Google AdWords first hit the web back in October 2000, and it’s been a busy little bee ever since! At last count there were more than a million AdWords advertisers, so if you’re looking to set your business apart, you’ve got to work smart. Google places AdWords ads in can’t-miss places — right amongst all of their organic search results — so you can get plenty of exposure from these ads.
The key to success, though, is to make sure you’ve got the right AdWords strategy. Otherwise, your ads — and your business — will simply fade into the woodwork!
Instead of flying by the seat of your pants or relying on trial and error to come up with a strategy, check out these 10 resources. They’ll be able to help, no matter how familiar you are (or aren’t!) with Google AdWords!
FOR THE BEGINNERS:
1. How to Get Started with Google AdWords
If you don’t know the difference between an Ad Group and a Campaign — or any of the other basics — this article needs to be your first stop! In it, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for setting up your AdWords account, along with an explanation of all of the important terms in “plain English”.
2. How to Create a Profitable Google AdWords Campaign (from Scratch)
Once you’ve got the basics under your belt, it’s time to build an ad campaign that actually works. In this article, you’ll learn how to study your target audience, how to pick ALL of the right keywords, and how to assess what your competitors are doing.
3. Typical AdWords Mistakes
This article admits that most AdWords advertisers learn as they go. But instead of spending a bunch of money, crossing your fingers, and hoping it all works out, this article will show you some of the biggest mistakes new AdWords advertisers make — and how you can avoid them altogether.
FOR THE ADVERTISERS WHO KNOW A LITTLE AND WANT TO LEARN MORE:
4. AdWords Express
If you’re already familiar with AdWords, but you want to take your ads to the next level, this may be the perfect solution. AdWords Express allows you to target potential customers right in your own neighborhood. That way, if you own a drycleaning business in Atlanta, your ads will pop up when someone does a local search — like “drycleaner in Atlanta” or “Atlanta drycleaner”, for example.
You can also set up your AdWords Express account so that your ads pop up when anyone in your target area performs a search. So, if someone in Atlanta simply searches for “drycleaner”, your ad will appear!
Want some AdWords Express advice that DOESN’T come from Google itself? Check out this article — on DigitalNext. It will teach you how to set your account up properly, how to make the most out of your budget, and even how to use your existing customers to get new ones.
5. 3 Google Updates for AdWords, DoubleClick Advertisers
If you’re an AdWords veteran, there are some changes you need to get used to — but they’re very valuable for advertisers who are already familiar with the dashboard. In February 2014, Google changed the way it tracks conversions in AdWords. So, if you’ve been looking for a way to count both leads AND sales, consider your wish granted!
6. 5 Mobile SEO Tips from the Google AdWords Team
The team at Moz ALWAYS puts out great advice and insight, but in this case, they didn’t share their own expertise. Instead, they went straight to the horse’s mouth! If you’re interested in maximizing your ads’ success on mobile devices (which you should be, because half of Google’s 3.3 billion daily searches are done on mobile devices, and that number is only going to go up!), this article lays out the tools and strategies you need to do it.
FOR THE ADVANCED ADVERTISERS:
7. 3 Advanced Tips to Bolster AdWords Display Campaign Performance
If you’ve been playing the AdWords “game” for awhile — but you feel like all of the money you’ve spent would be just as useful if you had flushed it down the toilet — this article is for you! You’ll learn how to fine-tune your strategy, how to test out new techniques, and how to avoid doing TOO much advertising that can actually turn off potential customers.
8. How to Use Bid Adjustments to Get More Out of Your AdWords Enhanced Campaigns
This article will seem like a gift from the heavens if you’ve upgraded to an Enhanced campaign but don’t know how to maximize your budget. Whether you want to adjust your bids based on price, time of day, or location, this article will walk you through it.
9. Find Your PPC Account’s Optimal Position with Pivot Tables
Simply having your ads show up isn’t good enough. The success you see from your AdWords campaign will depend largely on where your ads actually sit on the page! Luckily, you don’t have to try and guess which positions are best for your ads. Instead, this video will show you how to measure results from different positions — and then compare them all to find an optimal spot.
10. Effective AdWords Remarketing Tactics for the Advanced Advertiser
AdWords isn’t just about getting new customers; it’s also a valuable way to get repeat customers! Google has added more remarketing features over the years, and now you can have remarketing campaigns that are completely separate from your traditional campaigns. But until you read this article, you won’t know how to set everything up for maximum success!