Category: Google Ads Consultant

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Conversion Tips for Getting the Most from Google Ads

My firm manages over $3 million in ad spend for clients in Google Ads yearly. As a result, we see opportunities for improvement in regards to conversion tracking across multiple accounts in diverse industries.

My Tips on Conversion Tracking

  1. Always track website contact forms.
  2. Try to track website phone calls.
  3. Do not change key conversion actions.
  4. Use Position-Based attribution.
  5. Set your cookie for 30 to 60 days.
  6. Add additional conversion actions for promotions.
Nancy C. McCord, Owner of McCord Web Services LLC
Nancy C. McCord, Owner of McCord Web Services LLC

One of the most important aspects to conversion tracking is to select key conversion actions and to NOT change them in the Google Ads conversion control panel or Google Analytics.

We have recently had several situations where well-meaning marketing staff deleted conversion actions thinking that there would be no harm in doing so, but as a result the smart bidding algorithms in Google Ads were negatively impacted and performance dropped quickly in the account.

I have found that when a customer is changing the conversion actions for promotions and they do not have key conversion actions that are always in the account, bidding algorithms are easily confused and cost per click and cost per conversions will increase, sometimes dramatically.

Assure that if you track website phone calls and email form completions that you always keep these running as conversion actions. Do not move in and out of  conversion actions unless you use manual bidding.

Let Smart Bidding Algorithms Do the Heavy Lifting for You

Once you have your conversion action strategy in place, wait to accrue 15 conversions in a 30 day period and then test the use of smart bidding options like maximize conversion or Target CPA bidding for your account.

Make sure to do routine checks at 2 weeks, 30 days, and 60 days to assure that these algorithms are actually delivering results with a cost per conversion that works for your business. Most accounts will benefit from the use of smart bidding based on Google’s machine learning and AI, but not all.

 

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Business Pulling Back? What to Chop

Tackling a High Bounce Rate

If your business is pulling back where can you realistically chop in your marketing plan and not get hurt?

Chop Away

Social Media – if you are paying to update Facebook, Twitter and Google+ you could easily take a break to save money.

Blogging – try not to kill all your writing as the SEO juice you get from well-written blog posts helps you in the long run, but maybe consider moving from three days a week to two or from two days a week to one.  Try to still keep the momentum up but maybe lower the word count or frequency.

Chop Not!

Google AdWords – don’t touch it unless you absolutely have to. AdWords is hands down the best way to generate new leads and start cash pumping back into your business.

e-newsletters – they build loyalty and repeat business. Newsletters are especially important to businesses that have annual renewals for service plans like pest control firms and HVAC firms.  If you chop this, your name is not kept in front of your customers and come time to renew, they may not see the value of renewing; which will hurt your sales even further.

Need some practical sense to make the most of the budget you do have or to get AdWords to work harder for you? We’re the firm to call and chat with first especially if you are looking for honest advice you can trust with no sales pressure.

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Just Started Advertising on Google Ads? Tips on Determining Your Ad Budget

Just Started Advertising on Google Ads? Tips on Determining Your Ad Budget

When you start advertising on Google Ads, how do you determine your starting budget?

There is no mystery to deciding your budget for Google Ads. I use the Keyword Planner to determine the best budget for starting out. Here are my tips.

  1. Create a list of 10 two to three word phrases that you feel will help drive qualified traffic.
  2. Go to your Google Ads account or ask your Google Ads consultant to run the numbers for you, but putting each keyword in the Google Keyword Planner to check for traffic, competition, and typical bids.
  3. Plan on these potential bids being about 20% lower than the real auction for clicks when your account is set up.
  4. Take the average of these ten keyword’s click costs and then decide how many clicks you would like to have a day before your ads stop showing.
  5. Look at the number generated in step 4 and determine if you can realistically live with this number. Never get over your head in regards to a budget that is way beyond your means. It is not typical to get leads in Google Ads the day ads serve. For some account it can take as long as three weeks for optimization to start to see the first lead conversion.
  6. Remember a lead conversion or beneficial action you are recording as a conversion is not always a sale. Sometimes it is just the first step in the sales process.
  7. Understand that it takes time for a Google Ads account to become profitable. Google Ads is a dynamic auction with bids changing for each query and many factors determining if your ads show or not.
  8. Work with a professional Google Ads account manager or consultant like McCord Web Services to get the most out of Google Ads.

I invite you to visit our website to learn more about Google Ads and our Google Ads consulting and account management services.