Ultimate AdWords Campaign Optimisation Guide

Google Adwords campaign optimisation is essential if you want to approach the right people at the right time to produce a solid ROI.

Marketing campaign optimisation doesn’t have to be complicated, as Google has done most of the work for you. Through optimisation, you can make a more significant return, earn more money, and cut down on time and costs it takes to manage your advertisements.

When looking into adwords campaign optimisation, you’ll have to take a lot of different things into account, such as:

  • The Google Ads account structure
  • The advertisement settings themselves
  • Your current bid optimisation
  • The texts in your advertisements
  • The display URL of your ad

In this article, you’ll find out everything there is to know about Google Ad campaigns, your AdWords campaign optimisation options, and the best practices.

Optimising Google Ads Account Structure

Before we go into any ad campaign optimisation, we’ll need to cover some starting ground on advertisements. Every advertisement has a unique structure that consists of numerous different things, such as the campaign itself, the advertisement groups, the unique advertisements themselves, and, last but not least, the keywords that define the ad.

Following the sequence, as mentioned earlier, ensures that your advertisement is ordered in the best way possible. Why? Well, following this sequence is highly beneficial for many reasons.

First and foremost, this sequence ensures that the campaign’s management will be as easy as possible, as everything is organised. It will help the advertiser identify which groups are relevant and which ones are working. Please note that structuring the ad account won't automatically ensure that all ads and ad groups are relevant - the advertiser still has to pick them manually.

Relevancy is vital for advertisements, and following this order will ensure that the advertisements will perform well.

Google ad account structure

The structure of your advertisement, for the most part, dictates the visibility and performance of your ad. By demonstrating a proper ad structure, you can show your ads to the people that want to see them, where and when they want to see them.

To put this into perspective, ads for campaign one will only appear to those people who are interested in products featured in that specific campaign (ie. honey). People who search keywords that are in campaign two (ie. sports shoes) will not see the ads from campaign one. All this will ensure that your ads are shown to the right target audience.

Furthermore, this means that your advertisements are always targeted to the correct demographic, maximising conversions.

But, structure alone won’t get you very far. Sure, it’s highly beneficial, but if you ignore other things, such as bidding, keywords, and targeting – you aren’t likely going to see a significant ROI. However, structuring your advertisements is a fantastic bedrock on which you can build the rest of your ad.

Optimising Ad Settings to for Lower Ad Costs

Another essential aspect of any advertisement is the cost.

One of the most important things you should do if you want to save money while making it with these ads is to use an intricate keywords strategy. You can do this in a selection of ways, but the most important ones are:

Using Google’s keyword planner

google keyword planner

A keyword planner is a nifty tool that you can use to your advantage as long as you use it correctly. There are many keyword research tools you can use for your AdWords optimisation, but the Google Keyword Planner is one of the best.

Using tools will allow you to research new keywords, including long-tail keywords, which will ultimately add to your advertisement’s visibility. Some of the most popular research tools are:

  • Google Trends
  • WordTracker
  • Google Keyword Planner
  • SeoProfiler
  • Google Analytics
  • SEMrush
  • WordStream

Optimise your negative keywords list

Some keywords might add to your overall advertisement performance, but negative keywords can subtract from it. You should regularly monitor your negative keyword list and include anything that might hurt your performance. Irrelevant clicks, bad prospects, and wrong keywords will, without a doubt, mess up the targeting, resulting in less ROI.

Now, finding negative keywords can be a nightmare if you don’t know where to look. A good way to find negative keywords is through Google Ads themselves. Navigate towards the keywords section of your Google Ads account and see the performance.

If a keyword is hurting your campaign, make sure to add it to negative keywords. The best tools for this are already built into the platform – but some decent alternative options are the same as the research tools.

Filtering out negative keywords will make your advertisement relevant again, as it’s one of the most important campaign optimisation techniques.

If you want to learn more about negative keywords, check out our ultimate negative keyword guide here.

Use the search terms to their full ability

Like most good platforms, Google has already done most of the hard work for you. With a tool such as the Search Terms that you can find on your google ads account, you can regularly update your keyword lists, ensuring that your content is always relevant to the search query.

You can locate the search terms by going to your Adwords account, selecting all campaigns, and click the keywords section. Once you do so, a drop-down menu will appear, which includes search terms.

google ads search terms

That will allow you to root out the keywords that aren’t performing well and optimise the campaign budget.

Mind the advanced keyword match types

google ads keyword match types

Experimentation is key, especially if you want to save some money.

Every advertisement campaign is unique, so finding what works best for your case is the most important metric of them all. A good way to start is by experimenting with advanced keyword match types, giving you total control over the search terms and keywords that trigger your specific advertisement.

To better understand this, we’ll have to get into the keyword match types themselves. There are four main keyword match types, and all of them trigger your ads based on different things.

  • Broad match (triggers your ads based on synonyms, misspellings, close variations)
  • Exact match (triggers your ads based on very close variations or exact search terms)
  • Broad match modifier (triggers your ads based on plus terms that are associated with the keyword) Update: Google has announced that they will be retiring broad match modifier keywords.
  • Phrase match (triggers your ads based on the full long-tail keyword or a very close variation)

Targeting parameters

Targeting the correct parameters is equally as important as saving money on ads. By targeting parameters, you can improve your ads’ performance, cut down on related costs, and make more money as a result. A good way to do this is by optimising your geolocation settings.

With this method, the right things show up to the right people at the right place. It can boost campaign results, as it shows it directly to your target demographic. People in certain areas of the world require specific goods and services, and marketing yours for the right place will ensure a good ROI.

There are five simple steps on how you can target based on your geolocation:

  • Go to your ad campaigns section, which is located at the left of your menu;
  • Find your desired advertisement campaign and select settings;
  • Click on the locations section on the drop-down tab;
  • Enter the name of the country you want to target towards;
  • Save the location

Another essential part of targeting is ad scheduling, which will ensure that the time is right and that your advertisements appear only at the correct time required for you to make a sale.

As a demonstration, advertisement scheduling would be very useful if you’re running a business that gets most of its visitors at a particular time, such as a nightclub. Most people visit night clubs in the evening, and scheduling your advertisements to appear at the prime time people are looking where to go will make your specific advertisement pop up.

To make this easier, here are some simple steps.

  • Find the advertisement scheduling section in your google ads account;
  • Click on the pencil ticker and select the advertisement campaign you’d like to schedule for;
  • Devise intricate timing that will help your advertisement and input them into the GUI;
  • Save the scheduling

Both of these are very simple, as Google has already done the bulk of the hard work you need for your advertisement and website optimisation campaign.

Optimising Bid Strategy

Optimising your bid strategy will help you save time and money by automating numerous aspects of your bidding, thus improving ad performance.

Here are some pointers based on goals you might have to help you establish a smart bidding strategy.

Goal 1: Increase site visits

Bidding Strategy: Maximize Clicks

Why: Maximising clicks on your advertisement isn’t only a fantastic way to improve website visits – it’s a great way to appeal to potential prospects. More clicks, more website visits, more ROI – it’s as simple as that.

Goal 2: Increase visibility

Bidding Strategy: Impression Share Targeting

Why: This tactic automatically sets bids on your ad, ensuring that the ad appears in the best place possible, such as the most relevant ad or at the top of the page. Placement is crucial when it comes to advertisements, so this is a remarkable smart technique.

Goal 3: Get more conversions with target CPA

Bidding Strategy: tCPA

Why: Targeting your cost per action to minimise costs is a good way to save money, increase profits, and improve conversion rates. This smart bidding strategy automatically sets bids to garner as many conversions as attainable within your CPA or below it.

Goal 4: Meet target ROAS

Bidding Strategy: tROAS

Why: tROAS another automatic smart bidding jig that values different conversions differently. Through tROAS, you can place bids based on a predetermined target return on your ROAS – yielding a higher conversion rate.

Goal 5: Get more conversions while spending budget

Bidding Strategy: Maximise Conversions

Why: Increasing your conversions will ultimately improve your AdWords campaign’s success rate and your overall campaign optimisation score. This is another smart bidding technique that ensures that you’ll get the best results possible by automatically setting bids within your predetermined budget.

Goal 6: Get more conversion value while spending budget

Bidding Strategy: Maximise Conversion Value

Why: Maximising conversion value is a machine-learning AI-assisted smart bidding technique that works to give you the most bang for your buck. This bidding strategy automatically optimises the bids and sets them to get the best conversion value all while staying within budget limits.

Learn more about bidding strategies here.

Optimising Ad Texts

Starting with the ground rules, the most important thing you can do is include a relevant keyword in your advertisement’s headline. Secondly, you’ll have to convey your USP to the best of your ability. Discussing your unique selling proposition is half the job, and if you do it right – you can ensure that the reader will be hooked.

Once you’ve got them where you want them to be, you’ll need to devise an adequate CTA. A good call to action will make users click on your advertisement and lead them to your website or landing page.

Now that we’ve covered the golden rules of advertisements, we’ll get to some textual ideas for campaign optimisation.

Feature-Driven Ads vs. Benefit-Driven Ads

There are two main types of advertisements based on their purpose – feature-driven and benefit-driven.

Feature-driven advertisements highlight the features of your product or service. They’re a fantastic tool if you want to communicate your USP but aren’t ideal if you want to appeal to new prospects.

feature driven ads

Benefit-driven advertisements, on the other hand, are ads that highlight the potential benefits the user could have from using your product. These are better at reaching out to broader demographics but don’t do much to communicate your product or service.

benefit driven ads

Using Active Language in Text Ads

using active language

Using active language is a very niche thing that not that many people are aware of. Using passive language in your text ads is a sure way to make your prospects click off.

Why?

Well, the active language encourages action and paints your USP in the now. It’s snappy, quick, and advertisement friendly – and most importantly, it appeals to a broader demographic.

To help you get a better perspective, let’s present both.

People always love my products and services! ( Active Voice )

or

My products and services have always been loved by people! ( Passive Voice )

Do you see the difference? Not only is active voice shorter, but it will also convey your USP better, allowing you to secure a conversion.

Personalise messaging with Google ads language settings

Proper marketing is all about personalisation. People love it when you appeal to them exactly, and a good way to go about it is to play around with Google’s language targeting. That will allow you to reach your prospects by using their language, automatically making your USP more familiar and desirable.

You can get a good perspective on which languages to target by using the search function. The process itself is relatively simple, but to ensure you get the gist of it, here are some steps to setting different languages for multiple ad campaigns.

  • Go to your google ads account and select campaigns;
  • Navigate towards the selection and pick out one or more of the campaigns;
  • Select the edit tab and edit your language targeting;
  • Pick the desired languages you want to target;
  • Save your selection

It’s that simple. By doing this, you’ll ensure that you appeal to the right people in the right manner.

Optimising Display URLs

Optimising display URLs is by far the most straightforward optimisation tactic on the list. Unlike other tactics that directly affect a selection of metrics, this one is all about finesse.

Display URLs are the webpage addresses that appear alongside your advertisement. Making them appealing will add to your advertisement’s overall aesthetic, thus making it more attractive to your prospects. Y

our PPC advertisements need to be as approachable, inviting, and beautiful as possible, and to top all of your hard work off, you’ll have to edit your Display URL.

It doesn’t even have to match the landing page or website URL – it just has to be in the same domain.

optimising display URLs

It’s a simple and straightforward process, but if you want to make sure you’re doing it like a pro, you’ll have to take care of a couple of things.

The best ways to optimize your Display URL are by:

  • Including a good keyword in your display URL
  • Using an approachable and inviting call to action in your display URL.
  • Making the whole URL digestible and easy to read with camel case and hyphens

Other Ways to Optimise Campaigns

Now that you’ve done the above and want to improve further, there are some alternative methods to optimize your campaigns and put the cherry on top of your PPC ads.

The two most prominent alternative methods to optimising your AdWords campaigns are using countdown timers and advertisement extensions.

Countdown timers

Countdown timers are a fantastic way to optimize your AdWords campaigns by creating a sense of urgency. Advertisements with any form of animation are also far more likely to catch the user’s eye. It’s a fantastic way to improve your CTR.

You can implement a countdown timer in your ads with ease as it’s an already built-in widget. You can insert it into your advertisement by typing out a brace { and selecting the countdown timer option.

The only thing that’s left is to add the date you want to count down to, and you’re done.

optimising ads with countdown timers

Ad extensions

Advertisement extensions are a top-of-the-line option if you want to make your advertisements that much more appealing and exciting. There are more ad extensions than you can imagine, and all of them serve a different role.

Some of the most useful advertisement extensions are:

  • Call extension (it allows you to put your number directly into the ad and is especially useful for mobile users)
  • Sitelink extension (it allows you to take the prospect to a specific place on your webpage)
  • Promotion extension (it allows you to promote specific products or services on your webpage)
  • Callout extension (it allows you to highlight specific things such as free shipping, bonuses, and rewards)

Google ad extensions

Click here to learn about all the Google Ad Extensions available, and how to use them.

In Conclusion

All these options will help you improve your AdWord campaign performance. By optimising and organising your account, you’re making the essential grounds for building your whole ad campaign.

You should ensure that you’re spending as little money as possible while getting the best results. An excellent way to further all of this is by optimising your bid strategy.

Making your advertisements slick, inviting, and approachable by devising intricate texts and USPs will make them more appealing to customers, as will a custom display URL.

Using a countdown timer or advertisement extensions is only going to be the cherry on top.

With all of this out of the way, you’ll need to understand that every advertising campaign is unique. Experimenting with your advertisements, targeting, and messaging is by far the most effective way to find out what works for you and your unique AdWords campaign.

If you still feel like you need help with your adwords campaign optimisation, feel free to reach out to our friendly and experienced Singapore Google Ads consultant. We are also rated by many as the best SEM company in Singapore that has proven records to delivering results!

Shane Yuen
Co-Founder, Managing Director
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