Create & Run a Search Ad
Set up a Basic Search Network Ad with Google AdWords.
- Log in to Google Adwords (adwords.google.com)
- Create a new campaign with the +Campaign button
- Select your Ad Type. There are a LOT of things you can do with Adwords. So much that it would be impossible to cover in one article.
- Display Network Ads show up on partner websites and are image based.
- Search Network Ads are simple, text-based ads. These are what show up in search results when you search for something on Google.
- Video Ads are the ads that show up before a YouTube video starts, or show up in the middle of a YouTube video.
For the purposes of this article, we'll create a basic Search Network Only ad.
- Configure your campaign settings.
For Basic Settings, select Standard.
For Network Settings, check the boxes for Google Search Network.
For Location Settings, pick the "Let me choose..." function to target your specific market.
For Bid Settings, choose how much to spend. You can always –and will probably have to– adjust these amounts later.
In Ad Extensions, leave these blank for this basic setup.
- Next, you'll add the target keywords for the campaign. As you add keywords into the "Keywords" field, Google will suggest other possible keywords. You can always add and remove keywords later.
- Creating Search Network ads is easy. Just set your final URL (typically a landing page of some kind), write a headline and some description text, and click "Create Ad."
You can create multiple ads and headline variations that target the same keywords selected in the previous step. This allows you to split test ads and find the what performs best.
- After creating the ads, click Save and Finish. The campaign will go "under review" with Google and then go live.
Adjusting Bids
Often, you will need to adjust your keyword bid as your campaign moves along. You may be getting outbid and your ads are not appearing. To see these details, select a campaign from the list of campaigns on the left in Google Adwords, then select then "Keywords" tab.
Scroll down and you'll see the list of keywords your campaign is targeting. Here, you'll be able to set your max CPC (cost per click). Some keywords are more competitive than others and you may have to raise your bid significantly for your ad to be served.
It is common knowledge that most people don't look past the first page of search of results on Google. So if your ad is not landing on the first page, it's likely not getting seen at all. If your Max CPC bid is below the first page bid, Google will tell you:
You now have a decision to make. You can either bid $3.60 per click or more, or you can find another keyword to target.
What you're willing to pay comes down to a variety of factors. You might be will to pay $5 per click, and $20 per opt-in, if the leads are converting to a sale.
Conversely, if clicks and leads are NOT converting, Spending $1 a click might be too high.
The setup and tracking process is basically the same even if you get more sophisticated with targeting or use different ad types:
Set Up Campaign > Create Ads > Adjust Bids / Track Results
You'll want to keep an eye on your Adwords account to see how much your spending and how many clicks you're getting. And you'll want to watch your LeadSite backend to make sure your you're capturing those leads.