The Shortest Google Ads Tutorial Ever

[DEM]

Hopefully it wasn't just a refresher and showed some new tips and maybe even a new account structure.

Yeah, it was hard editing this down!

Without a doubt. I will be using this going forward.

 

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[bambz]

Hello, I've just started my first campaign in Google Ads based on @Andy Black's short introduction.

I'm creating ads for my online course for people who want to learn programming. I've identified the most popular search phrases in my country (Poland), which are:

• 'jak zostać programistą' (ENG: how to become a programmer)
• 'jak nauczyć się programowania' (ENG: how to learn programming)
• 'programowanie jak zacząć' (ENG: programming how to start).

I see that there is some competition (resulting in a higher cost per click) for these phrases when I use exact and phrase match, such as:

• [jak zostać programistą]
• "jak zostać programistą"
• [jak nauczyć się programować]
• "jak nauczyć się programować"
• [programowanie jak zacząć]
• "programowanie jak zacząć"

My questions are:

1. Am I using matching correctly? Does it make sense? I saw in some tutorials that I should use both types of matching.
2. In Poland, people might omit Polish letters and search for 'jak zostac programista' or more specific phrases like 'jak nauczyć się programować samemu' (ENG: how to learn programming yourself), which have less competition (and probably lower CPC costs). Should I additionally bid on various variations of my main phrases to reduce costs? For instance:
   • how to become a programmer after 30
   • how to become a programmer after 40
   • how to learn programming for free etc.
3. My ad effectiveness is low due to having only four headers and two texts. Is this okay?
4. Should I choose a specific goal for my ads (contact, phone call, purchase), or leave it unset?
5. Should I set any marketing objective?
6. I've set it to 'Manual CPC' with improvements. Is this okay?
7. Should I split my ad group into 3 separate ones to better match my headlines to search phrases?

 

[Andy Black]

Hello, I've just started my first campaign in Google Ads based on @Andy Black's short introduction.

Awesome! Glad it's got you started.

Am I using matching correctly? Does it make sense? I saw in some tutorials that I should use both types of matching.

The video says to use phrase match. I start with phrase by default.

In Poland, people might omit Polish letters and search for 'jak zostac programista' or more specific phrases like 'jak nauczyć się programować samemu' (ENG: how to learn programming yourself), which have less competition (and probably lower CPC costs). Should I additionally bid on various variations of my main phrases to reduce costs? For instance:

• how to become a programmer after 30
• how to become a programmer after 40
• how to learn programming for free etc.

Don't worry about going "long-tail" just yet. Watch the data come in first then do so if search terms justify it.

My ad effectiveness is low due to having only four headers and two texts. Is this okay?

I mention this in the video. I don't care if the ad rating is poor.

Should I choose a specific goal for my ads (contact, phone call, purchase), or leave it unset?

I leave it unset in the video.

Should I set any marketing objective?

I think I leave this unset in the video too.

I've set it to 'Manual CPC' with improvements. Is this okay?

As per video, I start with manual CPC and I do NOT have enhanced bidding turned on.

Should I split my ad group into 3 separate ones to better match my headlines to search phrases?

Yes. Go one keyword per ad group. In the video I tell people to do one keyword per ad group for exactly that reason.



Tip: Follow the steps in the video as well as the interface allows (the interface changes based on the weather it seems).

I've spoken to quite a few people who watch the video and don't follow it precisely.

Someone created an ad group and then loaded 50 broad match keywords Google suggested - because, well, "Andy said to load one and Google said to load those 50 so I thought 50 would work better than what Andy said". I facepalmed at that.

 

[bambz]

@Andy Black thank you for your answer! I did almost all changes.

Don't worry about going "long-tail" just yet. Watch the data come in first then do so if search terms justify it.

I don't understand this one. I set now "how to become programmer", "how to learn programming", "how to start programming" as keywords in separated groups (one per group). What if "how to learn programming after 50" has less cost (shouldn't I add this keyword to reduce cost)? And what is "long-tail" in google ads?

I leave it unset in the video.

I can't leave it unset. I have to choose something :/

And few more questions:
1. What about tracking conversion? I'm tracking "purchase" event in my GA4 and have imported it to g-ads, but I don't know if it works correctly.
2. What CTR and conversion rate should I expect? Currently my CTR is 15% in one group (0% in others) and conversion rate is 0 ;p (I have only 8 clicks).
3. In one group I see the warning, that my CPC is below cost for first page. Should I increase it or just wait?

 

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[Carlitos]

Andy, is there a way to run a google ad using a video? Perhaps a landing page with a video embed in it?

 

[Andy Black]

Andy, is there a way to run a google ad using a video? Perhaps a landing page with a video embed in it?

I don't follow.

You can run ads on YouTube using Google Ads.

Or are you asking if we can put a video on a landing page? In which case of course you can, but you'd have to test how it works.

 

[Andy Black]

I don't understand this one. I set now "how to become programmer", "how to learn programming", "how to start programming" as keywords in separated groups (one per group). What if "how to learn programming after 50" has less cost (shouldn't I add this keyword to reduce cost)?

Keywords match sets of search terms. Adding lots of keywords into lots of ad groups allows you to create more relevant ads that should get a better CTR. That's why you'd add more keywords.

And what is "long-tail" in google ads?

Long-tail means lots of keywords with low volume searches that add up to a lot. Google for "long tail".

I can't leave it unset. I have to choose something :/

It probably doesn't make a difference. I think it maybe uses campaign settings but you override them when setting up the campaign as specified in the video.

What about tracking conversion? I'm tracking "purchase" event in my GA4 and have imported it to g-ads, but I don't know if it works correctly.

Also track people clicking add-to-cart actions as a secondary conversion.

I don't know how to set this up. @FastNAwesome does this for me.

What CTR and conversion rate should I expect? Currently my CTR is 15% in one group (0% in others) and conversion rate is 0 ;p (I have only 8 clicks).

It depends. And it depends on your ad position. Plus you don't have much data yet.

In one group I see the warning, that my CPC is below cost for first page. Should I increase it or just wait?

Ignore it. It's a warning. Check my other videos on how to read Google Ads metrics.

 

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[Andy Black]

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-to-read-google-ads-metrics.104239/

 

[bambz]

@Andy Black
I’ve read some articles about „long tail”. Thank you very much!! I understand this and see that I should add more keywords with long tail. It would help me to get better quality website traffic, right?

And having currently „how to become programmer”, should I:

1. Add new long-tail keywords with phrase matching: „how to become programmer after 30”, „how to become programmer after 40”
2. Add the same as above but with exact matching
3. Do things from point 1 and remove „how to become programmer” (higher cost for cpc) from my keywords
4. Do things from point 2 and remove .. ?

Well, there are so many options ;p

I don’t have huge budget for now. I just need to have high quality traffic to get some conversions to reinvest that.

Thanks in advance

 

[Andy Black]

@Andy Black
I’ve read some articles about „long tail”. Thank you very much!! I understand this and see that I should add more keywords with long tail. It would help me to get better quality website traffic, right?

And having currently „how to become programmer”, should I:

1. Add new long-tail keywords with phrase matching: „how to become programmer after 30”, „how to become programmer after 40”
2. Add the same as above but with exact matching
3. Do things from point 1 and remove „how to become programmer” (higher cost for cpc) from my keywords
4. Do things from point 2 and remove .. ?

Well, there are so many options ;p

I don’t have huge budget for now. I just need to have high quality traffic to get some conversions to reinvest that.

Thanks in advance

Run ads with your current keywords.
IF the search term data justifies it then go longer tail.

 

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[bambz]

Run ads with your current keywords.
IF the search term data justifies it then go longer tail.

Yes, people are looking for long tail phrases which I mentioned (and some others as well).
I’m just wondering if should I use phrase or exact matching for long tail keywords.

 

[Andy Black]

Yes, people are looking for long tail phrases which I mentioned (and some others as well).
I’m just wondering if should I use phrase or exact matching for long tail keywords.

When I want to go longer tail I'd have the short-head keywords in one campaign and the long-tail keywords in another.

I'd add the long-tail keywords as phrase or exact (maybe start with phrase and see how precise they are).

Then add the phrase matches as negatives to the short-head campaign.

e.g.

Campaign: Location=Poland {Learn Programming LT}

Ad group: learn programming in your 40s
Keyword: "learn programming in your 40s"

Ad group: learn programming in your 50s
Keyword: "learn programming in your 50s"

etc.


Campaign: Location=Poland {Learn Programming SH}

Ad group: learn programming
Keyword: "learn programming"

Campaign Negatives:
"learn programming in your 40s"
"learn programming in your 50s"
etc

 

[bambz]

@Andy Black
Why separated campaign? Just adding new groups in existing campaign isn't enough?

But if I will decide for your recommendation... I will have something like that:

Campaign 1 [SH]
Group 1: "how to become programmer"
Group2: "how to learn programming"
Group3" how to start programming"
+ negative keywords for [LH]

Campaign 2 [LH]
Group1: "how to become programmer after 30"
Group2: "how to become programmer after 40"
Group3: "how to learn programming after 30"
Group4: "how to learn programming after 40"
Group5: "how to start programming after 30"
Group6: "how to start programming after 40"

Am I understanding this correctly? Or should I create 6 different campaigns in my case?

 

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[Andy Black]

@Andy Black
Why separated campaign? Just adding new groups in existing campaign isn't enough?

But if I will decide for your recommendation... I will have something like that:

Campaign 1 [SH]
Group 1: "how to become programmer"
Group2: "how to learn programming"
Group3" how to start programming"
+ negative keywords for [LH]

Campaign 2 [LH]
Group1: "how to become programmer after 30"
Group2: "how to become programmer after 40"
Group3: "how to learn programming after 30"
Group4: "how to learn programming after 40"
Group5: "how to start programming after 30"
Group6: "how to start programming after 40"

Am I understanding this correctly? Or should I create 6 different campaigns in my case?

Separate campaigns so you can add campaign negatives rather than ad group negatives.

Do two campaigns.

It's a balancing act of trying to get control and not overcomplicating the account.

 

[MaximOntheRoad]

Hey Andy,

I have my first couple of clients and improved things in their campaigns, but when I´m testing I have to wait for data.

What should I do in this meantime, when waiting for data? Any tips?

Thx a lot,

Maxim

 

[Andy Black]

Hey Andy,

I have my first couple of clients and improved things in their campaigns (trying to get them results) but when testing I have to wait for data.

What should I do in this meantime, when waiting for data? Any tips?

Thx a lot,

Maxim

We try to make changes Mon/Tue and let campaigns run for a week and review Mon the next week where we start the cycle again.

Check search terms for potential negative keywords, and potential new campaigns.

Check where impression share is being lost. Consider adjusting bids or budgets depending.

Check competitor ads and landing pages for your highest volume search terms.

 

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[ProcessPro]

It took me HOURS to create this.

Let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions.

Hope it helps!

View: https://youtu.be/7z7kx3kJC4M

Liked & subscribed. Answered a lot of questions I had.

I have a couple questions...Let's say I want to collect impression data on blog topics vs location (probably at the country level). If I have 100 blog topics x ~250 countries, that's about 25k ads to load at once.

1. Will that get me banned if my ad account is new?
2. What should my minimum shared budget be for Google to take me seriously at 25k ads?

Feedback on vid:
Perhaps a step by step write up on your site to accompany the video so people don't have to rewind too much? (Perhaps even with timestamps linking to relevant parts of the vid?). Should get rid of 'too fast' comments even though that's the USP (and what I needed).

 

[Andy Black]

Let's say I want to collect impression data on blog topics vs location (probably at the country level). If I have 100 blog topics x ~250 countries, that's about 25k ads to load at once.

1. Will that get me banned if my ad account is new?
2. What should my minimum shared budget be for Google to take me seriously at 25k ads?

MARKETING - How to get profitable or fail fast with AdWords

(Originally posted on the inside here.) How To Get Profitable Or Fail Fast With AdWords Here's how I often determine whether a project, niche, seed, or keyword has legs, or needs a bullet. Note1: I use blanket bid prices throughout the steps below, meaning the bid price within a campaign for...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Feedback on vid:
Perhaps a step by step write up on your site to accompany the video so people don't have to rewind too much? (Perhaps even with timestamps linking to relevant parts of the vid?). Should get rid of 'too fast' comments even though that's the USP (and what I needed).

Yeah, that would be a good accompanying doc and a way to get people onto an email list. I just don't have the time or inclination to sit down and create it.

 

[ProcessPro]

MARKETING - How to get profitable or fail fast with AdWords

(Originally posted on the inside here.) How To Get Profitable Or Fail Fast With AdWords Here's how I often determine whether a project, niche, seed, or keyword has legs, or needs a bullet. Note1: I use blanket bid prices throughout the steps below, meaning the bid price within a campaign for...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Yeah, that would be a good accompanying doc and a way to get people onto an email list. I just don't have the time or inclination to sit down and create it.

I generated this SOP with Andy's pro tips in ChatGPT from the video's transcript. It's not a replacement for the video - watch it, but this may help you implement on the backend once you're ready. Hope it helps!

Google Ads Campaign SOP for Local Service Business (2023 Edition)​

Step 1: Setting Up Your Account​

• Create a New Google Ads Account: Start by setting up a new account specifically for your local service business.
• Switch to Expert Mode: Ensure you have maximum control over your campaigns by selecting 'Expert Mode'.

Step 2: Creating Your Campaign​

• Initiate a Search Campaign: Set up your campaign without using Google's goals guidance, focusing on a search campaign.
  • Pro Tip: Google may try to include your ads in the display network. Be mindful to opt out of this.
• Naming Your Campaign: Choose a name that reflects your service and target area, like "Dublin Gutter Repairs."

Step 3: Refining Campaign Settings​

• Disable Search Partners and Display Network: This ensures your ads only appear on Google's search results.
• Set Ads Schedule: Optionally, define specific days and times for your ads to run, along with an end date.
• Target Specific Locations: Choose your target location, such as Dublin, to focus on people in or regularly visiting the area.

Step 4: Bidding and Keywords​

• Initial Budget Setting: Start with a small budget, like 1 cent a day, which you can adjust later.
• Choose Bidding Strategy: Initially, select 'Maximize Clicks' with a maximum cost per click of 1 cent.
  • Pro Tip: Although Google encourages using its algorithm for bidding, starting with manual bids gives you more control.
• Setting Up Ad Groups and Keywords: Use a relevant keyword like "roof repairs near me" as your ad group name. Use phrase match keywords at the start.

Step 5: Creating Ads​

• Develop a Responsive Search Ad: Use a URL (preferably a specific page on your site) to create your ad.
• Craft Headlines and Descriptions: Add up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. For local services, make the first headline a combination of location and service.
  • Pro Tip: Keep descriptions concise and avoid capitalizing every word for better readability.

Step 6: Adjusting and Duplicating Ads​

• Review and Adjust Your Ad Group: Duplicate your ad group for different services, like changing "roof repairs" to "gutter repairs."
• Switch to Manual Bidding: Once your campaign is set up, change the setting to manual CPC (cost-per-click) for finer control over bids.
• Match Ads to Keywords: Ensure each ad corresponds to the appropriate keyword and service.

Step 7: Expanding Campaigns​

• Replicate Campaign for New Locations: Copy your campaign for different areas, like targeting Cork after Dublin, adjusting names and location targeting.

Step 8: Budget and Negative Keywords​

• Set a Practical Budget: Allocate a daily budget across your campaigns, like €10 a day.
  • Pro Tip: Include the budget amount in the name of your shared budget for easy reference.
• Create a Negative Keyword List: Add keywords that indicate a searcher isn't looking for a local service. Apply this list to relevant campaigns.

Step 9: Enhancing Your Ads​

• Add Ad Extensions: Use extensions like sitelinks, callouts, and structured-snippets to make ads more prominent and improve click-through rates.
  • Pro Tip: Call extensions can be particularly beneficial for businesses looking to increase phone inquiries.

Final Step: Monitoring and Adjusting​

• Regularly Review and Adjust Campaigns: Keep an eye on your campaigns' performance, making adjustments as needed to optimize results.

Remember:​

• Always align your ads with the specific keywords and services you offer.
• Don't be overly concerned with Google's ad strength rating; focus on what works best for your business.
• Stay updated with new tips and tricks by subscribing to relevant content.

 

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[MaximOntheRoad]

Hey @Andy Black ,

I have a couple of clients I run google ads for. But now the problem is that some of them don´t get conversions, but a good CTR because I optimized the ads. I think the reason for that is that the Top IS is low, because the keywords are seperated into this scheme: each kw has its own ad group and own unique ad that is completely relevant to the keyword. But it seems that the keywords are blocking each other. (At least the ad preview tool is saying so)

I´ve tested to put a keyword as a negative for all other keywords so that it doesn´t show for the others. But the Ad Preview Tool is still saying that the keywords are kinda messing with each other, because they are very similar.

I think the campaigns are a little messed up

Would you recommend creating specific campaigns for each kw? OR maybe to create campaigns by themes like the method from your 5 minute tutorial on yt (1 ad group with multiple keywords)?

Any tips?

 

[Andy Black]

some of them don´t get conversions, but a good CTR because I optimized them. I think the reason for that is that the Top IS is low, because the keywords are seperated into this scheme

You think the reason for the low conversions is you're Top Impression Share? I'm confused.

each kw has its own ad group and own unique ad that is completely relevant to the keyword.

Great.

But it seems that the keywords are blocking each other. (At least the ad preview tool is saying so)

The ad preview tool will show some keywords aren't able to compete for a search term. Is the keyword you want to compete for the search term able to?

I´ve tested to put a keyword as a negative for all other keywords so that it doesn´t show for the others. But the Ad Preview Tool is still saying that the keywords are kinda messing with each other, because they are very similar.

They're not messing with each other. Often, more than one is eligible to compete for a search term. So long as the correct one is eligible then it's fine.

Would you recommend creating specific campaigns for each kw?

No. Only if vokumes justify treating a keyword completely separately and giving it its own campaign.

OR maybe to create campaigns by themes like the method from your 5 minute tutorial on yt (1 ad group with multiple keywords)?

Rewatch the tutorial. I'm pretty sure I have one keyword per ad group.

 

[MaximOntheRoad]

You think the reason for the low conversions is you're Top Impression Share? I'm confused.


Great.


The ad preview tool will show some keywords aren't able to compete for a search term. Is the keyword you want to compete for the search term able to?


They're not messing with each other. Often, more than one is eligible to compete for a search term. So long as the correct one is eligible then it's fine.



No. Only if vokumes justify treating a keyword completely separately and giving it its own campaign.


Rewatch the tutorial. I'm pretty sure I have one keyword per ad group.

Yeah, I thought the Top IS determines the amount and quality of conversions?

Sorry you´re right, you did create one ad group per Kw, I got something confused there.

The keywords are eligible but the ad preview tool says the ad isn´t showing with this sentence ("A negative keyword ([...]) is preventing your ad from showing. Your ad may be showing on other searches matched by this keyword.").

Do you know how to fix that?

 

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[Andy Black]

I thought the Top IS determines the amount and quality of conversions?

1) I don't look at Top IS.

2) Do you mean clicks or conversions?

("A negative keyword ([...]) is preventing your ad from showing. Your ad may be showing on other searches matched by this keyword.").

That's normal.

 

[MaximOntheRoad]

1) I don't look at Top IS.

2) Do you mean clicks or conversions?

Ok. I mean Conversions.

That's normal.

Alright

Appreciate the help and the fast reply a lot!

 

[Andy Black]

I mean conversions.

You'll get a lower CTR by being in a lower ad position. So yeah, a lower Top Impression Share will reduce the number of clicks and conversions you get (so long as you're not constrained by budget).

I'd say you're better looking at profit and profit margin though, and optimising for those and business goals. If you can't afford to be in top ad position then drop bids back to where you're profitable, and work to improve conversion rates, AOV, and LTV.

It's a game of CPC vs RPC (cost-per-click vs revenue-per-click).

This might help:

MARKETING - Online Direct Response Metrics

Watch this 6 minute video if you do any paid advertising, or are considering it. View: https://youtu.be/of3JgwUCxqU EXAMPLE You're spending $100 a day for 100 clicks, and making $50 revenue from 2 sales. Metrics: Cost = $100 Clicks = 100 Sales = 2 Revenue (Earnings) = $50 Calculated...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

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[MaximOntheRoad]

You'll get a lower CTR by being in a lower ad position. So yeah, a lower Top Impression Share will reduce the number of clicks and conversions you get (so long as you're not constrained by budget).

I'd say you're better looking at profit and profit margin though, and optimising for those and business goals. If you can't afford to be in top ad position then drop bids back to where you're profitable, and work to improve conversion rates, AOV, and LTV.

It's a game of CPC vs RPC (cost-per-click vs revenue-per-click).

This might help:

MARKETING - Online Direct Response Metrics

Watch this 6 minute video if you do any paid advertising, or are considering it. View: https://youtu.be/of3JgwUCxqU EXAMPLE You're spending $100 a day for 100 clicks, and making $50 revenue from 2 sales. Metrics: Cost = $100 Clicks = 100 Sales = 2 Revenue (Earnings) = $50 Calculated...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Thanks for the help! I´ll check it out

 

[Timo.]

Hi Andy,
In the past I have only worked with local clients who run all their ads locally. But now I am in contact with a larger company that is running their current campaign across the country but not getting good results. I offered them a test month, which they accepted.
Now I'm wondering how do I approach this? I mean, I learnt from you that I need to make the ads as relevant as possible to the searcher. The search term should match the title of the ad and the title of the landing page.
But I can't do that for every single small town in the whole of Germany. That would be too much work for the test month and I don't even know if it would work.
It's also not good just starting with big cities because the bid prices are probably much higher there.
How do you approach nationwide campaigns? How do you keep the adverts relevant?
And at the beginning of the campaign, I should focus on collecting data. Is a budget of €5 per day enough to collect nationwide data? Should I even start national wide?

I just feel overwhelmed, but I think I can learn a lot from this client. I'm also not charging any money for the test month. My goal is to get good results and learn a lot.

 

[Andy Black]

I can't do that for every single small town in the whole of Germany. That would be too much work for the test month and I don't even know if it would work.

You load it to find out if it will work. Do a few by hand then figure out how to bulk upload with Google Sheets or Excel, and the Google Ads Editor.

It's also no good just starting with big cities because the bid prices are probably much higher there.

Be wary using the word "probably".

Load campaigns and find out? Larger locations usually have higher search volumes, so you might still get volume with the same bid price as the smaller locations that have less competition.

Is a budget of €5 per day enough to collect nationwide data?

You'll get some data, and then be able to adjust accordingly.

Should I even start national wide?

I would. I'd get a list of every city, town, and village and load a campaign per service. Each campaign would have an ad group per service-location combination.

If you're doing it by hand then target the major locations.

 

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[Timo.]

You load it to find out if it will work. Do a few by hand then figure out how to bulk upload with Google Sheets or Excel, and the Google Ads Editor.

I would. I'd get a list of every city, town, and village and load a campaign per service. Each campaign would have an ad group per service-location combination.

If you're doing it by hand then target the major locations.

Thank you Andy. I will, as you say, begin nationwide. You're right, I want to give the client the best possible results and that's the best way. I'll figure out everything I need to know tomorrow and get started.

 

[MaximOntheRoad]

Hey @Andy Black

Would you recommend setting up offline conversion tracking for a campaign or is this only relevant once a good amount of sales are coming in ?