As we look towards a new financial year, many of us will be mapping out budgets and forecasting for the year ahead. This is a time to tap into what’s worked and what hasn’t, and look at investments that have the potential to yield an impressive ROI, says digital marketing and Google Ads expert Kaity Griffin.

For many, the thought of Google Ads has long been put in the too-hard or tricky tech basket. However, with Google Ads being Google’s number one money maker, with its revenue expected to increase by 9.5 per cent in 2023, it’s clear to say that this is a billion-dollar platform worth paying attention to.

Understanding the strength of Google Ads

Google Ads’ strength is that you’re targeting people who are problem-aware and actively searching for a solution, which is much different to the type of targeting you’ll get on social platforms.

You’re getting your ads in front of people who are on the hunt for something, whether that be a great dress for Saturday night or how to evict a tenant who isn’t paying rent. They’re not browsing their friends’ social media activity and getting interrupted by an ad. Ads are doing them a favour by shortcutting their search.

If there is a demand for your product or service, and people are actively looking for the solution, then Google Ads might be a great fit for your business.

Like the sound of that? Here are five tips to help you get started.

1. Start with a simple, streamlined account

Yep, start small. Businesses with small budgets don’t need to have a complex account structure. Focus on the core campaigns that will move the dial for your business.

If you’re an eCommerce brand, testing a Shopping or Performance Max campaign is a no-brainer. Test this alongside one to two search campaigns and see how they go.

If you’re a service-based business, start with one or two search campaigns and a few keywords grouped together in themed ad groups.

A smaller account structure will help avoid overwhelm and ensure you are setting up campaigns in the most effective and cost-effective way. Once you start to see results, you can increase the complexity of your account. But at the start, keep it streamlined.

2. Accurate conversion tracking is non-negotiable

Conversion tracking involves placing code on your website so that when someone completes the desired action – usually placing an order or filling in a form – this code will communicate to Google Ads and attribute the conversion to the campaign that caused it.

In its simplest form, conversion tracking allows you to see how much you’re spending each month and how many leads or sales you’re getting. Without it, there’s no way for you to know whether your ads are helping to scale your business (or just sending more money down the drain).

Most big agencies set this up poorly, so if you’ve paid an expert to do it for you – maybe get a second set of eyes across the account.

3. Ads aren’t a miracle worker

You know the old adage “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink”?

The same applies to Google Ads – and any form of marketing. If your website isn’t converting as it is, ads will likely only amplify that (and be super painful as you’ve got to pay for each of those clicks).

Don’t try and use Google Ads to fix a poor conversion rate or bad customer reviews. If you’ve got your ducks in a row from a website and conversion perspective, that’s the perfect time to add some paid marketing on top.

On the flip side, if you’re expecting Google Ads to fix your business issues overnight, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Google Ads can’t fix website issues.

4. Quality is key

Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to keyword research. Don’t get hung up on keywords that have lots of volume – this will easily blow your budget.

Focus on picking relevant and targeted keywords for your business – rather than the most popular keywords (choose relevance over reach every day of the week).

Niche down and focus on showing your ads to people searching for what you offer. Don’t get bogged down with trying to bid on super popular but irrelevant keywords.

5. Upskilling is worth its weight in gold

Outsourcing usually doesn’t make sense when you’re spending under $3,000 per month on ads, as outsourcing fees eat into your profitability.

If you want to get started, you need to upskill so that you know your way around Google Ads, and how to optimise an ad account.

No one has time to be fumbling around a system, especially when you’re wearing multiple business hats. Upskilling not only helps you understand the platform, but it also helps down the track if you are in the position to outsource and hire an agency.

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