Learn Google Ads Step By Step

Google Ads is an effective way for businesses to reach potential customers and increase their online presence.

However, many business owners are intimidated by the platform and may feel that they lack the technical expertise to run a successful campaign.

In reality, setting up and running a Google Ads campaign can be straightforward with the right knowledge and guidance.

By learning how to use Google Ads, business owners can take control of their advertising efforts and potentially see a positive impact on their bottom line. In this tutorial, we will go over the steps needed to create and optimize a successful Google Ads campaign.

Understanding Google Ads

Creating a Google Ads Account To create a Google Ads account:

Follow these steps:

  • Go to the Google Ads website.
  • Click on “Start Now” to create a new account.
  • Enter your email address and website URL.
  • Set up your account by selecting your country and time zone, and by creating a new campaign.
  • Enter your billing information to pay for your ads.
  • Confirm your account details and start creating your ads.

Google Ads Account Access & Security To access and secure your Google Ads account

Follow these steps:

  • Go to the Google Ads website and sign in.
  • Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  • Select “Account access” to manage who has access to your account.
  • Click on “Security” to manage your account security settings, including two-factor authentication and other security measures.

Billing & Payment methods To manage your billing and payment methods in Google Ads

Follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  • Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  • Select “Billing & payments” to manage your payment methods, billing preferences, and payment history.

Creating Google Ads Campaigns & Campaign Types

Difference between search, display & remarketing campaign

  • Search campaigns: These ads appear in Google search results when people search for specific keywords.
  • Display campaigns: These ads appear on websites that partner with Google to show ads.
  • Remarketing campaigns: These ads target people who have visited your website before and may be interested in your products or services.

Plan a Google Ads Campaign (Standard, Smart & Performance Max Campaign) To plan a Google Ads campaign

Follow these steps:

  • Determine your campaign goals.
  • Choose the campaign type that best suits your goals.
  • Define your target audience and create ad groups.
  • Choose your keywords and create ad copy.
  • Set your budget and bidding strategy.
  • Launch your campaign and monitor its performance.

Create Campaigns & Configure Campaign Settings

Follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  • Click on the “+” button to create a new campaign.
  • Choose the campaign type that best suits your goals.
  • Define your target audience and create ad groups.
  • Choose your keywords and create ad copy.
  • Set your budget and bidding strategy.
  • Configure your campaign settings, including location targeting, ad scheduling, and device targeting.

Create and Configure Ad Groups, Ads & Keywords To create and configure ad groups, ads, and keywords

Follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  • Navigate to the “Campaigns” tab and select the campaign you want to work on.
  • Click on the “Ad groups” tab and create a new ad group.
  • Create your ads and choose the keywords that will trigger them.
  • Configure your ad group settings, including ad rotation and ad scheduling.

Managing Bidding & Budgets To manage your bidding and budgets in Google Ads

Follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  • Navigate to the “Campaigns” tab and select the campaign you want to work on.
  • Click on the “Settings” tab and select “Budget & Bidding.”
  • Choose your bidding strategy and set your maximum bid.
  • Set your campaign budget and monitor your spend.

Keywords, Ad Groups & Targeting

Research Keywords with the Google Keyword Planner:

  • Sign in to your Google Ads account and click on “Tools & Settings” in the top menu.
  • Click on “Keyword Planner” under “Planning”.
  • Enter your product or service related keywords and website URL in the given fields.
  • Select your target location and language, and click “Get Results”.
  • Review the keyword ideas and select the most relevant ones for your campaign.

Configure Ad Groups & Keywords:

  • Click on “Campaigns” in the left menu and create a new campaign.
  • Choose your campaign type, goal, and campaign settings.
  • Click “Create an Ad Group” and enter a name for the ad group.
  • Add the keywords you have selected in step 1 to the ad group.
  • Write ad copy that is relevant to the keywords and your business.
  • Set your bid and budget for the ad group.

Comparing the different keywords match types: Broad, Phrase, Exact Match Modifier:

  • Broad Match: This match type allows your ads to appear for searches that include synonyms, variations, and related searches of your keywords.
  • Phrase Match: This match type allows your ads to appear for searches that include your exact keyword phrase in the same order, but may have additional words before or after it.
  • Exact Match Modifier: This match type allows your ads to appear for searches that include your keywords with specific words or phrases that you designate with a “+” sign.

Explore & understand negative keywords:

  • Negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing for searches that are not relevant to your business.
  • To add negative keywords, go to the “Keywords” tab and click “Negative Keywords”.
  • Enter the negative keywords that you want to exclude from your campaign.

Configuring Language & Location Targeting:

  • Click on “Settings” in the campaign or ad group that you want to edit.
  • Click on “Locations” and select the geographic locations that you want to target.
  • Click on “Languages” and select the languages that your target audience speaks.

Device specific targeting – Mobile, Tablet & Desktop:

  • Click on “Settings” in the campaign or ad group that you want to edit.
  • Click on “Devices” and choose the device types that you want to target.
  • Adjust your bids accordingly for each device type to optimize your ad performance.

That’s it! Following these steps will help you research keywords and configure ad groups for your Google Ads campaign.

𝐀𝐝𝐬 & 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Writing effective ad copy

This involves crafting compelling and persuasive ad copy that entices potential customers to click on your ads. To write effective ad copy, consider the following:

  • Highlight the unique selling points of your product or service.
  • Use attention-grabbing headlines that are relevant to your target audience.
  • Use strong calls-to-action that encourage users to take the desired action (e.g. “Buy now,” “Sign up today,” “Learn more,” etc.).
  • Keep your ad copy concise and to-the-point.
  • Make sure your ad copy aligns with the landing page the user will be directed to after clicking on your ad.

Learning basic use of Ad extensions

Ad extensions are additional pieces of information you can add to your ads to provide more context and increase the chances of getting clicks. Some common ad extensions include sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets. To use ad extensions, follow these steps:

  • Navigate to the “Ads & extensions” section of your Google Ads account.
  • Click on the “Extensions” tab.
  • Choose the type of extension you want to use and enter the relevant information (e.g. links to additional pages on your website, specific features of your product, etc.).
  • Save your changes and make sure the extensions are approved.

Reviewing Google Ad policies

Google has strict policies in place to ensure ads are safe, legal, and non-deceptive. Before creating any ads, it’s important to review Google’s ad policies to make sure your ads comply with these guidelines. Some common policies include:

  • Prohibition on ads promoting illegal activities or products (e.g. drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, etc.).
  • Prohibition on ads that are misleading or deceptive (e.g. making false claims about a product or service).
  • Prohibition on ads that violate user privacy or collect sensitive information without consent.
  • Requirements for ad content and language (e.g. avoiding hate speech or discriminatory language).

Creating ads with extensions that provide information

As mentioned earlier, ad extensions can provide additional information to users to increase the chances of getting clicks. To create ads with extensions that provide information, follow these steps:

  • Navigate to the “Ads & extensions” section of your Google Ads account.
  • Click on the “Extensions” tab.
  • Choose the type of extension you want to use (e.g. sitelinks, callouts, etc.) and enter the relevant information.
  • Make sure the extensions are approved.

Creating ads with automated extensions

Automated extensions are generated automatically by Google based on your ad content and website information. To create ads with automated extensions, simply create your ads as usual and Google will automatically generate extensions based on the content of your ads and website. Some common automated extensions include seller ratings, dynamic sitelinks, and dynamic structured snippets.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Understanding Google Tag Manager:

  • Sign up for a Google Tag Manager account and create a container for your website.
  • Install the Google Tag Manager code on your website.
  • Create and configure tags, triggers, and variables in Tag Manager to track specific events on your website.
  • Preview and publish your changes to ensure they are working correctly.

Setting up Remarketing code using Google Tag Manager:

  • Create a new tag in Google Tag Manager and select the Google Ads Remarketing template.
  • Enter your Google Ads conversion ID and label information.
  • Configure your trigger to fire the tag on the appropriate pages of your website.
  • Preview and publish your changes to ensure they are working correctly.

Developing Google Ads Remarketing audiences with Google Analytics:

  • Connect your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts.
  • Create a new audience in Google Analytics based on specific behaviors or characteristics of your website visitors.
  • Link your Google Analytics audience to your Google Ads account.
  • Use your audience to target your Google Ads campaigns to specific groups of people.

Build an effective Display Remarketing campaign:

  • Create a new campaign in Google Ads and select the Display Network.
  • Select your remarketing audience as your targeting option.
  • Choose your ad format and create compelling ad creative.
  • Set your budget and bid strategy.
  • Launch your campaign and monitor its performance.

Display & Dynamic remarketing best practice:

  • Use visually appealing and attention-grabbing ad creative.
  • Use a clear and concise call-to-action in your ads.
  • Test different ad formats and sizes to see what works best.
  • Use frequency capping to avoid showing your ads too often to the same people.
  • Use dynamic remarketing to show personalized ads to people who have previously interacted with your website.

𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬

Optimize Landing Pages for Quality Score:

  • Identify the landing pages that you want to optimize.
  • Analyze the performance of your landing pages using Google Analytics or other tracking tools.
  • Make sure that the landing page content is relevant to the ad and the user’s search intent.
  • Optimize the landing page load time and ensure it’s mobile-friendly.
  • Add relevant and engaging content to the landing page.
  • Use persuasive and clear call-to-actions (CTAs) to encourage users to take action.
  • Test different versions of the landing page and measure their performance to determine the most effective one.

Optimize Bidding Performance:

  • Set clear goals for your bidding strategy.
  • Analyze your campaign performance data to identify areas for improvement.
  • Determine your target audience and their behavior to inform your bidding strategy.
  • Choose the bidding strategy that aligns with your goals and budget (e.g., manual bidding, automated bidding, or target CPA).
  • Adjust your bids based on performance data, including ad position, conversion rates, and cost per click (CPC).
  • Use ad scheduling to adjust your bids at different times of the day or week based on user behavior and competition.

Optimize Budgets:

  • Set clear budget goals for your campaigns.
  • Analyze your campaign performance data to identify areas where you can adjust your budget.
  • Determine the most profitable campaigns and allocate more budget to them.
  • Identify and pause campaigns or ad groups that are underperforming or not meeting your goals.
  • Monitor your budget regularly and adjust it based on changes in your business or industry.

Automate Google Ads Campaign Using Rules:

  • Determine which campaign tasks you want to automate.
  • Use Google Ads rules to automate your campaigns and make changes based on predefined conditions (e.g., increase bids for keywords with high conversion rates).
  • Set up rules to monitor and pause campaigns that are not meeting your performance goals.
  • Use scripts to automate more complex tasks that can’t be done with rules.

Optimize Campaign Configuration for Conversions:

  • Define clear conversion goals for your campaigns.
  • Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads to measure and optimize for conversions.
  • Analyze your campaign data to identify which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords are driving the most conversions.
  • Use ad copy and landing page optimization to increase your conversion rates.
  • Test different ad formats, ad placements, and targeting options to find the most effective combination for driving conversions.

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

Optimize Landing Pages for Quality Score:

  • Analyze your landing pages and identify areas for improvement
  • Ensure that your landing pages are relevant to the ad and keywords used
  • Improve the loading speed of your landing pages
  • Create clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) that match your ad messaging
  • Test different landing page variations to see which ones perform best
  • Continuously monitor and optimize your landing pages for better quality scores

Optimize Bidding Performance:

  • Analyze your campaign data to identify which keywords and ads are performing well
  • Adjust your bid strategy based on your goals (e.g., maximize clicks, maximize conversions, target return on ad spend)
  • Utilize automated bidding strategies, such as Target CPA or Target ROAS, to optimize your bids automatically
  • Use bid modifiers to adjust your bids for different devices, locations, and times of day
  • Monitor your bidding performance regularly and make adjustments as necessary

Optimize Budgets:

  • Analyze your campaign data to identify which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords are driving the most conversions and revenue
  • Allocate more budget to top-performing campaigns and keywords
  • Set up campaign-level or shared budgets to control your overall spend
  • Use bid adjustments to control spend for different devices, locations, and times of day
  • Monitor your budget regularly and adjust as necessary

Automate Google Ads Campaign Using Rules:

  • Define your campaign goals and identify the key metrics you want to track (e.g., click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per conversion)
  • Set up rules in Google Ads based on these metrics and your campaign goals
  • Choose the actions you want Google Ads to take when a rule is triggered (e.g., pause a keyword, adjust a bid)
  • Monitor your rules regularly to ensure they are working as intended

Optimize Campaign Configuration for Conversions:

  • Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads and ensure that it is accurately tracking your desired actions (e.g., purchases, form submissions)
  • Analyze your campaign data to identify which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords are driving the most conversions and revenue
  • Optimize your ad messaging to align with your conversion goals and target audience
  • Test different ad variations to see which ones perform best for driving conversions
  • Continuously monitor and optimize your campaign configuration for better conversion rates and return on investment.

𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Setting up Conversion Tracking with Tag Manager:

  • First, create a Google Tag Manager account and set up a container for your website.
  • Next, create a conversion tracking tag in Tag Manager by selecting the “Conversion Tracking” template and filling in the necessary information, such as the conversion ID and label.
  • Then, add the tag to the appropriate pages on your website, such as the thank-you page after a form submission or purchase.
  • Finally, test the tag to ensure that it’s tracking conversions correctly.

Understanding Google Analytics:

  • Start by creating a Google Analytics account and setting up a property for your website.
  • Once you’ve installed the tracking code on your website, you can start to use Google Analytics to gather data about your website visitors and their behavior.
  • Learn about the different reports and metrics available in Google Analytics, such as traffic sources, user behavior, and conversion tracking.
  • Use the insights from Google Analytics to inform your Google Ads strategy and optimize your campaigns.

Link Google Ads to Google Analytics:

  • In your Google Ads account, go to the “Tools & Settings” menu and select “Linked accounts.”
  • Click on “Google Analytics” and follow the prompts to connect your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics property.
  • Once the accounts are linked, you can access Google Analytics data from within your Google Ads account and use it to optimize your campaigns.

Measure Google Ads Campaign Success(ROI):

  • Define your key performance indicators (KPIs) for your Google Ads campaign, such as conversion rate, cost per conversion, or return on ad spend (ROAS).
  • Use conversion tracking and Google Analytics data to track your KPIs and measure the success of your campaign.
  • Analyze your results and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaign and improve your ROI.

Analyze Campaign Performance & Optimize Ads:

  • Use the data available in your Google Ads account, such as impressions, clicks, and conversions, to analyze the performance of your ads and campaigns.
  • Identify which ads and keywords are performing well and which ones need improvement.
  • Optimize your ad copy, targeting, and bidding strategy to improve your campaign performance and achieve your KPIs.

Track Conversions:

  • Use conversion tracking in Google Ads to track the actions that users take on your website after clicking on your ads, such as form submissions, purchases, or phone calls.
  • Set up conversion tracking by creating a conversion action in your Google Ads account and adding the conversion tracking tag to your website.
  • Monitor your conversions and use the data to optimize your campaigns for maximum ROI.

Create Reports in Google Ads:

  • Use the reporting tools in Google Ads to create custom reports that show the performance of your campaigns and ads.
  • Choose the metrics and dimensions that you want to include in your report, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, or cost.
  • Customize the report layout and design, and schedule automated reports to be sent to your email or shared with other members of your team.

Conclusion

As a business owner, understanding how to use Google Ads can be a valuable tool in growing your business.

By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can confidently set up and manage your own Google Ads campaigns.

Remember to conduct thorough research on your target audience, choose the right keywords, and continually analyze and optimize your ads for maximum success.

With dedication and practice, you can create effective ads that reach your desired audience and drive conversions.

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