Just like the way you make resolutions to bring about a better change in you every year, your Google Ads also need a good clean-up once a year. And what better than kicking it off on a New Year?
In this article, we have discussed steps or suggestions to get your Google Ads account a quick refresh for the New Year. These changes are simple and can be performed easily. You may even consider making these changes once a month rather than wait for a whole year! It will definitely be worth your time and effort.
Additionally, we would like to mention that regardless of the numerous tips and suggestions you receive to improve your Ad bids, always make sure to aim for a high-quality score. A high-quality score improves your chances of being visible to people and decreases the time needed to bid on the ads.
Let’s get started!
1. Make a list of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Google ads Key Performance Indicators or KPIs are metrics that help determine how successful you consider your Google ads to be. Every business has a different KPI depending on what they are expecting to gain from Google Ads. For instance, if your main requirement is to get traffic to your website then your KPI should include clicks and click-through- rate (CTR). If your aim is to get content downloads then your KPI may include conversion, conversion rate and cost per conversion (CPA).
Once you figure what you expect from your Google Ads, you will be able to come up with a list of KPIs.
Tip: Create a set of columns that show metrics you most care about. You will see a “columns” button at the top left corner of the chart ( data chart of campaigns , ad groups , etc). Click on it and select “Modify columns”.
Once you have modified the columns you like, you can save it and give it a name.
2. Identify low-performing KPI
Every number you aim for, you will need to think about the value a given action is worth to your business.
You may work to improve some of the metrics such as target CPA, quality score, CTR, conversion rate and impression share based on the historical data rather than aiming a specific number constantly.
You may look at averages for competitors in your industry if you are struggling to come up with benchmarks to aim for.
(Source: WordStream)
Do remember that your benchmark will differ depending on what you are promoting. For instance, if a campaign promotes content download and another promotes demo request, then the demo request campaign is more likely to have a higher average CPA. It is, therefore, important to track KPIs on a campaign-by-campaign basis.
3. Manual Bidding
Two common Google Ads bid strategies are- manual bidding and automated bidding. Try switching to manual bidding if you have been using an automated bidding strategy.
Both manual and automated bidding have their own pros and cons and it is recommended that you use both the strategies across the campaigns in your account.
Automated bidding requires fewer efforts but it does not offer control over your bids.
On the other hand, a manual bid strategy has the ability to adjust bids on ad groups and keywords based on their performance and your goals.
Manual bidding will help improve your account’s overall performance drastically.
4. Include a few negative keywords
You can include negative keywords to eliminate wasted spend in your Google Ads account. Search terms in your ad change constantly. Therefore, it is important to go through them and pick out the super irrelevant ones and include them as negative keywords. You may think of having negative keyword lists for every campaign and a keyword list for your entire account.
Tip: If an irrelevant topic is continuously showing up on your search terms but if it is relevant to your business, you can consider creating a new campaign or ad group for that topic.
5. Include a retargeting audience
If your website is tagged with Google’s tracking pixel and it gets enough traffic t meets Google’s requirements then you should be able to refresh your Google Ads account by including the retargeting audience.
A retargeting audience shows your ads to users who have already visited your website before. These audiences are configured at a campaign.
You may think of innovative ways to retarget your website visitors. This will help you reach out to users who have already shown interest in your brand, products or services. In other words, you will be working with an audience that is more likely to convert. Although remarketing campaigns work great with display ads, it can be an effective tactic for search campaigns as well.
6. Make bid adjustments on devices
To control your bidding you can make bid adjustments on the devices bases on their performance. It is controlled on the campaign or ad group level. Click on the “Devices” to adjust the device settings by navigating to a campaign.
Make sure to configure the columns to show your KPIs and compare the performance data for each device. You may then increase or decrease the bids. For instance, if mobile devices have a lesser CPC and better conversion rates than on desktops(computers), you may increase your bid on mobile devices or decrease the bid on the computers.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned tips will help your Google Ads account perform well and achieve your business goals. If you make several changes in your account, make sure to keep close tabs on the changes.
You may use Google Sheets to export data if you have a fairly large Google Ads account. By taking notes you can evaluate if a new strategy works for you or not and make the necessary adjustments.