What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is the paid section of a Google search that appears either at the top or bottom of the organic search results. The ads are always marked as ads in a search and this means that these companies have paid Google to appear in searches on that particular keyword. However, the actual payment to Google only occurs when someone clicks on an ad: pay per click (PPC).
Another variation of Google Ads is Google Display Ads. These ads allow you to promote your event in the form of banners on other websites.
Depending on the type of budget you have and how you want your ads to look, you can build your campaign with different types of ads.
Benefits of using Google Ads to promote events
There are several benefits to using Google Ads to promote events.
- Pricing
- Relevance
- Data & Statistics.
First, Google uses a pricing model, which means you only pay for your ad if someone clicks on it. So you only pay when someone who actually has an interest in your event engages in your ad and what you offer.
Because Google Ads is a paid section, these ads can ensure that you end up at the very top of Google searches. For example, if you are going to hold a large seminar in economics and accounting in the Stockholm area, you can use Google Ads to end up at the top of the search results when someone searches for “accounting Stockholm”.
From your Google ads, you will also have access to a large amount of data and statistics that allow you to get to know your target audience much better and, for example, see what they are searching for on Google.
To advertise an event with Google Ads
Below we give four tips on things to keep in mind when creating advertising for your event via the Google platform.
1. The right keywords and audience
To begin with, you need to make sure that you manually add the keywords you want to appear on. Randomly giving Google a budget per day that they can spend freely is not preferable.
The best way is to start with a small budget and your most relevant keywords and then test yourself to see which keywords provide the best CPA. It is very important that you link the goals in Google Analytics with the Google Ads account, otherwise you will not be able to see which keywords are actually converting.
Also set which geographical area you want ads to appear in. Maybe you only want participants from Sweden, the EU, or the United States. This can be easily set up in Google Ads.
2. Create unique ads for different keywords
By creating unique ads for different keywords, you ensure that the advertising becomes more relevant to your customers. A unique ad generally converts better than if you use generic advertising for all your keywords.
3. N-gram analysis
If you spend large sums on Google Ads, it is worth performing N-gram analyzes. An N-gram analysis gives you detailed information about the value of various specific words used in searches.
An example: let’s say an accounting firm wants to appear on keywords around “accountant”. An N-gram analysis can then show that when the keyword “accountant” is used together with “job”, the cost per conversion is super high (probably because the people applying are not looking for an auditing firm, but instead are accountants looking for a job).
Based on the N-gram analysis, we can then conclude that the word “job” should be added as a negative keyword, in order to exclude those searches.
4. Landing pages built for conversion
In order for you to succeed all the way with your ads, you need to make sure that those who have clicked on your ad will also convert to sign up for your event. You do this by building landing pages that are optimized to drive conversions.
- Some tips for building a landing page that converts:
- Get to know your target audience in depth to be able to design copy that appeals to them
- Optimize your call-to-actions
- Use quotes and reviews from previous participants; social proof is important
- Set up tracking and goals in Google Analytics
- Test. If you get a lot of visitors from your ads, it may also be worthwhile to A / B test your landing pages to see which version converts best.
Common things to A / B test are call to actions, pictures and copy. Unbounce is a great tool for building landing pages. In Unbounce, you can also create A / B tests directly.
This article was written in collaboration with: Viseo
