How to Run Google Ads: A Guide for Small Business Owners

Are you looking to expand your business and reach more potential customers? Running Google Ads can be an effective way to do just that. With Google Ads, you can create targeted ads that appear to people who are searching for keywords related to your business.

This means you can reach people who are already interested in what you have to offer, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

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Setting Up Your Google Ads Account

When it comes to running Google Ads, the first step is to create a Google Ads account. This will allow you to access the Google Ads dashboard, where you can create, manage, and optimize your campaigns. In this section, we will walk you through the process of creating a Google Ads account and understanding the dashboard.

Creating an Account

To create a Google Ads account, you will need to sign up on the Google Ads website using your Google account. If you don't have a Google account, you can create one for free. Once you have signed up, you will need to provide some basic information about your business, such as your business name, website, and location.

You will also need to select your campaign goals and budget, and enter your payment details.

Understanding the Dashboard

Once you have created your Google Ads account, you will be taken to the Google Ads dashboard. Here, you will be able to create and manage your campaigns, ad groups, and ads. The dashboard is divided into several sections, including Campaigns, Ad Groups, Ads, and Keywords.

In the Campaigns section, you can create and manage your campaigns. Each campaign can have multiple ad groups, and each ad group can have multiple ads. In the Ad Groups section, you can create and manage your ad groups. Each ad group should have a specific theme or topic, and should contain ads that are relevant to that theme or topic.

In the Ads section, you can create and manage your ads. You can create different types of ads, including text ads, image ads, and video ads. In the Keywords section, you can create and manage your keywords. Keywords are the words or phrases that you want your ads to appear for when someone searches for them on Google.

Overall, creating a Google Ads account and understanding the dashboard is the first step to running successful Google Ads campaigns. By following the steps outlined in this section, you will be well on your way to creating effective ads that reach your target audience and drive business results.

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Planning Your Campaign Strategy

Before diving into creating a Google Ads campaign, it's essential to plan your advertising strategy. This planning phase will help you define your advertising goals, select the right campaign type, and conduct keyword research to target your ideal audience.

Defining Your Advertising Goals

The first step in planning your campaign strategy is to define your advertising goals. What do you want to achieve with your Google Ads campaign? Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales?

Having a clear understanding of your advertising goals will help you create a campaign that aligns with your business objectives.

Selecting Campaign Types

Google Ads offers several campaign types, each designed to achieve specific advertising goals. Choosing the right campaign type is crucial to the success of your campaign. For example, if you want to drive website traffic, a Search campaign may be the best option.

On the other hand, if you want to promote your products, a Shopping campaign may be more suitable. Take the time to research each campaign type and select the one that aligns with your advertising goals.

Keyword Research and Targeting

Keyword research is an essential part of creating a successful Google Ads campaign. Conducting thorough keyword research will help you identify the keywords your potential customers are using to search for your products or services. Once you have identified your target keywords, you can use them to create ad groups and target your ideal audience.

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Crafting Your Ads

Now that you have set up your Google Ads campaign, it's time to create your ads. Crafting compelling ad copy and choosing the right ad formats and extensions can make all the difference in the success of your campaign.

Writing Compelling Ad Copy

Your ad copy is your chance to make a strong first impression on potential customers and convince them to click on your ad. Make sure your headlines are attention-grabbing and relevant to the keywords you are targeting. Use clear and concise language to convey the benefits of your product or service.

Consider including a call-to-action (CTA) in your ad copy to encourage users to take action, such as "Get a Free Quote Today" or "Sign Up Now". Use ad customizers to personalize your ads and make them more relevant to the user's search query.

Remember to stay within Google's ad policies and guidelines, and avoid making exaggerated or false claims. Your ads should accurately represent your business and the products or services you offer.

Choosing Ad Formats and Extensions

Google Ads offers a variety of ad formats and extensions to help you reach your target audience. Choose the formats and extensions that best suit your business goals and the needs of your target audience.

Consider using responsive search ads, which automatically adjust to show the best combination of headlines and descriptions for each search query. Use ad extensions such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets to provide additional information about your business and make your ads more engaging.

Make sure your ads are consistent with your brand messaging and visual identity. Use your logo and brand colors in your ad creative to increase brand recognition and build trust with potential customers.

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Their AI coach can train, analyze, and assist your CSRs based on their actual calls, helping you increase sales and make customers happier.

Crafting your ads is a crucial step in the success of your Google Ads campaign. Follow these tips and resources to create ads that are compelling, relevant, and effective.

Budgeting and Bidding

When it comes to running Google Ads, budgeting and bidding are two of the most important aspects that you need to consider. In this section, we will discuss how to set your daily budget and understand bidding strategies.

Setting Your Daily Budget

The first step in setting up your Google Ads campaign is to determine your daily budget. Your daily budget is the amount of money you are willing to spend on your ads each day. It is important to set a budget that is realistic and that you can afford.

To set your daily budget, you can use the Google Ads platform. Simply log in to your account and navigate to the campaign you want to set a budget for. Click on the "Settings" tab, and then click on "Budget." From there, you can set your daily budget.

Understanding Bidding Strategies

Bidding is the process of determining how much you are willing to pay for each click on your ad. There are several bidding strategies available in Google Ads, including automated bidding and cost-per-click (CPC) bidding.

Automated bidding is a bidding strategy that uses machine learning to optimize your bids for conversions. Google Ads will automatically adjust your bids to get the best possible results for your campaign.

CPC bidding is a bidding strategy where you pay for each click on your ad. With this strategy, you set a maximum bid for each click, and Google Ads will automatically adjust your bids to get the most clicks possible within your budget.

When it comes to bidding strategies, it is important to choose the one that best fits your goals and budget. Consider factors such as your target audience, campaign objectives, and budget when choosing a bidding strategy.

As you can see, budgeting and bidding are critical components of a successful Google Ads campaign. By setting a realistic daily budget and choosing the right bidding strategy, you can maximize the effectiveness of your ads and achieve your marketing goals.

At Owned and Operated, we are the best resource for growing and scaling local home services businesses, including electric, plumbing, and HVAC businesses. We recommend working with Service Scalers, home services marketing experts for scaling small businesses.

An agency that we trust with our marketing is Service Scalers. They have been fantastic in running LSA and PPC for us. Their new marketing strategies are crushing it!

We’ve teamed up with Service Scalers and we couldn’t be happier with our results. Customer contacts are skyrocketing, and we're hustling to align our recruitment efforts with our marketing game.

We also recommend using Avoca, The AI Platform for HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Businesses. Avoca helps you serve your customers 10x better through its novel AI features deeply integrated with platforms that you love such as ServiceTitan.

To sign up with Avoca, use the promotion code "OWNED" for a discount. Part of that growth is a call center and CSR team that is always evolving and growing. For us, it’s the power of Avoca AI coaches and responders. Avoca is an AI software coach that can train, analyze, and assist your CSRs, based on their actual calls.

Monitoring and Optimizing Campaigns

Once your Google Ads campaign is up and running, it's important to monitor and optimize it regularly to ensure that you're getting the best results possible. In this section, we'll explore two key aspects of monitoring and optimizing your campaigns: analyzing campaign performance and making data-driven adjustments.

Analyzing Campaign Performance

To effectively monitor your campaign's performance, you need to pay attention to key metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversion rates. These metrics can provide valuable insights into how your ads are performing and where you can make improvements.

One way to analyze your campaign's performance is to use Google Ads' built-in reporting tools. These tools allow you to generate reports on a range of metrics and can help you identify areas where your campaign is performing well and where it could be improved.

Another important aspect of analyzing campaign performance is tracking conversions. By setting up conversion tracking, you can see which ads and keywords are driving the most conversions and adjust your campaign accordingly.

Making Data-Driven Adjustments

Once you've analyzed your campaign's performance, it's time to make data-driven adjustments to optimize it. This can involve tweaking your ad copy, adjusting your bids, or targeting different keywords.

One key strategy for making data-driven adjustments is to use A/B testing. By testing different versions of your ads and landing pages, you can identify which elements are most effective and optimize your campaign accordingly.

Another important aspect of making data-driven adjustments is staying up-to-date with changes to the PPC landscape. For example, keeping an eye on changes to the SERP (search engine results page) can help you adjust your targeting and bidding strategies to stay competitive.

By regularly monitoring and optimizing your Google Ads campaign, you can ensure that you're getting the best possible results for your investment. And, with the help of Owned and Operated and Service Scalers, you can grow and scale your local home services business with confidence.