Google Paid Advertising
Invest in paid advertising on Google Ads to:
- Enhance your company's visibility
- Drive traffic to your website
- Increase lead generation and sales conversions
Chapter 1
These are ads powered by Google, allowing advertisers to display commercial links on search engine results pages. These links are billed based on clicks (Pay-Per-Click or PPC) and operate through keyword bidding. Billed? Indeed. This service falls under Search Engine Advertising (SEA), making it distinct from organic search results.
How Google Ads work?
Once a user searches for something, they may click on an ad shown by Google if it seems relevant to them. This leads them to the advertiser's landing page. The main goal here is to convert this visit into action, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. This process is known as conversion, and it's the ultimate objective.
In short, it's crucial to consider your entire project and its search engine optimization. While having an attractive design is important, it's not the sole factor that drives visitor traffic.
Bringing supply closer to demand
The goal of a SEA (Search Engine Advertising) ad is to bridge the gap between supply and demand. To illustrate this, we've chosen two concrete examples from the advertiser's perspective.
"Pizzeria Differdange"
Your potential customer clearly expresses a craving for a dietarily incorrect but delicious lunch option. Their query includes a geographic clue, "Pizzeria Differdange." If your pizzeria is located in or around Differdange, ensure your ad appears in the listings. Conversely, if your establishment is in Ettelbruck, it might be best not to appear there, as the likelihood of your customer traveling there for lunch is low.
"Food for obese cat"
We immediately understand that this user has an overweight cat and is searching for food, not a slimmer cat. If you believe you can meet this demand and contribute to the cat's weight loss, be present. However, if you run an animal shelter in Gasperich, advertising with the keyword "food" won't lead to any conversions.
As you can see, Google Ads is a powerful tool, but it requires in-depth knowledge to generate profitable campaigns. The sole objective is to increase your revenue while managing your advertising expenses effectively.
Chapter 2
Having an online presence through a campaign is a great way to promote your business. You get to control how it's shared, but to make sure it works well, you need to set clear goals first. Let's dive into it!
Why opt for Google Ads?
Google gives you the flexibility to tweak and monitor your campaign at any time:
- You have ongoing control over your budget.
- You can pause, stop, or change your ads as necessary.
- Adjust your ads based on what's working: If you're getting more clicks and sales, consider reaching out to new customers.
Define your objectives
You've got your target audience in mind, but what about the goal for your campaign? That's the first thing to figure out before you hit the launch button. Typically, goals could be:
- Selling a product or service online (e-commerce)
- Generating leads or contacts
- Increasing website traffic (awareness)
- Encouraging account creation or sign-ups
Remember, it's crucial to define your goal clearly, as it will guide your choices in selecting Google Ads formats.
Chapter 3
So, we've known about text ads, but did you know Google's got some other tricks up its sleeve? Let's take a quick look at the main options they've got for you.
The Google Display Network
Google Ads offers classic banner ads in various formats on millions of partner websites. Targeting can be extremely specific: country, region, language, interests, choice of placements, and defining demographic criteria.
YouTube Network (Google Ads for video)
Bought by Google in October 2006, YouTube allows you to showcase ads with the same precision targeting as the Display Network. Videos are great for making sure viewers remember your message, much like TV ads, but with better targeting and cost-effectiveness.
Plus, there's a range of formats and display options available to get your message across at a great price. So, why not hop on board this advertising goldmine?
You'll only pay when your video has been watched all the way through, especially if it's a short one
Remarketing
Remarketing, a powerful tool offered by Google Ads, is essentially advertising retargeting. In simple terms, it allows you to create campaigns that target people who have already visited your website. When used too aggressively, it can annoy users, but when properly configured, it can significantly boost your business (both in terms of brand awareness and sales).
Our recommendation? Strike a balance and use it wisely to promote your product without overwhelming the user with ads.
Google Shopping
E-commerce website and price comparison tool, Google Shopping offers various formats and display options for online retailers looking to expand their presence and sell products on the web. Data is submitted to the program and displayed during a search by reference. Photos and product details are directly visible on the search results page.
Congratulations, you've invested in the most suitable solution for acquiring qualified visitors to your site. Now, it's essential to focus on their behavior on your landing page to convert them into buyers.
Optimize your page
Your landing page needs to match what the visitor expects and make them feel confident in a trustworthy and serious environment to encourage them to take action. Take care of your landing page and always remember that your customer isn't just a number in Google Analytics; they're a real person looking for a specific and immediate answer to a expressed need.
Performance Max Campaigns
For the past few months, e-connect has been using Performance Max campaigns to unleash the full potential of Google for our clients.
With Performance Max, we can ensure your ads are placed in the right spots to reach people genuinely interested in your product or service. Within a single campaign, using machine learning, we're able to showcase your ads in Google search results, on the display network, YouTube, and Gmail. Performance Max campaigns often outperform traditional ones in the long run because they also utilize remarketing to boost performance. After all, if someone has visited a competitor's site or searched for a similar service on Google, they're likely interested in your ad, right? It's through these techniques that we can satisfy our clients and deliver conversions!
Chapter 4
Despite the apparent simplicity of Google Ads services, managing ads effectively involves navigating a complex system. While you might handle a small project on your own, as your endeavor grows, seeking the expertise of professionals becomes increasingly crucial.
Is having an agency always necessary?
Let's say you're selling hand-painted mugs featuring famous Luxembourgish landmarks. Your market might seem niche, but you still want to establish an online presence. If the daily demand (search volume) is low, a modest budget should suffice. If you have the time, you can go ahead without hiring an agency for creating, publishing, and monitoring your campaigns.
However, if you notice that your mugs featuring the Gëlle Fra and the Grand Ducal Palace are gaining popularity worldwide, it's time to consider the significance and future of your market... and seek assistance. The same goes if you decide to invest with a well-thought-out development strategy. While working with experts may incur additional costs, in the long run, your return on investment will be much higher.
The role of a SEA agency in Luxembourg
SEA, or paid search engine advertising, is a specialized field that requires specific skills. A reputable agency handles all aspects of a Google Ads campaign with the sole aim of optimizing its return on investment. It takes the Quality Score very seriously. This score combines a set of criteria based on the estimated quality of the ad, keywords, and landing page. The higher the Quality Score, the lower the distribution costs and the better your ad placement. Still with me? In short, an agency is responsible for continuously optimizing your campaign. Its job is not just to keep it running... but to make it work effectively.
How to choose an agency?
Google has implemented a program called Google Partner to allow agencies and professionals in the industry who meet specific criteria to obtain the "Google Partner" status. This status means that those who benefit from it:
- Stay constantly informed about new features (in beta) and attend training sessions
- Access training resources and exams for the Google Ads certification program and the Google Analytics exam
- Have privileged contact with the Google team for quicker responses
Although this badge represents a certain level of quality for those who hold it, your choice of agency should not be limited to this distinction alone. Indeed, it is imperative to select your future agency based on its experience, the language spoken, and its proximity. We firmly believe that discussing your project over coffee rather than behind your keyboard will always be more enjoyable.
Chapter 5
Thinking about the price of your Google Ads campaign may seem straightforward, but giving a clear and immediate answer isn't possible. That's because many factors affect the cost of a campaign.
One thing for sure is that for successful communication, you need to invest in at least the following:
- A website (obviously necessary)
- Relevant thematic landing pages
- A well-written ad, and if you're targeting international audiences, it should be translated too
- A banner if you're using Google Display
- A video if you're appearing on YouTube
- A statistical tool like Google Analytics, properly set up to measure ROI
- And of course, a good product (that's where you come in!)
But what will truly influence the budget are:
- The market or the "competitive situation" you're in (supply and demand): the higher the demand, the more potential visitors, and the more expensive the click.
- The cost per keyword (also called CPC, for Cost Per Click), as it's the bids that determine the price. (For example, a record for the keywords "locksmith Paris").
Fairy tales have no place on Google. Remember? So, there's no wizard, magician, or friendly fortune teller capable of spontaneously telling you the cost of a campaign. Instead, there are experts who can analyze your needs before proposing a well-thought-out strategy in response to your goals while respecting your ... budget.
