With over a billion people using Google every month, it’s one of the most valuable marketing resources on the Internet. If you’ve started looking into online advertising, you’ve probably heard about the value of using Google in your marketing.

While strategies like search engine optimization (SEO) can do a lot to boost lead generation for your business, the most direct way of marketing through Google is to use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

But how does Google marketing work? How can you use it?

Below, we’ll go over the basics of Google PPC and how you can get started with it. Read on for more information, and subscribe to Revenue Weekly for more digital advertising tips!

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What is PPC?

Before we can get into how it works in Google, we first have to establish what PPC is. Here’s an overview of what it does and how it works.

Where do PPC ads appear?

PPC displays ads for your products in Google searches and on web pages. You can see an example of what this looks like simply by doing a search on Google.

Let’s look at the search results for “how are books printed”. Most of the page is made up of organic results, but not all of it. At the very top, shown above everything else, is a result from a company called DiggyPod.

At first glance, it might look like another organic result, but there’s a key difference — it’s tagged with the word ad in the top left corner. When you click on it, it doesn’t take you to an informational article, but to a full-page ad for DiggyPod’s book printing services.

What can you achieve with PPC ads?

The goal of PPC is to generate qualified leads by targeting them with relevant content.

What does it mean to attract qualified leads? Qualified leads are people most likely to buy your products or use your services. PPC ads help you connect with these leads and get them to check out your business.

Regarding relevant content, you tailor PPC ads to meet your audience’s needs. You create ad text and landing pages that provide valuable information because, otherwise, they won’t have any incentive to click.

How does PPC work?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, how does Google marketing work when it comes to PPC?

The platform: Google Ads

Unless you’re looking at creating PPC somewhere other than Google, such as Bing, the primary platform for all your PPC-related tasks will be Google Ads. Formerly known as Google AdWords, this is Google’s central hub for managing PPC across the entire search engine.

How does Google Ads work?

To make Google Ads work for you, you’ll need to go through a few different steps. First, figure out what keywords you want to target. Keywords trigger your ad to appear in relevant results.

Using tools like KeywordsFX, you can find keywords that relate to your products or services. Draw up a list of keywords from those results.

It’s a good idea to aim for long-tail keywords, as those have less competition and drive more qualified leads to your page

Within Google Ads, you can bid on your chosen keywords. You can set a maximum bid for each keyword to ensure that you don’t go over your budget.

Once you’ve picked your initial set of keywords, create some ads to target them. These ads should consist of the title and meta tags that will appear in the search results, and the landing pages where they direct the user.

Make sure these elements are relevant to the keywords you intend to target with them.

Whenever someone searches for a keyword that you’ve bid on, Google Ads will check to see who the highest bidders are for that keyword. If you win the bid, Google will display your ad above the organic search results.

Once your ad appears in search results, you only have to pay if someone clicks on it.

How can you optimize your PPC?

Now that you understand how Google PPC works, how do you get the most out of it? Here are some ways to make your PPC campaigns better.

• Pick relevant keywords: Start off by picking keywords to target with your ads. This connects to the earlier point about qualified leads — make sure the keywords you pick are related to what you sell.
• Consider user intent: This tip goes back to using relevant content. You must keep in mind why users are searching for your target keywords. Know what they’re looking for, so you can give them the content they want.
• Create a good user experience: Getting people to click isn’t the end. Once they click, you must convince them to buy. Create the best user experience you can use tactics like good web design (and, again, relevant content) so people will buy.
• Retarget visitors: If someone doesn’t buy the first time, don’t worry. If you use email capture forms to collect the emails of people who click on your ad, you can retarget them later on with ads that encourage them to give you a second chance.
• Monitor your campaign: Once you’ve put out some PPC ads, you’ll start seeing instant results from your PPC campaigns. But don’t ignore it once it’s created — keep monitoring it so you know what’s working for you and what isn’t.

You can use a tool like Google Analytics or a tool like MarketingCloudFX — the #1 ROI tracking platform in the industry — to track traffic and bounce rates on your website.

Get help with your Google marketing from WebFX

Google offers some great tools to help you market your business, from Google Ads to Google Analytics. But for most of the process, it’s up to you to optimize your content.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure your marketing strategy is top-notch. If you’re not sure how to make that happen, WebFX can help. We’ve managed over 650 quality PPC campaigns, and we also offer SEO, web design, and social media services.

To start your partnership with us, just call 888-601-5359 or contact us online today!