Quality Score is a very telling metric. It directly influences your cost per click, the probability of your ad being shown and the likelihood of a click happening. A high Quality Score on your most important keywords is a good indicator that your campaign is going smoothly!

Quality Score: What you need to know

1. Each keyword in your campaign has its own Quality Score.
2. Google doesn’t disclose the exact formula of how it calculates the Quality Score.
3. We know that including the keyword in the ad content and optimizing your landing page to match the ad helps raise the Quality Score of the keyword.
4. Quality Score of 8/10 to 10/10 is excellent. It usually means that your ad and landing page match the keyword perfectly.
5. Quality Score of 4/10 to 7/10 is average. It means that your ad and landing page deliver an average experience for users.
6. Quality Score of 3/10 and lower indicates a poor fit between the keyword and what your ad and landing page are promoting. These keywords are usually performing poorly.
7. Quality Score may increase or decrease with time.

How to check the Quality Score of your keywords

(Note: you should be running your campaigns in Expert mode to follow the steps below.)

1. Log into your Google Ads and click Campaigns from the left-most column.
2. Click on the campaign whose keywords you want to check for quality.
3. Click Keywords –> Search Keywords in the light-grey column on the left.
4. Check the data for columns named Quality Score or Quality Score (hist.).
5. If none are present in the table, find the Columns icon just below the performance graph and click Modify columns.
6. Click on the 🔍 icon and type “quality score” to quickly locate the metric.
7. Find Quality Score and check the boxes next to Quality Score and, optionally, Quality Score (hist.).
8. Click Apply.
9. Now you should be able to see the Quality Score rating for each of your keywords!

Don’t despair if the Quality Scores are low. This simply means there is room for improvement and optimization! If you need a Google Ads expert in your corner, give me a call.

The post Keyword Quality Score in Google Ads appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

All new accounts start off in Smart mode by default. Google doesn’t tell you that; instead, it starts asking you questions about your goals and your business needs. This is understandable, as they want you to get going ASAP. The option to switch to Expert is present, but not very noticeable:

Unfortunately, running Google Ads in Smart mode simplifies your experience and removes the granular level of data access you need. You can switch from Smart mode to Expert mode at any time, but doing it as early as possible will save you a lot of headaches.

Any campaigns you create in Smart mode will stay in Smart mode. You will assume the full control over your settings that you (and potentially I, or another Google Ads consultant you bring in to help) need only after the switch.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into your Google Ads account and click on Tools & Settings at the top right.
2. Find and click the option to Switch to Expert Mode.
3. You’re done!

Now you have the ability to take full advantage of Google Ads’ functionality. Any tips and advice I give on running Google Ads in this blog and everywhere else rely on Expert mode.

Smart mode is simply not smart enough for us, trust me 😉

The post Expert Mode vs Smart Mode appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

Once you start running ads—any ads—you quickly realize that tracking their performance is the most important thing for you. Ever. How else would you know what’s working and what’s not? All ad platforms have data reporting and metrics to show you, but they may not be enough for you to judge your ads’ performance.

Google Ads are no exception. You can certainly rely on the built-in metrics, which are very robust. But to really take your ad performance to the next level, you should use them in tandem with Google Analytics (or a similar traffic tracking tool).

Not only does it provide an added layer of information about your ads and website performance, but it also gives you additional tools and handy resources to create more effective ads. Anything that makes the whole process easier is worth doing, and doing well.

So let’s talk about Google Ads and Google Analytics!

Step 1: Infrastructure

For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that you want to work with both Google Ads and Google Analytics *and* you haven’t started running ads yet.

Add the code

First things first: you need to add the Google Analytics tracking code to the website that you plan on advertising. Google Ads do not require code to run, but Google Analytics needs to be present on your website in order to collect (non-personally identifiable) visitor data.

Register for a Google Analytics account and set up your first Property, basically, the domain you want to track visits for. Once you create the Property, it will have a Property ID that looks similar to UA-XXXXXXXXXX-1. The Property ID must be present in the Google Analytics code snippet that you place on your website in order for Google Analytics to send the data to the right account.

There are several ways to add the code to your website:

If you’re using a popular CMS like WordPress, SquareSpace or an eCommerce platform like Shopify, all you need is a plugin or a Settings field to insert your Property ID into.

If your website is custom-built or there is no option to use the ready-made tools, you will have to insert the code snippet manually. Do it yourself or ask your web developer—this should be a straightforward task for them.

Test the setup

Once the Google Analytics code is in place, you have to test it to make sure the data is flowing. I recommend waiting for at least a day before you start testing. Since the data doesn’t update in Google Analytics in real-time, there is usually a slight delay for it to appear, and you don’t need to panic unnecessarily if you see zero activity there.

Once 24 hours have passed since the implementation, open your Google Analytics and go to Realtime — Overview. Visit your website in a different tab and click around to see if data pops up in the Realtime view. It may take a couple of seconds to appear.

If you don’t see any activity, check if you have any overly eager ad block or privacy plugins like Ghostery enabled—many block Google Analytics from firing in your browser. (This is useful to keep in mind for other visitors too.)

Testing in several browsers, Incognito mode, ad blockers disabled and still no data? Check your code setup or ask your developer to verify, then test again. If you found an error that you fixed, wait another 24 hours before testing.

Success! You have Google Analytics enabled on your website.

Step 2: Conversions

Make an MVP list

Now that Google Analytics is in place, it’s time to start training it to recognize the most valuable actions users take on your website. A lot of us think of purchases when we think about conversions, but a conversion can be anything, as long as it brings value to your business.

So what is the single most useful thing a visitor can do on your website?

Is it:

• Creating an account?
• Signing up for a newsletter?
• Downloading a PDF?
• Visiting a pricing page?
• Requesting a demo?
• Placing an order?

Write down a list of these actions. There may be more than one but keep the list short—it will allow you to focus on the key ones. Remember also that there is no right or wrong answer. Your business is unique so your conversions will be also.

Can Google Analytics track it?

Now that you have your list, check if you can track the conversions with Google Analytics. I mean, the answer is actually almost always “yes” regardless, provided you’re not afraid of more code. But Google Analytics is a powerful tool that has many predefined conversions (“Goals”) that you may use to track your own without too much coding.

Some examples of conversions you may implement without more code or additional setup:

• Visits to a specific page (e.g. Pricing)
• Session duration
• Number of pages visited per session
• Events like button clicks and form submissions

As you can see, the list isn’t very long. However, Google Analytics works well with Google Tag Manager (GTM), which may help you define more specialized conversions without additional code. If you aren’t familiar with GTM but want to get fancy with Google Analytics, you will need some custom code to add to your website. It is, however, worth your time and effort—conversions are key to track!

The next step is to create these conversions, called Goals, in Google Analytics!

Step 3: Create Goals in Google Analytics

With your conversion list in hand, it’s time to enter them into Google Analytics.

1. Go to Admin, look for View column on the right and find Goals.
2. Click the red +NEW GOAL button.
3. Choose Template to guide your goal configuration and click Continue.
4. Specify the name for your goal and select its type. You’ve got options:
   • Destination
   • Duration
   • Pages/Screens per session
   • Events
5. Select the most appropriate one and click Continue.
6. This is where the rubber hits the road: you need to tell Google Analytics exactly what action would constitute this Goal being completed. For Destination, you would enter a URL. For duration and pages per session, you would specify the duration of the session or the number of screens per session that you want. As for Events, these are most commonly sent to Google Analytics with the help of Google Tag Manager.
7. If you already have data in your Google Analytics, click Verify this goal to check if you set it up correctly.
8. Click Save!

Repeat the process above for each conversion on your list. Once all Goals are entered into Google Analytics, wait a day or two before testing. You will find the data for completed Goals under Conversions –> Goals in the main view of your website property.

Step 4: Link Google Analytics to Google Ads

With Google Analytics ready to go, it’s time to capitalize on your hard work and see it work for you in Google Ads.

Connecting Google Analytics to Google Ads allows the data to flow from one to the other in both directions, making it easier for you to analyze the results. All this setup of Goals in Google Analytics is also not in vain—you can import your Goals into Google Ads as conversions, which is an extremely valuable tool at your disposal.

Link your Google Analytics to Google Ads

1. In Google Ads, go to Tools & Settings and click Setup –> Linked accounts.
2. Select Google Analytics, which should be the first option on the left, and click Details.
3. Look for the Google Analytics property that you want to link to Google Ads. Naturally, it should be the one you worked so hard to set up.
4. If you do not see it on the list, make sure you are logged into the same account as the one you used to set up Analytics. (They should be the same account anyway!)
5. Click the word LINK found in the right column next to the correct property.
6. Choose to link and import site metrics (that includes Goals) in the pop-up window. Click Save.
7. Your Google Ads is now linked to Google Analytics!

Import your Google Analytics Goals to Google Ads

To make it so much easier to track conversions, you can import your Google Analytics Goals to your Google Ads. Here’s how:

1. In Google Ads, click on Tools & Settings and go to Measurement –> Conversions.
2. You may see a list of existing conversions or an empty screen. Click on the blue “Plus” icon, choose Import and select Google Analytics from the list. Click Continue.
3. You should see the list of Goals from your Google Analytics property pop up on the screen. If you don’t, make sure you linked Google Analytics to Google Ads correctly and that you’re logged into the right account.
4. Select the Goals you want to import as conversions and click Import and Continue. Done!

Bonus: Enable Advertising Features

Thinking of getting fancy with your ads and reporting? Go to Google Analytics, visit Admin and find your property settings. Click on Tracking Info and then Data Collection. Enable Advertising Reporting Features. This will give you access to more demographic and interest data. More on that here!

You may also enable Remarketing in the same menu, to use Google Analytics data to run retargeting campaigns with Google Ads (details here).

Remarketing is a more advanced “exercise”, so if you’re not planning on retargeting campaigns just yet, leave it off. No need to collect more data that you won’t use!

In closing…

So there you have it: your Google Analytics is now best friends with Google Ads! Once you start running ads, you can look at both Google Ads intel and the Google Analytics metrics under Acquisition → Google Ads.

Happy advertising!

The post Make Google Analytics your Google Ads’ best friend appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

There are two ways to quickly add negative keywords to a specific campaign:

1. While you create it. Once you get to the keyword part, simply enter your negative keywords together with your regular ones. Add a dash “-” in front of each negative keyword (no spaces)—this will tell Google to designate these keywords as negative.
2. Later, once the campaign is already running. Go to the campaign in question and click Keywords –> Negative Keywords in the left-hand menu. Click the blue “plus” icon and enter the negative keywords into the empty field, one per line. Adding dashes is not necessary in this case.

Adding Search Terms as negative keywords

Another important tool in your toolkit is Search Terms. These are actual search queries entered into Google Search that triggered your ads to appear. You should look at the Search Terms of all active campaigns regularly to make sure your ads aren’t triggering for irrelevant searches!

Search Terms are a great place to start building your negative keyword lists. but they can be added as negative keywords to a specific campaign just as easily:

Click on Keywords –> Search Terms in the left-hand menu, tick the boxes next to each search term you wish to designate as a negative keyword and click Add as negative keyword. Simple as that! Now your campaign won’t show for these terms.

Just like with any other negative keywords, remember that Google treats these as exact matches. If you think there might be misspellings or minor variations of irrelevant search terms that may trigger your ads, add these to the campaign manually using the option 2 above.

The post Quickly add negative keywords to a Google Ads campaign appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

At SMM Headquarters, we work with small businesses in many sectors, but the clients who come to us most often are:

• Business service professionals – web developers, graphic designers, accountants, HR consultants.
• Ecommerce startups – fashion brands, grocery delivery platforms, vitamin and supplement makers.
• SaaS (software as a service) companies.
• Local Toronto businesses in the wellness sector, such as alternative medicine, physiotherapy, psychotherapy.
• Non-profits and charitable organizations.

That’s a wide range of clients and industries! Each has unique needs that go beyond simple ads to get clicks and website visits. (Although there is nothing wrong with growing your traffic with the help of Google Ads.) I’m fortunate to be able to share different examples of projects I’ve worked on so that YOU can see if Google Ads can add value to your marketing mix!

Let’s jump right in.

Case Study #1 – Very low budget ad campaign in a very competitive field

“What should my budget be?” is the most common question about Google Ads, by far. The answer depends on what you can afford and how quickly you want the results to roll in.

The truth is that a very low budget may cost you more in the end. If you’re willing to invest $1500 into Google Ads, the performance of the campaign will be very different if it’s a 6-month campaign with a daily budget of $8 or a month-long campaign with a daily budget of $50.

The client

In this example, the client was extremely budget-conscious and wanted to test the waters with an extremely conservative spend. His budget was $300 per month, but the kicker was: his field—bookkeeping—is extremely competitive, especially in the online search space!

The task

For this Google Ads campaign, I had to figure out how much bang we could get for our buck. Finding relevant keywords was key, as was the landing page optimization, striking the balance between broad and strict keyword matches, and controlling the cost per click from spiralling out of hand, given the competitiveness of the sector.

What I did

I proposed a 21-day initial campaign to test the keywords uncovered in the research phase. It would be followed by another 21-day campaign with several SKAGs (single keyword ad groups) and ad creative tailored to exactly match the landing page.

Going with three weeks instead of 4.5 weeks duration allowed us to maximize the budget while having room to maneuver and adjust the strategy without necessarily pausing and changing the first campaign since it was so short.

We also spent a lot of time tweaking and refining the landing page copy to get the most out of every (expensive!) click!

The outcome

We reached a CTR of over 7%, kept the cost per click below $10 and maintained the Quality Score of 7/10 for the most important keywords for the client. Nice!

In the end, however, there were not enough clicks in absolute terms to go above breaking even. This happens with low budgets. That’s also A-OK!

If all the other metrics of the campaign are healthy, just like this client’s ones were, the solution I recommend is… No, not to throw more money at the campaign! Get even more creative with the landing page. Really nail it, make it irresistible for the prospects, and improve your conversion rates.

That’s exactly what this client is working on right now.

Case Study #2 – Niche offering from a local biz

With Google Ads, no one size fits all. While I prefer longer, more complex projects with enough client trust to carry out tests, experiment and land on a formula that works for that specific client, I understand that sometimes you simply need someone knowledgeable to just set stuff up for you.

When I was asked to simply create a campaign with optimal settings without no management required afterwards, I went for it. A quick and easy project for me and a big weight off this client’s shoulders. Win-win!

The client

A local psychotherapy clinic in East Toronto was looking for help with Google Ads. Before learning more, I expected that the project would be about getting more clients for them. A noble goal, but it turnedout I was totally off the mark!

The task

The founder of the clinic together with her business partner, both certified psychotherapists, has developed an extremely niche product—an online course to prepare candidate psychotherapists for a College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) licensing exam.

The course was set to launch in one month and they wanted to generate more leads to sell the course out. Given the unique offering, the low competition for keywords and the low expected cost per click, this was the perfect fit for Google Ads.

What I did

Any successful campaign starts with keyword research, and this project was no exception. I quickly realized that the keywords were almost too niche—the monthly search volumes for the target keywords were so low I expected some keywords not to perform at all. On the flip side, the costs would be low as well.

Another challenge was careful copywriting for the ad creative. Psychotherapy is a regulated industry and we wanted to ensure complete compliance and no implied affiliation between my client and the College. Keeping the copy very clear and tailored to fit the landing page was also key.

The outcome

We knocked the campaign out of the park! The metrics were excellent. The average CTR was 12%, with some keywords reaching as high as 28%; the average CPC was $1.37, and the landing page experience was maintained as Above Average indicating excellent fit between what the ads promised and what the prospects found on the page.

And the bottom line is: the client sold out her course completely for both class slots, converting 90% of the leads received through the ads into sales. All for the ad budget of only $255!

Case Study #3 – Brand reach for a non-profit

A very special portion of my client base is non-profit and charitable organizations operating in Ontario. These clients usually offer very interesting projects with unique targets. While revenue increase is the goal of private enterprise, non-profits often measure success in other ways.

Furthermore, because the funding for the non-profits and therefore their ad budgets come from the taxpayer’s pockets, there is an added layer of responsibility. While I allocate ad spend very conservatively for all of my clients, this caution is truly next-level when it comes to dealing with public funds.

The client

Because I released a full case study on this campaign, I can openly say that the client was Ontario Caregiver Organization. They were looking to spread the word about their new caregiver helpline—a phone number caregivers across Ontario can call free of charge to get help and resources.

The task

Promoting the new helpline was at the forefront of the client’s mind. In addition, they wanted to increase traffic to the information pages on their website.

The goal, while straightforward at a glance, proved to be challenging. Not only was it a sensitive matter overall—a lot of caregivers don’t consider themselves as such—but the target audience also couldn’t be easily defined by age, gender, location or other demographics.

There are caregivers of all ages and life situations, and we wanted to reach as many of them as possible without knowing who and where they were.

What I did

Google Ads was a great fit for a “service awareness” campaign. It could provide significant reach and drive clicks for a moderate cost. Given the difficulty of targeting, we needed caregivers to self-identify, which a Google Search campaign functionality allowed. Our ads would appear on relevant Google searches without telling us who the people searching were.

This is why I did extensive keyword research, paying special attention not only to the caregiving-related terms, but words and phrases that people needing help would use. The keyword grouping I came up with was complex, encompassing several themes and potential search queries based on different target audiences.

Together with the client, we wrote very careful ad copy keeping in mind. We especially wanted to show compassion and understanding within the ads’ limited space.

The outcome

The campaign ran for three weeks and reached an impressive number of Ontario residents. It received extremely high CTR of over 8%, excellent CPC, reach and impressions across the province. The helpline is now one of the most recognized services offered by OCO to the public.

In closing

For all of the examples above, Google Ads proved to be an effective tool that drove sales, uncovered customer insights, and inspired action. It helped improve my clients’ web presence, offerings, and customer communication.

Google Ads is not a solution for every situation, but when it fits, it can really shine. I love helping my clients find that fit and play a role in the success that follows. And your business could be next! Let’s talk?

The post Google Ads Success: Real Customer Stories appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

Here is how you do it:

After logging into Google Ads, click on Tools & Settings and find Negative keyword lists under Shared Library:

Press the blue “plus” icon to create your first list:

Name your list and add keywords that you want to filter from your campaigns. Searches that contain these keywords won’t trigger your ads to show:

Keep in mind that negative keywords are exact matches in Google’s eyes. So, for example, if there is a misspelling of a word you want to filter out as well, you have to enter it separately. Click Save.

You now have a ready to go library of negative keywords that can be used and reused with any Google Ads campaign you run!

Applying negative keyword lists to a Google Ads campaign

To apply a negative list keyword to your campaign, go to the campaign in question or simply click Keywords –> Negative Keywords in the left-hand menu.

Click the blue “plus” icon and you will see this menu:

Select the list(s) that you want to apply. Don’t forget to select the correct campaign as well. Click Save. The ads in this campaign won’t trigger for searches containing keywords in the lists you’ve applied!

The post How to create and save negative keyword lists in Google Ads appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

When you search for a local pizza parlour and see a business profile pop up – you’re looking at a listing that can be managed with Google My Business. If you own and/or operate a brick-and-mortar business that’s open to the public or delivers goods or services to the customer, you should take advantage of this free functionality.

Google My Business is still a lesser-known marketing tool than, say, a Facebook business page. While a lot of my clients are at least somewhat aware of local SEO and local marketing, GMB proves enough of a mystery to raise a lot of questions. Let’s address some of them below!

The Basics

Is Google My Business free?

Yes. It’s completely free to create, claim and verify a Google My Business profile. As long as your business fits the eligibility criteria, there is no financial barrier to using it to your advantage.

How does Google My Business work?

Think of it as an online business profile similar to Yelp or Foursquare, except prioritized to look good across the Google family of products. A Google My Business listing may appear on Google Maps, in the search results and more.

Can I use Google My Business without a physical address?

It depends. If you want to keep your business address private and not show it on your Google My Business profile, you can. If you have no physical address to provide when registering your business on Google, you may still create a listing if you specify that you deliver goods or services to your customers.

You may, however, run into difficulty when trying to verify your listing as a physical address is required in a lot of cases. That said, if you fit the eligibility criteria, you may try to proceed without an address and use alternative verification methods.

Google My Business verification

Going through the verification allows you more flexibility and control over your listing information, including faster implementation of changes and more posting capability. There are several verification options:

• A snail mail postcard to your business address 🐌
• A phone call to your business number ☎️
• Via email (no details provided by Google) 📧
• Instant verification with Google Search Console 🌐

Google doesn’t actually specify what businesses are eligible for what methods, so I cannot get any more specific either. The mail verification with a postcard is always available, so if you have a business address, you should be patient and use that one. If you don’t, and there are no other verification methods available to you, it’s possible that your business isn’t eligible for a listing.

The Nitty Gritty

Google My Business posts

One of the most valuable functionalities available on Google My Business is posts. Posting allows you to keep a mini-blog to immediately communicate updates, offers or changes to your customers on the platform. Each post is visible on your profile for 7 days so it’s good to get in the habit of making a new one at least weekly.

Where do Google My Business posts appear?

Google My Business posts appear on Google Maps, on Google Search whenever your listing is visible, as well as accessible directly from your listing profile. Handy!

Google My Business info, products/services, photos

Of course, GMB also hosts a wide variety of useful information about your business that may help your customers find you and buy from you. I recommend filling out as much of it as possible:

• business hours
• location/address
• appointment booking links
• products and services
• photos of your business
• team photos
• and more!

The more information you provide, the richer the experience of someone looking at your profile and the higher the probability of them contacting you.

Google My Business reviews

The first thing a customer sees on your Google My Business listing is the aggregate rating of your business, based on the user reviews. If you do not have any, it’s fine, but a 4.5-5-star rating goes far to persuade a potential customer to give you their business.

Once you register and claim your business, start accumulating reviews as soon as you can. You can respond to each one you receive straight from the profile—Google highly recommends you do!

The difference between Google My Business and Google Maps

It’s quite simple: Google My Business listings may appear within Google Maps. They pop up whenever users are searching for relevant businesses or are simply browsing the area in which your business is located.

Your listing may be previewed on Google Maps so that you can see exactly how it appears to your customers.

What is a Google My Business Website?

GMB listings have an option for business owners to create a mobile-optimized mini-website hosted by Google (for free) and updated automatically with the information from Google My Business. These websites are lightly customizable and offer an optimal viewing experience regardless of the device your customers are visiting it on.

By default, the free hosted Google My Business website has the URL of “yourcompanyname.business.site“. If you want to use a custom domain like “example.com” to point to the Google My Business site you create, you can, but you will have to buy it either from Google or from a domain registrar of choice.

Learn more about creating a website on Google My Business.

The Advanced Stuff

Can you schedule Google My Business posts?

Apparently, yes. There are several tools that allow you to do this, although the choice is much narrower than for social media scheduling in general.

Google My Business for ecommerce

Should you create a Google My Business profile for your ecommerce business? It depends.

On its marketing page, Google states that [w]hether you’re a home-based business or a service-area business, you can list your business details to appear on Google with or without a physical address.

In the GMB service guidelines, however, the wording changes. Listings on Google My Business can only be created for businesses that either have a physical location that customers can visit, or that travel to visit customers where they are.

Depending on how you interpret “travelling to visit customers” you may or may not be eligible for a listing. However, if you have an office and/or an official business address, you should try.

Google My Business for agencies

It makes total sense to create a GMB listing for your services agency, especially if you have an office. If you and your team work from home, it still makes sense. Potential clients may discover you on Google Maps even if they can’t visit in person!

I view my Google My Business listing as a storefront of valuable client reviews. The rating itself is lovely too (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #humblebrag), but it’s the client testimonials that are the best feature. I couldn’t come up with reviews this glowing even if I tried!

Google My Business with multiple locations

The ability to manage chains and multiple business locations is built into Google My Business. Read Google’s guide here. There is no difference between managing one location and several, as all features available to you are the same. You will have to verify each location individually to get the most out of each listing.

If you operate ten or more locations, you have the option of verifying them all in bulk. The fairly complex guidelines for that are spelled out here.

Why is my Google My Business post rejected?

It’s probably a technical issue but it doesn’t hurt to look critically at what you’ve written. Check if the post you wrote is in line with Posts content policy. If you see where you erred, fix it and try again.

If the post doesn’t violate guidelines, it could be a temporary issue or a glitch. Wait a couple of minutes to refresh the page and check if the post has uploaded. If not, try again a little later.

Does Google My Business help SEO?

I know what you’re asking, but in the strictest sense—does having a Google My Business listing help your search engine rankings?—the answer is no, not really. However, it does help your visibility across Google, which is what you’re ultimately after.

Your potential customers or clients see a beautifully optimized listing rather than a mere snippet of text in the search results. They immediately have access to your contact information, which is a win. They might click through to your website. So Google My Business does help SEO. Indirectly.

The Existential Questions 💭

The questions below are also common but difficult to answer without context. I’m offering my thoughts on each which hopefully will help guide you in the right direction.

Is Google My Business worth it?

Google My Business is worth the time investment if your business is the type to benefit from a Google Maps listing and good Google reviews.

Just like any other marketing tool, it will give as much as you put into it. It’s not a magical pill that you swallow and wait for hordes of customers to show up at your doorstep (what social media was believed to be 10 years ago).

If you’re adding Google My Business to your marketing arsenal, it’s worth doing well and nurturing it carefully.

Does Google My Business work?

Google My Business works to connect your customers to you, whether they are searching for you specifically or are browsing for services or goods that your business offers. It works for what it’s supposed to do. The rest—updated information, fresh photos, regular posts—is up to you!

Why is Google My Business listing important?

Google My Business is part of the Google ecosystem which is increasingly an important aspect of our lives, whether we like it or not. Harnessing its capabilities to help your business’ bottom line is not a bad thing. Even if you are anti-Google, the vast majority of your customers aren’t. Meeting them where they are is Business Marketing 101. Go for it!

I’d love to know:

Does your business have a Google My Business profile? How’s it going for you? What aspects of it would you like me to discuss next? Please tell me in an email or on Instagram!

The post Google My Business: Common Questions, Answered appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

I’m sure your business is no different. As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate already and you face the same dilemmas I do. Learn to DIY, delay or hire a pro? Whatever the task at hand, getting the answer right is crucial.

Google Ads is a perfect example. Typically the need to hire a Google Ads specialist comes from a place of either busyness or lack of expertise, but it is often very much both. So if you find yourself running Google Ads but wondering if someone can do it better, this post is for you.

Doing Google Ads by yourself

So, this is how it typically goes in the small businesses I end up working with:

The DIY phase 🔨🧰

You decide to give Google Ads a go and learn to create campaigns by yourself. It’s quickly becoming painful. The “Smart” mode offers too little customization. The “Expert” interface is confusing and clunky. You don’t have the time to deep dive, so the work keeps getting delayed.

You do not have a dedicated marketing manager and you don’t want to delegate Google Ads to your team. They are in the same boat as you – busy with their work projects with little to no time to learn.

The What am I doing phase 😕

So you continue running Google Ads campaigns but they are… meh. You don’t get quality leads (or not many) and you don’t understand if the ads are actually helpful or just eating through your budget.

Time to read up on best practices and browse how-to guides! You tweak campaigns and try new options Google is throwing at you, still feeling like you’re just stumbling in the dark, occasionally in the right direction. Maybe.

Is it even worth it? phase ❓❗

You begin questioning your decision to run Google Ads at all! The payout is too little for what you put in. You know the ads could be improved, but you’re also wondering if there is a better way to spend your ad budget or test Google Ads differently. Have you spent all these ad dollars for nothing?

Do you recognize yourself in any of the above? If so, you could use some external Google Ads help! If only to help you decide whether to stick with it or try another way.

Mistakes may cost you

If you’re in it for the long haul, just spending your budget with zero results is the least of your worries. The worst thing that can happen is a lifetime ban from Google. Yes, a ban that would prevent you from advertising on Google Ads forever. A steep penalty for misusing Google Ads and breaking Google advertising policies.

There are plenty of businesses that are legal but not allowed to advertise on Google Ads. There are also restricted industries that may advertise with lots of limitations. If your business is in the latter, you have to be extra careful in following the rules.

Remember, if something goes wrong, account suspensions are for life. So once you’ve decided to hire a Google Ads consultant, you should do it sooner rather than later. To get the most value out of your ads, to save money, and yes, to avoid mistakes before it’s too late.

Hiring a Google Ads expert

Hiring a consultant for any project comes down to what your needs, budget, and risk tolerance levels are. Google Ads specialists are no different. It’s helpful to ask yourself the following questions before beginning your search:

What do you need?

No, really, who/what is it that you’re after?

• A deep-dive to evaluate your campaign and tell you how to change it for the better? ➡️ A campaign audit.
• Improvements to your landing page? ➡️ A copywriter with knowledge of Google Ads.
• A person to plan, create and manage Google Ads campaigns for you? ➡️ Turnkey, ongoing campaign management.
• A little bit of all of the above as a one-time project? ➡️ A Google Ads consulting package.

Answering this question will not only narrow your search but will help you explain your needs to the consultant you are interviewing.

How much are you willing to spend?

Money is a big subject, and your ad spend is not the only thing to consider here. Depending on how you answered the question above, your budget for a Google Ads consultant may vary.

Google Ads specialists structure their fees in many different ways. Ad budget is almost always separate from the consulting/managing fee. I’ve seen consultants charge a percentage of ad spend as their fee, but the most common is charging per project or hourly.

If you’re hiring a Google Ads manager on an ongoing basis, the fee will most likely be monthly, not counting your ad spend. Consider also that if your budget increases drastically, so may the management fee.

What will it take for you to trust someone you consider hiring?

No matter how you come across at someone who fits the bill of your project requirements, you won’t know if they are a good fit before you hire them. At some point, you will have to take a leap of faith. So what will it take to convince you?

Would it be a referral from a trusted member of your professional (or even personal) network? Glowing Google Reviews for an agency? Their extensive online presence and thought leadership on the subject of Google Ads and digital advertising?

You will most likely use a bit of all of the above plus interviewing the potential partner to see if there is a fit between what you’re after and what they can offer. You may end up talking to several people before hiring someone – and that’s fine!

Key things to look for

Okay, but where do you look for someone *good*? Simply Googling for a Google Ads specialist in your area is a good starting point to get a feel for who’s available. However, you will need to narrow down your search and narrow it down considerably.

The following points are important to keep in mind:

• You want to find someone who runs ads for your industry and knows your target market or niche. It’s key to minimizing the ad budget drain.
• If you cannot find an industry match for your specific niche, look for experience with specific types of campaigns that need running. Think Google Shopping vs YouTube ad campaigns.
• No matter what we marketers would like you to think, no one marketer can run all types of ad campaigns equally well for all industries. Talented generalists are rare! We all have our strong sides and tend to work best with industries we specialize in.
• Finally, a good ad specialist will turn you down if they can’t help or aren’t confident in delivering the best results for you. That’s good news! They care about their reputation and your wallet.

I love referring leads to trusted peers. It builds client confidence up even if we end up not working together. They know I respect them enough to be direct and honest, and they, in turn, get to work with someone who is a better fit. A win-win for all involved!

A step-by-step guide to hiring a consultant

While the process I’m about to describe is far from the only one, this is what my clients have shared has worked best for them:

1. Outline your goals, requirements, timelines and budget for the project as we discussed above.
2. Turn to your closest professional network – peers whose judgement and opinion you trust. Ask if they know or have worked with a Google Ads specialist in the past who may be a fit for your project.
3. Your goal is to connect with someone who works with Google Ads projects in any capacity. They will be your way into the community of online ad specialists.
4. During the initial conversation with them, ask about their past projects and experience. Talk in detail about your project to help them assess their suitability for it.
5. If they are not a good fit, ask the lead to be referred to someone they think may help. That’s the key step in continuing your search fruitfully!
6. Go on until you find someone! While it may sound like you can be stuck in this loop for a while, you may be surprised as to how fast you start talking to qualified people. The wonders of the internet ✨

Platforms like Upwork can be extremely valuable to your business and save you tons of time. If you are looking for people to execute on specific tasks like creating graphics, surveys, even writing copy, Upwork could be a good place to look. I know several very, very good people who’ve had a lot of luck both hiring and getting hired there.

However, some jobs shouldn’t be outsourced to Upwork contractors. Big consulting projects on sensitive and complex business processes like Google Ads are, in my opinion, one of them. Just like DIYing, the cost of a bad hire could end up being potentially much, much higher than simply not getting good results.

Working with an external ad specialist

Finding someone PERFECT for your project is hard, just like any other hiring decision. How do you know someone is perfect for the job? Sadly, you can’t know 100% in advance: you need to start working with them to find out.

Here’s what I would suggest you and your hire both do to ensure you get the most out of the collaboration, short- or long-term.

Put appropriate safeguards in place

Signing a contract or a scope of work is a must! The document should include a termination clause in case your or their business circumstances change. It should outline the goals and the appropriate KPIs for the project and contain the next steps for when they are or aren’t met.

Overcommunicate

No such thing as overcommunication before the project starts! Please tell your new hire everything about what you expect, want and need out of the Google Ad campaign(s) they will be running. They, in turn, will inform you of what’s achievable and how. This will be instrumental in them designing the campaign in the most optimal way as well.

Allow expectations to be set

Allow them to set expectations for how the work will be carried out, including the frequency of updates, reports, and check-ins with you. This is the perfect time to outline your preferences as well.

It goes without saying, but once you agree on a work process, respect the boundaries established.

If you’ve got questions about the Google Ads platform itself, feel free to ask questions, within the limits of what you both agreed to. (Google Ads coaching is usually a service billed separately 😉)

Now that you’ve hired them…

Trust them to do the work! 💪

The post Is it time to hire a Google Ads specialist? appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

The main attraction of Google Ads is access to people who are already searching for what you offer. The post you’re about to read is a guide to business owners ready to advertise with Google but unsure where to start.

This is a guide for business owners ready to advertise with Google but unsure where to start.

One thing first: if you can, go with a professional to do your Google Ads. Why? Too many things can go wrong. The mistakes will follow you for life (not kidding)! However, if you are willing to accept those risks, by all means DIY.

Stop! Is your business related to examples below?

According to Google Ads Policies concerning dangerous products, the businesses selling, promoting, offering free of charge, or otherwise associating with the products below, are not allowed to run Google Ads. The shortlist includes:

• Tobacco
• Vaping products
• Recreational drugs
• Weapons, explosives, guns (except gun safety parts)
• Counterfeit goods
• and more. Please check the full list.

Unfortunately, a lot of legitimate products and services that for all intents and purposes do not fall into the categories above, are also prohibited. The most notable example of that is CBD oil.

Please understand that if your product or service is not allowed, there is nothing you can do. No matter how backward you think Google policies are, it’s up to Google to decide what goes on the restricted list.

Do not run ads if your product is on the list. You are risking a lifetime Google ban by doing so!

Restricted products?

There is also a list of restricted products and services that may be advertised on Google, but with limitations. These include:

• Adult content
• Alcohol
• Gambling
• Healthcare and medicine
• Copyrighted content
• Political content
• Financial services including investment and cryptocurrency

If your business sector aligns with one of the categories above, I highly recommend you to hire an experienced Google Ads specialist to manage your campaigns.

If your business is in the clear, let’s dive right in!

Google Ads: Basic Setup

Create a Google Ads account

Creating a Google Ads account is really easy, so I won’t bore you with a step-by-step process. All you need to do is to visit ads.google.com and follow the instructions.

Important here is to check if you actually already have a Google Ads account. If you do, creating a duplicate could jeopardize both of them as only one account is allowed as per Google Terms of Service.

To check, go to ads.google.com, click “Sign in” and choose your main Google account from the list (if you have multiple). You will be redirected to the account setup page if you don’t have Google Ads set up. You will see a Google Ads dashboard if you already do.

I recommend checking each Google account you may have. We are trying hard to play by Google’s rules here!

Once your account is created or you’ve logged in, be sure to fill out your business information (possible tax credits at tax time!) and enter your credit card details. Wait a little bit for your new account to be automatically verified and you’re good to go!

What about Google Ads “extensions”?

Ad extensions are handy bits of additional information that can be shown together with your ad, free. They don’t count against the precious real estate of your ads’ headlines or descriptions and as such are really valuable. Google loves them as well because users click on extensions often (clicks = $$ for Google).

Extensions can be set up to be reusable from campaign to campaign. You can always go back to edit them if needed. For each new account I manage, I like initiating a new campaign right away, but not to run it – I just want to get to the extension setup part!

When it comes to extensions, you have a choice of adding them at the ad group, campaign, or account level:

• Extensions added at the ad group level will only be applied to the ad group and nowhere else.
• Campaign-level extensions will be applied to all ads, both existing and future, within a specific campaign.
• Account-level extensions, you guessed it, apply to the entirety of your account. I like these the most because these are the ones you set and forget.

At the account level, I recommend including only the extensions that deal with your general business information that doesn’t change very often. Examples include your location, phone number, website links etc.

Common types of extensions

The most common extensions that you’re likely to need are as follows:

• Callout extensions – short and specific descriptions of business or products, like “Free returns” and “24/7 Customer Support”.
• Sitelink extensions – links to specific sections of your website, like Services or Contact Us.
• Call extensions – your phone number so people can call you directly from the ad.
• Location extensions – your business location where people should visit.
• Structured snippet extensions – a list of values with a Google-defined header, such as Amenities, Service Catalog, Styles, Types, and more.

Less common but possibly useful depending on your business offering:

• Price extensions display pricing for your products right in the ad.
• App extensions prompt users to download your app.
• Lead form extensions collect lead information from prospects. An active link to your Privacy Policy is required.

Please note that message extensions have been discontinued as of January 2020 and it is no longer possible to create them.

Campaign structure: The difference between Campaigns, Ad Groups, and Ads

Wait, wait. I keep mentioning “ad groups” this and “ad level” that. What does it mean?

A lot of Google Ads newbies struggle with understanding the ad campaign structure, and I totally get that.

The difference is worth discussing in detail because most online ad platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) follow a similar framework. So let’s take a look at Campaign, Ad Group, and Ad in Google Ads.

At the campaign level, you define its budget, duration, geographic boundaries, targeted languages, placements, and more. Think of it as a big box that holds all the needed parts for your campaign to run.

At the ad group level, you select keywords and key phrases to target specific Google searches. Each ad group will hold one or more ads – actual little adverts that appear to your prospective customers.

Finally, at the ad level, you design each advert individually. This is where you write headlines and descriptions, include the link to the landing page, and get creative while adhering to Google’s editorial rules.

The BEST way to structure your Google Ads campaign

Here’s my best advice regarding structuring your campaign. Following the proposed way will keep your campaigns organized and easy to edit. You will edit your campaign a lot as it runs, so it’s key to keep things tidy!

One product/service offering = 1 campaign

Let’s say you run an artisanal candle-making business. Don’t lump your handmade candles with online candle-making workshops. The audiences looking for each are different, so you will need to tailor your approach, keywords, and wording differently as well. Run separate campaigns for each distinct product or service you have.

One topic of keywords per ad group

Each ad group within the campaign will target slightly different groups within your target audience. Sticking with the candle-making example, you may want to target people looking to purchase handmade gifts within your shipping area and also target searches specifically mentioning handmade candles, perhaps even different types of such (soy, hand-decorated, hand poured, vegan etc).

Separating the above into different ad groups will make keyword research and management much easier. It will also ensure that you laser-target the wording of each ad to reflect precisely what the target audience is searching for. Therefore…

Minimum two ad groups per campaign

I’ll bet $10 that your product or service is multi-faceted and the way it’s described has nuance too. So, the way you word your ads will have lots of variation! You will want to have at least two ad groups to account for different ways your customers talk and think about your product. Perhaps even three or four!

At least three ad variations per ad group

It’s a pain in the butt to come up with multiple ads for the same topic. But, you need room for experiment. The only way to know which ad would resonate with your customers the most and thus perform the best is to create several versions of it and run them all.

Put in the time to create at least two expanded text ads plus one responsive search ad per ad group. This means three ads per ad group. So if you have two ad groups, six ad variations in total.

Tip: When I optimize my clients’ campaigns, that’s the bare minimum I always start with. Later on, I add more variations of expanded text ads and play with responsive search ad headlines and descriptions.

If this looks like a lot of work to set up, well yes, it is. But you need only to do the heavy lifting once per campaign! Plus, it gets easier with practice. I promise.

Your first Google Ads Campaign 👶

Enough theory! Here is some concrete and practical advice on how you can go about creating your first Google Ad campaign.

First, I have to state the obvious: every business is different, so every ad campaign will be too. Your mileage will vary. What’s described below are the best practices that I apply when setting up campaigns for small businesses like yours.

Campaign-level settings

Based on your campaign goal, you will be presented with several choices. Make the choice carefully as Google will use this to optimize your campaign delivery. Some settings you can manage later; some are baked in.

Hover on any of them to see more information that could help you choose.

Let’s say we are going with Website traffic. The second step is to decide where potential visitors to your website will see your ads. Here, quite a few options are available as well:

I recommend selecting Search. You will have the ability to add Display to your campaign also, so that your text ads will appear on other websites partnered with Google, not just the search results page.

Pay attention now!

Don’t neglect to click the Show more settings link. This is where you will be defining campaign start and end dates. Leave these be and Google will start running your campaign immediately and do so indefinitely. You don’t want that! It’s important to control your spending, especially on your first campaign.

Define the geographical boundaries of where your ads will be shown. Here, it is so dependent on your business type and what you offer that it’s almost impossible to give general advice. Do what makes sense for your goals.

For example, if you are a local brick-and-mortar, certainly go with your city/town or even neighbourhood (you can use postal codes as targeting!). If you are an online service that hypothetically could serve clients worldwide, choose the countries/markets you’re most interested in.

When it comes to a recommended daily budget for Google Ads, it’s even more difficult to give concrete advice without knowing your business specifics. It’s fine to go low to test the waters. But, if you are in a very competitive market, you may see very minimal results that won’t give you a clear path towards optimizing your ads to actually generate business.

If you are still looking for a figure:

The absolute minimum I can recommend for test runs is $10-15 per day for small businesses and to run ads for at least three weeks (two at the very, very minimum). This means that you must be ready to commit at least $300 initially and budget $500 monthly. Again, at the very least. You can optimize your campaigns to get the most bang for your buck, but optimization is only possible with realtime data. No one gets it right right off the bat.

Ad group-level settings

Moving on to the most import part of your campaign – keywords. Remember, you are adding at least two keyword groups, each containing closely related keywords.

Keep each list between 10 and 25 keywords. Any less, and you are likely forgetting something. Any more – you are casting your net too wide.

If you’re stuck for ideas, use the keyword suggestion tool on the right. Simply click a plus sign to add.

Ad-level settings

Now it’s time for you to create the little adverts that will bring in new business!

Each ad contains the following necessary elements:

• Final URL of your landing page
• Three (3) headlines, each up to 30 characters long
• Two (2) descriptions, each up to 90 characters long

These character limits are quite restrictive, so you will need to get creative. Be precise and descriptive. Avoid being sensationalist, using ALL CAPS or exclamation marks! There are times to be clever or cute in your ad copy, but in general, I’d recommend sticking to a neutral, business-casual tone.

As you can see, Google recommends the same minimum number of ads as I do – two text ads and one responsive search ad. Take the time to create them for each ad group you have. It will give you lots to work with as your ad campaign progresses.

Google Ads FAQ

How often should I check on my campaigns?

I log in to check up on my clients’ campaigns every two to three days. But! This is only in the beginning when I need to monitor the search terms for my clients’ campaigns very closely. All this is to ensure they aren’t paying for clicks on search terms that make no sense.

Irrelevant, nonsensical and unrelated terms go into the Negative Keywords list (select irrelevant keywords, click Add as Negative Keyword, add to Campaign-level) which are terms for which your ads won’t show.

In terms of making big, important changes to the campaigns, like tweaking ad copy, adding more ad variations or disabling under-performing ones, you need to be patient and give your campaign at least two weeks (the bare minimum) and better up to 4 weeks to see any patterns.

Don’t leave your campaign running unattended for more than a month at a time. I bet you are too budget-aware for that, but I still need to remind people.

Should I use automated Recommendations?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is still yes but you should review them carefully. For example, if you can’t (or won’t) set up conversion tracking, you will need to ignore the persistent recommendation to do so.

Another common recommendation that doesn’t make any sense to apply is the keywords Google thinks could work for your campaign, but are too generic or simply irrelevant for you.

The main point is: always review everything before applying!

Are my Google Ads effective?

Ah, the question for the ages: how do I know that’s I’m getting my money’s worth with Google Ads? How do I know that my campaigns are working?

It’s also an entirely reasonable one to ask!

The vast majority of Google Ads blog posts on the internet all start with the same advice: set goals and define what success looks like. That’s good, but not very helpful. You’re a business. You need to sell. Google Ads needs to help you sell, preferably at the lowest cost possible. If they are helping, then it works.

Google Ads need to help you sell. If they are helping, then it works.

It doesn’t always mean that a Google Ads click equals a sale. Let’s look at examples.

Scenario 1. Google Ads generates you leads

Let’s say Google Ads clicks bring you contact form submissions or phone calls from potential customers, each of whom is really high value. Each customer who converts brings in significant revenue. This means that each click may have a significant cost in absolute terms (let’s say $20 per click) but be a drop in the bucket if the lead becomes a $50,000 contract.

Are you receiving high-quality leads from Google Ads? Does a percentage of them convert into paying customers? Then your Google Ads are working. You may do optimization work to bring the costs down and make your ads even more effective, sure, but they are not a waste already.

Scenario 2. Google Ads generates you traffic

Perhaps you use Google Ads to boost your website traffic that converts to sales at volume (e-commerce is a great example). Each individual click has low individual value, but brings enough awareness to increase overall sales.

If you achieve a low click cost that allows you to generate enough traffic for your budget to boost sales, then your Google Ads are working.

Further optimization may come from exploring different campaign placements, checking out Shopping Ads and more.

Scenario 3. Google Ads generates brand awareness via retargeting

An ethically questionable, but entirely plausible scenario. If you use Google Ads to generate visits to your website, you have the ability to retarget your website’s recent audience later (with appropriate tracking codes in place).

Seeing your ad for the second or the third time has the potential to build more powerful brand recognition, so customers will be more likely to remember you at the time of purchase. Do your returning visitors convert better than new visitors? Then your Google Ads are working.

Ready, steady, go!

I hope all of the above has been useful to you when building your Google Ads campaigns. The platform is complex, no doubt, and is outright scary for a newbie. Good on you for trying it out yourself!

Of course, if you ever feel stuck, you know how to find me 😉.

The post Small Business Owner’s Guide to Google Ads: The 2020 Edition appeared first on SMM Headquarters.

Google Plus wasn’t perfect — it was different and so unlike any other social network, perfect in its strangeness and incompleteness. It was visually stunning with its emphasis on beautiful photos and vertical graphics. The best part was that Google+ had a hardcore, truly dedicated network of real people using it. Not enough, by Google’s own admission. So this is the end.

Will Google Plus be missed? By some, surely. However, with so many other social feeds to take care of, digital marketers are unlikely to notice the difference. Visiting the old G+ profiles of my clients prior to the shutdown was definitely a trip down memory lane.

A client’s Google Plus profile

Goodbye, Google+!

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