The thought of spending of money on Google Ads often strikes fear into the hearts of many businesses, and with good reason. Over the years we have seen many types of Google Ads campaigns from the weird to the wonderful, but without doubt, the more saddening ones we see are the ones that lose money, a LOT of money. To give context, from personal experience, a single keyword has single handedly lost clients thousands of pounds.

Whilst the somewhat wary tone of the opening paragraph may put you into a spin and cause you to second guess your choice to make money with Google Ads for your business; fear not. The more extreme cases we see are those in which clients have self-managed campaigns and not put any meaningful targeting or defensive measures in place to prevent them wasting their hard-earned money.

A well-managed campaign can have the opposite effect, generating targeted leads, an excellent Return on Investment and provides clients with a genuinely robust way to make money with Google Ads. One such example is our Client Cardinal Steels. A specialist in providing Box Profile roofing sheets to its customers, Cardinal receives over 300 leads per month on average and is leading the way when it comes to providing the highest quality most cost-effective roofing sheets in the UK.

Now you may be thinking, that’s all well and good, but you are a professional PPC agency with more experience in Pay Per Click marketing than you care to remember, so of course you can achieve those kinds of results! The truth is sometimes even the simplest of changes can make a huge difference and some simple strategies and sense checking can turn the tide from the outset; ensuring your campaign flies as high as Cardinal Steels Box Profile roof sheets. Allow us now, to tell you how to REALLY make money with Google Ads…

1. Goal Setting

• • Define Clear Objectives: Start with specific, measurable goals. Are you looking to increase sales, generate leads, or boost brand awareness? Your objectives will guide every decision in the campaign.

2. Keyword Research

• • Choose the Right Keywords: Utilise tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find relevant keywords with high search volumes and reasonable competition. Consider the user intent behind each keyword.
  • Use Long-Tail Keywords: Incorporate long-tail keywords for more targeted traffic. These are less competitive and often more conversion-friendly.
  • Keyword Grouping: Group your keywords into tightly related clusters. This improves the relevancy of your ads and landing pages, enhancing Quality Score and ad performance.

3. Target Audience Identification

• • Define Your Audience: Use demographic data, interests, and online behavior to define your target audience. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook offer tools to deeply understand and segment your audience.
  • Use Audience Insights: Leverage audience insights to refine your targeting. Tailor your ad copy and messaging to match the specific needs and desires of your audience segments.

4. Ad Copywriting

• • Craft Compelling Ad Copy: Write clear, engaging, and action-oriented ad copy. Highlight your unique selling points (USPs) and include a strong call-to-action (CTA).
  • Use Emotional Triggers: Incorporate psychological triggers that resonate with your target audience, such as fear of missing out (FOMO), happiness, or a sense of belonging.
  • A/B Testing: Continuously test different ad copies to find what resonates best with your audience. Optimise based on performance metrics.

5. Landing Page Optimisation

• • Align with Ad Content: Ensure your landing pages are directly relevant to your ad groups. Consistency in messaging and visuals is key to converting clicks into conversions.
  • Optimise for Conversions: Implement clear CTAs, concise and compelling copy, and user-friendly design. Ensure the page loads quickly and is optimised for mobile devices.

6. Setting Budgets and Bids

• • Determine Your Budget: Set a budget based on your campaign goals and expected ROI. Consider the cost-per-click (CPC) of your targeted keywords and the competitive landscape.
  • Use Bid Strategies: Choose a bid strategy that aligns with your campaign objectives, whether it’s maximising clicks, conversions, or targeting a specific return on ad spend (ROAS).

7. Tracking and Analytics

• • Implement Conversion Tracking: Set up conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of your PPC campaign against your defined objectives.
  • Use Analytics: Regularly review analytics to understand campaign performance. Look at metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, quality score, and cost per acquisition (CPA).

8. Optimisation and Refinement

• • Optimise Continuously: Use data insights to refine keyword lists, ad copy, targeting, and bids. The goal is to enhance campaign performance over time.
  • Innovate and Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try new ad formats, platforms, or creative strategies. Innovation can often be the key to breaking through the noise.

Have no doubt, if you want to make money with Google ads, using the tips we have provided as a base will take you a LONG way towards success. Many businesses jump straight in without fully understanding the Google Ads platform and fail to set up properly from the outset. This is a losing game and not only loses you money but your confidence in the platform diminishes and puts you firmly on the track to NOT make money using Google ads.

So please start your journey the right way and use our advice as a benchmark. If you find yourself straying towards running before you can walk, just remember the old adage “FAIL to PREPARE, PREPARE to FAIL”