Let's explore some key strategies advertisers can use to optimise their Google Ads campaigns, in order to get the most out of budget, while improving metrics such as conversion rate, CPA, ROI and profit.
While these techniques aren't the only ways you can optimise and in fact there are so many other things to consider, such as settings, match types, structure, bid strategies and campaign types (and so much more), they provide you with an effective starting point.
Apply these 7 practical optimisation tips to be in with a good chance of strengthening your account and campaigns. Plus, each one of them comes from experience and I’ve found all of these Google Ads tips to have a direct impact on performance.
Tip #1 - Prioritise high-intent audiences and traffic
The most effective way to generate leads, sales and revenue from your Google Ads campaigns is to identify and prioritise the most high-intent audiences first. These are the users who are already actively searching on Google for your product or service.
To do this, do some in-depth keyword research and figure out exactly what people are searching for across the entire sales funnel, including bottom, middle and top of funnel. Then pull out the bottom funnel keywords and use these in your campaigns. For example, if we apply this approach to a car garage that would like to generate MOT bookings, these keyword examples would fit with the various stages in the sales funnel:
Top funnel: MOT checker
Middle funnel: cheapest MOT in Bristol
Bottom funnel: MOT near me, book MOT
The bottom funnel keywords will capture users who have the highest intent and are closer to making a booking. Therefore rather than a broader approach, which would still generate relevant traffic, it's about capturing the right searches.
With this in mind, it's also wise to carefully consider your keyword match types and you'll probably want to refrain from using Broad Match. In the same way, spend your budget on campaign types that are more conversion-focused and that target higher intent users - for example, Search is naturally higher-intent than Display and Video.
Tip #2 - Write ad copy that's USP focused and stands out from competitors
Ad copy is a great way to boost the performance of your Google Ads campaigns. Not only is it important for making a good first impression, it's also your chance to manage the narrative by communicating exactly what you want users to know.
There a many techniques when it comes to writing ad copy for Google Ads, which is an art in itself, however some of the main things to bear in mind are the following:
Make sure your ad makes sense, considering all of the possible headline, description and ad asset combinations that may get served.
Incorporate as many USPs as possible and check out what the competition is doing - you should aim to do a better job as a way of standing out.
Write ad copy that's on brand and that also speaks with the same terminology and tone as your target audience. It'll be easier for them to understand and trust.
Include calls-to-action within your headlines and descriptions as a way to guide users and encourage them to take the desired action.
Use numbers and symbols as much as possible and also remember to write short and punchy ad copy. This way it'll be easier to digest and more mobile-friendly.
It's also important to consider your keywords and make sure ad copy is relevant to your keywords. However, this shouldn't compromise ad quality and user experience. Finding a good balance between being keyword-focused, using USPs and encouraging action is the best practice.
Tip #3 - Continuously monitor search queries and use negative keywords
The 7 Google Ads optimisation tips in this post are equally as important and all impact performance in different ways. However, this one in particular is effective at preventing wasted ad spend, which could lead to lowering costs and improving CPA and ROAS.
In 2024 things have evolved a lot and exact match keywords now include close variants, phrase match keywords are essentially what broad match used to be, and broad match are broader than broad (if that's even possible). This means that your ads will be showing up for a very large number of search queries, and the number of search queries will be increasing in size each day.
Therefore, monitor search queries regularly - I'd suggest on a weekly basis, if not more. This does depend on how much you're spending and the keyword match types, however staying on top of this task you'll minimise wasted spend and prevent them from building up and it becoming an even larger, more laborious task.
Finally, exclude anything that’s not relevant by adding it as a negative keyword. Add non-relevant terms in phrase match to your negative keyword lists to prevent them from picking up further searches in the future. It's also possible to do the opposite and find new keyword opportunities by adding relevant search queries as keywords.
Tip #4 - Accurate conversion tracking and fine-tune your primary conversion actions
In an ideal world, accurate conversion tracking will be in place from day 1. That's the recommended approach and for two reasons. Firstly, conversion tracking is crucial for measuring the success of your Google Ads campaigns. Secondly, it provides you and Google's machine learning technology with data that can be used to optimise.
Without accurate conversion tracking, you won't be able to determine what keywords, ad groups, or campaigns are driving the highest number of leads, sales and revenue. Deciding where to invest your budget will take some guess work and you'll be basing decisions on your own assumptions and feelings, rather than on data.
So investing in accurate conversion tracking is an important Google Ads tip and you’ll then have so much more insight and optimisation levers.
Also consider what conversion actions are classed as primary conversions in your Google Ads account. Ideally you only want the core actions to be classed as primary conversions, such as form submissions, purchases and phone calls. Additional events that still add value to your reporting but aren't primary actions, such as page views, button clicks, videos watched, etc., should be marked as secondary conversions. You'll still have data on these secondary conversions but they wont skew and disrupt conversion data in your Google Ads campaign reports.
Tip #5 - Use all of the relevant ad assets that are on offer
You may already know ad assets (formally known as ad extensions) allow you to showcase additional information about your business, products, and services, all within the same ad. Whether you're highlighting customer reviews, providing sitelinks to relevant pages, or sharing your phone number and location, using a variety of ad assets will help your ad stand out.
Aim to use all relevant ad assets to your business and consider the best practices around how to use each ad asset. For example, callouts are designed to ‘call out’ USPs and features. Use them in that way and include at least 8 callouts if you can. (This WordStream post provides an extensive guide to ad assets.)
Another benefit to using Ad Assets is that they take up more space on the search engine, which means you're increasing your chances of getting noticed and driving clicks to your site.
Tip #6 - Define a strategy for Google Ads experiments
Define a Google Ads experiment strategy, which is essentially going beyond basic account management and being proactive about optimisation. To provide you with some inspiration, here are some things that you can experiment with:
Embracing and testing new Google features and campaign types, which can help you stay competitive and relevant. It can help you to reach audience more effectively and efficiently.
Experiment with ad copy and ad assets to continually strive for improving CTR and conversion rate. I like to constantly test a variable for a set period of time and then once that experiment is concluded, implement the winning copy and begin a new experiment.
Bid strategy experiments are a great way to ensure you are using the most optimal bid strategy for your campaigns. For brand campaigns, consider experimenting with both Manual CPC and Target Impression Share, for generic campaigns, experimenting with Target CPA or Target ROAS.
Landing page experiments are a great way of testing out how different pages on your website impact conversion rate.
Determine experiments that could add value to your Google Ads account and implement them. Remember to give each experiment enough time to collect enough data and not to experiment with too many variables at once.
Tip #7 - Don't forget Conversion Rate Optimisation and improving the sales funnel
My final Google Ads optimisation tip is to remember the importance of your landing page and sales funnel. Both elements are equally as important as your Google Ads campaigns when it comes to driving leads, sales and revenue, since they both represent how and where the conversions actually take place.
A well-designed landing page should be focused on a single goal, whether that's encouraging visitors to make a purchase, fill out a contact form or schedule a meeting. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate on all devices and provide all the necessary information that visitors need to make an informed decision. As well as that, the sales funnel should be carefully considered and optimised so that it's streamlined and easy for users to navigate.
One of the largest increases in conversion rate and decreases in CPA I’ve achieved was following conversion rate optimisation. Working with an agency, we rolled out a revamped landing page along with a more streamlined sales process and this halved Google Ads CPA, spending in the region of £15k per month. This demonstrates how much impact these things can have on Google Ads and why it's important to optimise them, as well as your campaigns.
Final word: optimisation doesn't end here
These 7 Google Ads optimisation tips are effective ways of improving performance, whether that's boosting CTR, conversion rate, or ROAS. It's highly recommended that you invest all the time that's needed in account management in order to get the most out of your budget.
These tips are a good starting point, however it doesn't end here. There's so much more to consider and do to help boost results, which is why it is worth investing in an experienced Google Ads consultant who knows the ins and outs of campaign management and optimisation.
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