How to optimize Google Ads Search Campaigns
Updated
When it comes to google ads, optimizing campaigns can be overwhelming, as there are many aspects you can adapt, from bidding & optimization types, to keywords, headlines, extensions and many more. Hence, we have come up with a guide on the optimizations you can make per campaign. On this first series, find below how to optimize your Google Search campaigns.
💡TIP:
Block a recurring slot on your calendar to do these type of optimizations.
Weekly Optimizations:
- Check search terms, you can find this section inside the insights & reports tab, it shows the real terms people have used, and for where we have appeared.
- Include keywords into campaigns, this can serve as inspiration to add new keywords, and change the broad terms we have on some campaigns with phrasal & exact matches, which oftentimes, have less volume but are more qualitative.
- Add negative keywords when needed, every week add as negative keyword all related to neto/bruto calculations, free software, or keywords mentioning our competitors, in order to get more qualitative traffic.
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For negative keywords it is better to work with lists, this way if you´re managing a lot of campaigns you only have to add the keywords once, with one click. It saves lots of time. We recommend to have at least 2 exclusion lists (General keywords & competitors).
- Active Keyword check: Deep dive into your ad groups if you have low performing keywords compared to other ones. If for example CTR of most of your keywords is around 20% and there´s 1 keyword with 5% pause that keyword, and try to add an alternative.
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In countries like Sweden we have observed how mixing English keywords with Swedish keywords pays off. There´s still a lot of volume on keywords like "Payroll", "Payroll software" if you´re working in a country which primary language is not English consider to add these keywords.
Monthly Optimizations:
- Ads optimizations: Check if you can add some of the new added keywords to the ads that you have running, in order to increase cohesion.
- Use this moment to ensure that your headlines are balanced, and contain different keywords, USPs & CTAs. We recommend to include 3/4 of each type.
- Check insight tab to ensure that your ads have all necessary extensions & callouts. These often increase CTRs.
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If you don´t have it yet, include Ad strength into your columns to see and indication of the relevancy and diversity of your ads.
- Ad Group rearrangement: check within your ad groups if there are some keywords that take all the budget, can you create a new ad set with clustered keywords? then do it, this will work better in the long term, you will have to make the ads a little bit more specific, but will have more qualitative results.
- Segments check: on a monthly basis you have some extra time to zoom out a bit and look for specific trends or insights, some recommendations on what to check:
- Search partners segment: on campaign level select segment Network (with search partners). By default display placements are included here, this placement usually delivers a lot of impressions but very little traffic, hence check the numbers, and remove when necessary. Check also other search partners results, as often times this segment has also not a lot of value.
- Conversion actions segment: If you want to see which are the main conversions your campaigns are delivering this will help you see it, and give you insights on buyer journey. With this info you can adapt your messaging.
Quarterly optimizations:
- Account level check ins: It's important to keep accounts clean & tidy, so on a quarterly basis we will ensure that everything is correct on account level.
- Naming conventions & UTMs. By following the rules we ensure that all data is properly tracked and we can have a proper campaign analysis. If you´re not sure check this article.
- Users & Security: Has there been an intern in your team over the last month? please let us know so we can remove people that is not working anymore on the account.
- Review campaign structure: Is there any extra campaign you can run for the quarter? this might be the moment to add some time limited campaigns linked to seasonality around specific topics.
💡TIP:
Try demand gen ads if you have qualitative video content to reach new audiences and generate more awareness around our brand and products. Recruitment team tested this new google format and worked quite good.
If you need extra help, don't hesitate to send me or Varouna a message so we can take a look at your account together.
