Should I Use Click-to-Call AdWords Campaigns? #FAQuesday

Posted on: September 22, 2015

Google is constantly introducing new features and ad types to keep up with the ever-evolving forms of technology we use on a daily basis. One of the most recent additions to Google AdWords was click-to-call ads, and they’ve created a lot of buzz about who should be using them and why. Let’s cover the ins and outs of this new option to help you make the best decision about setting up your next advertising campaign. What does Click-to-Call Mean? Click-to-call (CTC) is a type of ad within Google AdWords. These ads will show on mobile devices when users search Google for relevant keywords. Clicking on a company’s CTC ad will connect searchers to the business by phone, rather than sending them to its website. These ads cannot be shown on desktop computers, since most aren’t set up to make phone calls. What are the Pros? These ads don’t require your website to have a landing page … Continued

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Viewing Your Google Ads in the Wild

Posted on: September 3, 2015

When you begin an AdWords campaign, it’s so tempting to immediately start performing searches from your browser to see where the ads are showing up and what they look like. Without realizing it, you will pay for it … either directly or indirectly. Direct Effects If you search for your Google ads and happen to click on one of them, you will be charged for that click as you would when anyone else clicks on your ads. You certainly don’t want to be draining your budget to visit your own website. Indirect Effects Even if you know that you shouldn’t click on your ads, you’re still creating ad impressions just by searching for them. Impressions are the number of times your ad is fetched to be shown to a searcher. Google looks at the number of clicks and impressions your ads have to determine the click-through rate. The click-through rate has … Continued

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New Google Platform Boosts Home-Service Providers

Posted on: August 6, 2015

Attention all plumbers, landscapers, and contractors — and anyone who runs a home-service business. Google is now testing a new paid search product. The advertising platform, called home service ads, connects new customers to qualified home-service providers through Google Search. What Are Home Service Ads? The idea behind home service ads is that users who perform searches for certain services on Google can browse ad units of trusted and experienced home-service providers in the targeted area. For example, say you are searching for an emergency plumber. You arrive at the search results page, and at the top you see home-service professionals. Google compiles the business basics so that you can quickly browse through a reputable company’s profile, services offered, contact information, areas served, hours of operation, and customer reviews — all in one place. How Do Providers Qualify? A big feature Google seems to target for the new product is … Continued

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Low Bids Kill AdWords Campaigns – Here’s Why

Posted on: July 30, 2015

Oftentimes clients are willing to “try” AdWords to see how successful it is for their business, but the problem with that scenario is that if you don’t jump in head first, you’re never going to see the full potential of an AdWords campaign. The goal of a campaign is to attract potential customers who are actively searching for your services. If you aren’t spending enough money to let your ads show up at the top for those searches, they may not ever click through to visit your website.It can be difficult to understand why you can’t just put $100 towards ad spend and evaluate the results, but we’re here to explain the spiral of events that occurs from setting low bids with a low budget at the beginning of a campaign. Low Bids = Low Position Let’s say, for example, that you aren’t willing to spend more than $2 per click, so … Continued

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