on anyway. Without any Google Ads, you could be missing out in this important group.

Remember, the potential of using Google Ads lies in your hands—make sure to leverage it wisely!

5. Get new leads

Google Ads isn’t just for making sales from eCommerce websites. If you don’t or can’t sell online, you can still use Google Ads to collect customer information for new leads. You can send people to a dedicated landing page where they can request more information, submit info for a free quote, subscribe to your newsletter, and more. Then you can get back to them on your own time with the info they need or have them continue through your sales process.

6. Grow brand awareness

Are you ready to transform your approach? Let’s talk about how to effectively use Google Ads today!

For those looking to expand their online presence, the best way to do that is to use Google Ads strategically tailored to your business needs.

In conclusion, the potential benefits of using Google Ads should not be overlooked, as it can significantly impact your business growth.

For many companies, brand awareness is one of the most important things on the marketing checklist. Building brand awareness helps people become familiar with your brand. They may not need what you’re selling at the time, but they’ll begin to associate your products and services with you. Then, if they ever do need what you offer, you’ll be first on their mind.

If you’re ready to elevate your marketing game, it’s time to start to use Google Ads for effective results.

7. It costs less to advertise than traditional methods 

Traditional advertising can be expensive, typically a few hundred or even thousands of dollars for a limited run. Meanwhile, Google Ads can reach people for a very reasonable cost. And it doesn’t expire. In terms of how much you should spend on Google Ads, it’s hard to nail down exactly how much ads will cost.

Typical cost-per-click varies by industry, but there’s plenty you can do to end up on the lower end of the cost spectrum. The best and simplest way to get your cost down is to have your ads managed by a certified Google Ads professional. 33% of people click on search ads because of how relevant the ad is to their search. And professional management can make sure that your account is relevant to the right people. Even after setup, management, and your ad budget, you can get a far greater return by having your account set up properly. 

8. Adjust ad campaigns easily

If you do traditional advertising like printing flyers, once they’re printed, they’re final. Noticing a typo or changing a deal after the fact, means you’ll have to get an entirely new run printed. Or hand them out with outdated information. With Google Ads, changes are easy. You can adjust your ads with a few clicks. You can change the budget in a matter of minutes. If you’re having a difficult month, you can even pause the ads temporarily, and resume then again whenever you want. With this kind of control, you don’t have to worry about Google Ads running you dry. That’s because you can adjust campaigns whenever you need to.

9. Make more money! 

We talked a lot about spending money on Google Ads. But the old wisdom is true here: you have to spend money to make money. Including setup and regular management, the average business makes $2 for every $1 spent on Google Ads. 100% return is pretty good! And Google is constantly updating the platform to make sure running ads is worthwhile. 97% of their revenue comes from ads after all, so they have to make sure it’s worth your investment! A properly set up ad account can make a huge difference in getting customers, and ultimately, making you more money.

Ready to use Google Ads?

If you’re keen to start using Google Ads, that’s great. You can be successful with Google ads if they are done right. So in saying that, we don’t always recommend trying to manage Google Ads yourself, unless you have some experience… Using a professional for creating an account, setting up some campaigns, and helping you run your first set of ads will pay off. Get in touch with us if you’d like to see how Google Ads can help you!

Where’s my new website?

Posted on by Phil Robinson

So you’ve built a brand new website, made it pretty, and filled it full of great content and information about your business. Then, you go and type it into Google to see it live. And… Nothing. You can’t find it. Your site couldn’t hide better if it was the child of Where’s Wally and Carmen Sandiego. Don’t worry–you aren’t alone! In this article we’ll cover some reasons why you might not be able to find your new website.

How-Long-Does-Seo-Take-To-See-Results

A new website takes time to index

Indexing is the process of adding a website to Google’s database. If Google doesn’t know the site exists, they can’t show it to people. This process takes time, so you might not be able to find your website from a Google search for a little while. Google also ranks new sites lower than existing sites, so it could be that your site isn’t high enough in the results yet. The rankings will naturally improve over time as long as you follow SEO best practices.

You can still find your site directly

Thankfully, if you’re having trouble finding your new site through a Google search, you can still access it by typing in the full URL directly. Often, you’re also able to type that URL into Google and get your site to show up that way, although that isn’t much use to someone who’s looking for it. In the meantime, you can wait–or invest into Google ads to at least show up as an ad in the search results.

Why is there even a wait at all?

One reason why your brand new site won’t show up instantly is because of the sheer number of websites and pages that exist. There is an estimated 1.5 billion websites that currently exist and over 1 quadrillion individual pages. That’s more than 10 times the amount of all the money that exists in the world! A million isn’t even a drop in the bucket when you’re dealing with quadrillions, though a million dollars would still be nice to have!

Search engines like Google process this sheer volume of sites through crawling and indexing. “Crawling” is when a web “spider” goes through websites searching for new information–like the existence of your new site. Once Google’s itsy bitsy spider finds your site, the site is indexed, or read over to make sure that the site has quality content and the information the crawler is looking for. If you’ve registered your site in Google Webmaster, you can request it to be indexed manually, but it will still take some time to appear in the results, especially when it’s brand new.

Isn’t there a way to speed up the process somehow?

While you can’t really do anything to speed up the indexing process, there is something you can do to make your site appear sometimes in the search results while you wait. Get an AdWords account and run some ads on Google. AdWords is still a good idea when your site is indexed as it has shown to be an effective tool for increasing revenue when done well, but it can be a huge boost to those first few weeks when you aren’t showing up in searches.

However, the ads can drain your budget quickly if you’re unfamiliar with the platform and don’t know how to use it’s many tools. Google offers free training you can go through to learn the basics, or you can always get the help of our knowledgeable team to manage the accounts on your behalf! We also have a certified Google Ads team here at Back9. Find out more on our article 9 Key Reasons to use Google Ads, or get in touch today!