From its search engine algorithms to its pay-per-click advertising, Google is always adjusting its strategy to deliver to its users what they want more effectively. As a savvy marketer, it’s useful for you to follow suit.
Google’s August 2024 update was focused on showing web users more useful content and less designed simply to please bots. Low-quality, spammy and AI-generated content was set for a drop in visibility. At the same time, Google’s values of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) became a key component of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines. In 2024, Google also had changes in store for Google Ads (formerly AdWords), its immensely popular pay-per-click (PPC) platform. Google’s latest PPC upgrades use the power of new tools (including AI) to reach new audiences and generate faster results.
In light of these changes, is now the perfect time to re-assess your Google Ads marketing strategy?
As a creative marketing agency responsible for many successful pay-per-click campaigns, Anchor Digital knows Google Ads. If you’re wondering whether it’s time to revamp your Google Ads marketing strategy, this article will help you find the answer.
Are Google Ads Effective?
If you’ve never used Google Ads as part of your own campaign, you may be wondering: Is it effective? Will it increase conversions and sales?
Google Ads is Google’s very own pay-per-click platform. While search engine optimisation (SEO) focuses on drawing organic traffic to your website, PPC can take you to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) for a fee. You decide how much you’re willing to pay for each click on your ad, a figure known as your “bid”. The higher your bid, the more likely you are to score a higher spot in the search results, but it’s not just about the bid. Google Ads’ other factors include the relevance of your ad to the searcher’s keywords and the quality of your landing page.
When it’s done right, pay-per-click doubles every dollar you spend on your campaign, and Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform in the world. The benefits of Google Ads are widely known in the digital marketing industry. No matter the size of your organisation, it’s capable of sending exceptionally targeted leads to your website. It offers a high return on investment, and the results are fast and easily measurable.
What Is Google Changing?
Here are some of the latest changes Google has made to their Ads strategy and how they will affect your marketing:
Top-of-page placement for shopping ads
In a major win for e-commerce sites, shopping-related ads are now displayed at the top of the page in search results. This has driven more traffic directly to online stores, but it’s important to ensure that your product titles, descriptions, and pictures are accurate and intriguing.
New creative features from Generative AI
Google has been making the most of AI’s potential, and in 2024, the company added new AI features to its toolbox. These include text-to-image prompts, 3D shopping ad formats, and image generators.
Performance Max
In July 2024, Google allowed web users to upgrade their Dynamic Search Ads and Google Display Ads to Performance Max. This upgrade unlocked new tools to enhance user targeting and improve campaign performance.
A new design
Starting in August 2024, Google Ads slowly rolled out a new design to all marketers. This new design replaced the old one completely although Google continued to support existing tools and features. This new development included a main menu on the left of the screen with pages organised into five categories: campaigns, goals, tools, billing and admin.
How Will This Change Affect Your Strategy?
If you’re a marketing manager responsible for Google Ads, being aware of these changes will keep you on top of new developments. The same is true for all Google updates. Along with Google’s 2024 core update, these changes mean it’s more important than ever to focus on content that provides users the answers they want. While factors like your bid strategy for Google Ads remain important, you also need to make sure your results are helpful and informative for users and have the benefit of authority and expertise.
How Often Should You Reconsider Your Strategy?
It’s worth conducting a comprehensive review of your Google Ads strategy every one to three months to analyse your performance and accommodate new developments. This involves examining your Google Ads keyword strategy and factors like your click-through rate (CTR) and audience targeting. You should also re-examine your strategy after making any major changes to your site or if you notice a significant drop in performance.
Tips for Developing an Effective Strategy
Here are some of the best ways to develop an effective Google Ads marketing strategy in 2024 and for all time:
Use a variety of Google marketing campaigns
With a mix of different ad types (Google display ads, YouTube video ads, dynamic and responsive search ads, etc.), you can reach a higher number of users on whichever platforms they’re on.
Target exact keywords
Google’s rankings are based heavily on relevancy. So using exact and phrase match keywords is more often than not the winning strategy. Specific keywords and a well-optimised site are a winning combination for conversions.
Improve your Google Ads Quality Score
Google’s Quality Score is the search engine’s rating of both the quality and relevance of your site. You can improve your quality score by adding relevant keyword research to your campaigns, optimising your ad page and refining your landing text, among other measures.
Choose the right bidding strategies
Your bid strategy for Google Ads has a high impact on your performance. The bid strategy you choose depends on your goals. For example, if you want customers to take direct action on your site, Smart Bidding is the best approach. Cost-per-click (CPC) bidding is a powerful strategy for generating traffic.
Contact Anchor Digital Marketing for Effective Google Ad Strategies
Don’t have time to conduct keyword research and figure out how much you should be bidding? Anchor Digital can work with you on a PPC marketing strategy that gets you to the top of Google while leaving you time to run your business. Working alongside you to represent your brand identity, our Google Ads services provide tried and tested strategies for success while leaving ultimate control in your hands. You can set your own budget and target the right demographics. We’ll then present you with regular reports on how your campaign is performing.
That’s not all we can help with. Combining creative flair with technical know-how, Anchor can help your business grow and convert with a range of creative services. These include brand strategy, creative strategy, brand identity and communication, content marketing and web design and development. We have some of the leading creative talent in the country to bring your vision to life. So, even if you don’t know where to start, we can offer our suggestions.
If you’re ready for a Google Ads marketing strategy that suits your brand perfectly, contact Anchor Digital.
