If you have ever searched for something on Google and seen a tiny “Sponsored” label at the top of the page, that was google ads paid search doing what it was made for. Before I got to learn about paid search, I would’ve told you those top spots were just for huge brands on the internet. It sounded super confusing and kind of out of reach. But once you actually break it down, paid search with Google Ads is just another way to use keywords and money to get your content in front of people who are already looking for it.
Paid search is when someone or a company pays to appear on the search results page for certain keywords. Google Ads is the platform that allows companies to do this. It’s honestly a very straightforward procedure once you learn it and figure out where to do it. You pick the keywords/terms you want to show up for, create a short ad, set the budget you’re willing to pay, and that’s it! Now, until your budget is used up, you will constantly have a chance to appear on front pages for your chosen keywords when people search them.
Some basic keyword examples could be a coffee shop wanting to reach local customers in Detroit. They would use some like: iced coffee detroit, latte downtown, coffee near me. Basically, anything you can think of that would lead customers to your shop or website. \
Whenever someone searches one of those keywords, Google will check which ads are bidding and choose which one seems the most useful to show. One VERY important thing to remember is these are usually pay-per-click ads, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. It’s less about paying to sit at the top and more about getting clicks. Traction is what counts!
With only search engine optimization (SEO) , you could be stuck waiting literal months for your page to climb up the rankings and receive attention and views. BUT with Google Ads, you can turn on traffic almost instantly. That is a big deal when you are trying to launch something like a new website or product, promote a limited time sale or event, or even just trying to compete with higher income brands.
I’m going to give you an example to imagine. You just opened a small Detroit sneaker shop. If someone were to search “detroit sneaker shop” or “jordans in detroit” you obviously want them to see your shop. That’s what is called a local customer and those customers helps businesses grow. You could simply just wait for your SEO to catch up to them and show them your store/website or you could run a Google Ads campaign on those keywords and start showing up on peoples search results damn near instantly. Tell me what you think the better choice would be.
Now to go a little more in depth on how Google Ads works, here is the basic process without making it sound super scary or complicated.
Start with your keywords. Just like keyword research, you need to think about what people actually search. There are variations like “running shoes” which is a short keyword or longer keywords like “best running shoes for flat feet” (those are what we call long tail, read about those in my keyword research blog).
Write your ad
You want to create a headline and short description that match what people are looking for. You want it to be clear, direct, and honest about what they’ll see when they click.
Pick your landing page
This is where people end up after they click on your ad. If your ad is about something like a specific product don’t guide them to a homepage that barely shows said product.
Set your budget
This is a very defining part. You choose how much you want to spend. For most it is a small budget at the start (and honestly, it should be if you’re trying to learn and expiriment).
Google runs a little “auction”
Now every time someone searches, Google looks at who is bidding on that keyword. Then it will checks out your bid, your ad, and your landing page. The overall goal is to show people the most helpful option, not just the most expensive one. (This means smaller companies have a shot at reaching people bigger companies cant!)
You pay per click
The biggest thing to remember is that if no one clicks, you do not pay. You are paying for genuine interest, and not just for showing up on peoples search results.
In the end I want you to remember these two KEY pieces of info:
SEO = long term foundation
Paid search = quick boost to get eyes on your content
If you’d like to read more, click below!
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