A Geek Guide to Search Ads

The era of browsing through phone books and scanning newspaper ads has given way to a landscape dominated by search engines and digital marketing. If your business isn’t taking advantage of these tools, you’re almost certainly missing out on significant growth potential.

Search Ads on Bing and Google, two of the world’s most significant search engines, offer a powerful means to connect with potential customers right at the moment they’re seeking what you offer. This method, known as Search Engine Marketing (SEM), harnesses the power of keywords and targeted ads to put your business in front of the people who are most likely to become customers.

In essence, Search Ads are the digital equivalent of a high street billboard in a bustling shopping area. Just as this billboard would be strategically placed to catch the eye of passing shoppers, Search Ads are designed to be displayed prominently in search engine results. And not just any results – they’re targeted towards users searching for specific keywords related to your business.

The two major players in this realm are Bing and Google. While Google is often the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of search engines, Bing also commands a significant share of the market, particularly in specific demographics. These platforms offer unparalleled reach and targeting capabilities, making them indispensable tools in your digital marketing arsenal.

GEEK INSIGHT – Google accounts for just over 93% of all searches in the UK, whereas Bing pulls over 3%. That said, the user demographic and audience profile may be more aligned with your niche and, therefore, deliver a higher conversion rate than Google. So even though it has less of the market share, it all depends on your target audience.

(Source – June 2023)

Understanding Search Ads

Welcome to the world of search ads, a place where your business can meet your potential customers at the precise moment they’re searching for what you have to offer. To fully grasp their power, let’s start by defining what search ads are and how they work.

Search ads, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) ads, are online advertisements that appear alongside search engine results when users type in queries related to your keywords. Think of them as your digital sales representatives, ready to introduce your business to potential customers who are actively looking for your products or services.

Now, let’s turn to the unique landscape of Bing and Google. Both platforms offer search advertising capabilities, but each has its unique features. Google, with its vast user base, offers massive exposure and advanced targeting capabilities. It also has an incredibly rich set of tools and analytics to refine your ad campaigns. Bing, on the other hand, while having fewer overall users, reaches a unique demographic that Google may miss. It’s also typically less competitive, meaning your ad budget might stretch further. 

Understanding the nuances of both Bing and Google can give your business a competitive edge. For instance, Bing’s user base is generally older and more affluent, offering a lucrative market for companies in specific sectors. Google, with its more diverse user base, offers broad reach, making it a fantastic platform for businesses aiming for maximum exposure.

GEEK INSIGHT – Those who used Bing were at least 35 years old, most commonly within the 55-64 bracket (Source). 

Don’t be tempted to choose one over the other – each platform has its strengths, and the most successful ad campaigns often leverage both. A balanced, integrated approach to search advertising can boost your visibility, drive more qualified traffic to your site, and ultimately increase conversions.

Advantages of Search Ads for Business Growth

In the vast ocean of digital marketing, search ads are your powerboats. They’re not just about driving traffic – they’re about driving the right traffic. 

Driving Targeted Traffic

One of the most compelling benefits of search ads is their ability to draw targeted traffic to your website. Unlike traditional advertising, where you cast a wide net and hope for the best, search ads allow you to specifically target your desired audience.

How is this possible? It all boils down to keywords. These are the terms and phrases that users input into search engines. By selecting the right keywords for your ads, you can ensure that your business appears to users actively seeking your products or services. Keywords increase the likelihood of attracting interested visitors and significantly enhance the chance of conversions.

Boosting Brand Visibility and Recognition

Search ads can give your brand a significant visibility boost. Even if users don’t click on your ad, simply appearing in the search results can increase brand awareness. Think about it – every time your ad pops up in a search result, it’s like a mini billboard for your business. Over time, this exposure can improve brand recognition, making users more likely to think of your business when they need your products or services.

Potential for High ROI

Search ads operate on a pay-per-click model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This ensures that your marketing budget is used more efficiently, as you pay for potential leads rather than mere impressions. Moreover, the targeted nature of search ads increases the likelihood of conversions, which can result in a higher return on investment (ROI). According to Google, businesses typically make an average of £2 in revenue for every £1.18 (source) spent on Google Ads.

In a nutshell, search ads can empower your business growth by attracting the right audience, boosting brand visibility, and offering a high potential for ROI. In the next section, we’ll examine how you can craft a winning search ad strategy to maximise these benefits.

Crafting a Winning Search Ad Strategy

Creating a successful search ad campaign involves more than just setting up an ad and waiting for the clicks to roll in. It requires careful planning, keen attention to detail, and a deep audience understanding. 

Keyword Research

Keyword research is at the heart of any successful search ad campaign. It’s the process of identifying the terms and phrases your potential customers use to search for products or services like yours. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Bing’s Keyword Planner can provide valuable insights into popular search terms, competition levels, and estimated costs.

GEEK INSIGHT – Using the Google Keyword Planner, we can see that within the Cambridgeshire area, the term “Hairdresser” has a top-of-page bid between 44p and £1.30 per click. But other phrases, such as “Hair salon near me” and “Hairdressers near me”, cost between 37p and £1.39. But the data also shows us that both phrases have seen a yearly increase in searches of 23%. (Data collected 12th July)

The key is to find a balance between broad and specific keywords. Broad keywords may have higher search volumes, but they also have more competition and may not attract the most relevant audience. More specifically, long-tail keywords may have lower search volumes, but they can attract a highly targeted audience and are often less competitive.

Ad Creation

Once you have your keywords, it’s time to create your ads. The most effective search ads include a compelling headline, a clear and relevant description, and a solid call to action. Your ad should communicate your unique selling proposition – what sets you apart from your competitors – and entice users to click through to your website. Remember, you only have a limited number of characters to work with, so every word counts. Be concise, clear, and compelling.

Landing Page Optimisation

A common mistake is to focus all your efforts on your ads and then direct users to a generic page on your website. Your landing page – the page a user arrives on after clicking your ad – is critical to your search ad strategy.

A good landing page is relevant to your ad and keyword, provides clear and valuable information, and guides users towards a desired action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter. Many tools and resources are available to help you create and optimise landing pages, such as Google’s guide to building effective landing pages.

GEEK INSIGHT – Landing page experience is one of three factors contributing to an ads quality score (Landing Page Experience, Ad Relevance and Expected CTR). Quality Score is a diagnostic tool to identify how ads that show for specific keywords affect the user experience.

By focusing on these three key areas – keyword research, ad creation, and landing page optimisation -you can develop a search ad strategy that drives targeted traffic to your website and maximises conversions. 

Navigating Bing and Google Search Ad Platforms

Now that you’ve got a grasp on crafting a winning search ad strategy, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. Both Bing and Google provide user-friendly platforms for setting up and managing your search ad campaigns. Let’s dive into each one and discuss how to make the most of their unique features.

Setting Up Your Bing and Google Ad Accounts

Starting with Bing, you’ll need to create a Microsoft Advertising account. As of 2022, Bing Ads was rebranded to Microsoft Advertising, reflecting the broader scope of their advertising options. This platform allows your ads to reach Bing users and those using other Microsoft-owned platforms, like MSN and Yahoo. According to Microsoft, its search network reaches over 500 million monthly desktop searchers worldwide, highlighting its potential for significant exposure.

Google, on the other hand, requires a Google Ads account. With over 3.5 billion searches made on Google daily, Google Ads offers an unrivalled opportunity to reach a vast audience. However, its popularity also means higher competition, necessitating a stand-out strategic approach.

Creating Your First Search Ad: A Step-by-Step Guide

Both Bing and Google offer straightforward, step-by-step processes for creating search ads. These include selecting your campaign goals (like driving traffic to your website or increasing conversions), defining your target audience, setting your budget, choosing your keywords, and crafting your ad text.

There are many resources available to guide you through this process, such as Bing’s tutorial on creating an ad campaign and Google’s guide to starting your first Google Ads campaign.

Utilising the Unique Features of Both Platforms for Maximum Impact

While Bing and Google share many similarities in their ad platforms, each offers unique features that can be leveraged for maximum impact.

For instance, Bing provides LinkedIn Profile Targeting, allowing you to target ads based on the company, job function, and industry information from LinkedIn profiles. Google, meanwhile, offers a vast array of ad extensions that can enhance your ads with additional information or call-to-action.

By familiarising yourself with each platform’s features, you can tailor your ad strategy to capitalise on the unique strengths of both Bing and Google. 

Understanding Ad Auctions and Bidding

It’s a common misconception that the highest bidder always wins in the world of search ads. However, Bing and Google employ sophisticated algorithms that consider more than just the bid amount when determining which ads to display. Let’s break down how ad auctions work and how to approach bidding strategically.

How Bing and Google Ad Auctions Work

When a user enters a search query, Bing and Google initiate an ad auction to decide which ads will appear and in what order. While the specific algorithms are closely guarded secrets, we do know that they consider factors such as bid amount, ad relevance, and landing page quality, which becomes the quality score.

Google calls this combination “Ad Rank.” Similarly, Bing uses “Ad Score.” In both cases, the goal is to ensure a positive user experience by displaying ads that are both relevant to the user’s query and likely to lead to a satisfactory post-click experience.

Strategies for Effective Bidding

When it comes to bidding, one size does not fit all. The right bidding strategy for your campaign depends on various factors, including your business goals, budget, and competition.

Bing and Google offer various bidding strategies designed to optimise for different goals, such as maximising clicks, conversions or targeting a specific position in search results. As a beginner, you might want to start with cost-per-click (CPC) bidding, which allows you to set the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a click on your ad.

As you gain experience and data from your campaigns, you may want to experiment with more advanced bidding strategies. For instance, you could try automated bidding, where Bing or Google adjusts your bid in real-time to optimise for your chosen goal. According to Google, advertisers using their automated bidding have seen an average increase of 20% in conversions, showcasing the potential of this approach.

The Importance of Quality Score and Ad Rank in Search Ad Campaigns

Your Quality Score (Google) or Quality Impact (Bing) is crucial in determining your ad’s placement. This score measures your ad’s overall quality and relevance, and it’s calculated based on factors like your ad’s click-through rate (CTR), the relevance of your keywords to your ad group, and the quality of your landing page.

Improving your Quality Score can help your ad rank higher in search results, even if your bid is lower than your competitors. In fact, a high-Quality Score can reduce your cost per click (CPC) and improve your ROI.

Understanding ad auctions and bidding is critical for effectively managing your search ad campaigns. In the next section, we’ll dive into how to analyse and optimise your search ad performance for ongoing success.

Analysing and Optimising Your Search Ad Performance

The journey doesn’t end once your ads are live. The beauty of digital marketing, including search ads, is that it provides a wealth of data to analyse and optimise your campaigns. Here’s how you can use this data to your advantage.

Using Analytics to Measure Performance

Both Bing and Google provide comprehensive analytics to help you track the performance of your search ad campaigns. These include metrics such as impressions (how many times your ad was displayed), clicks (how many times your ad was clicked), click-through rate (CTR; the percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks), and conversions (how many clicks led to desired actions, such as purchases or sign-ups).

Understanding these metrics is critical for evaluating your campaign’s performance and identifying areas for improvement. For instance, a low CTR might indicate that your ad isn’t compelling enough or that your keywords aren’t well-aligned with your ad.

A study conducted by WordStream found that the average CTR for Google Ads across all industries is about 1.91% for search, and if you’re falling significantly below this benchmark, it might be time to revisit your ad copy or keyword strategy.

Making Data-Driven Optimisations

Analytics not only help you measure your performance, but they also guide your optimisation efforts. Are some keywords driving more conversions than others? Consider increasing your bids on those. Is one ad variation outperforming the others? Try using its headline or call-to-action in your other ads.

Remember, optimisation is not a one-and-done process. It’s an ongoing cycle of testing, analysing, and refining. By staying committed to this cycle, you can continually improve your search ad performance and maximise your return on investment.

Understanding the Value of Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking is a powerful tool offered by both Bing and Google. It lets you track when your ads lead to practical actions, such as purchases, sign-ups, or phone calls. This data can provide deep insights into your ROI and help you make more informed decisions about your ad spend.

For example, imagine you spent £500 on your search ad campaign last month and tracked 50 conversions. That means your cost per conversion (or cost per acquisition or CPA) was £10. If your average customer spends £50, you achieve a healthy ROI. But if they only spend £5, you might need to reassess your strategy.

By effectively analysing and optimising your search ad performance, you can ensure that your campaigns continue to drive meaningful results for your business. Ready to get started? Dive into the world of search ads and begin connecting with your potential customers in a whole new way.

The landscape of digital marketing, including search ads, is constantly evolving. Adapting to these changes is crucial for maintaining and improving your performance. Let’s look ahead to the future of search ads and how you can stay ahead of the curve.

The Growing Role of AI and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are becoming increasingly integral to search ads. Bing and Google continually enhance their platforms with AI-driven features designed to automate and optimise your campaigns. For instance, Google’s Smart Bidding uses machine learning to optimise your bids for each auction, potentially leading to better performance.

Embracing these features can help you navigate the increasing complexity of search ad campaigns and make more informed, data-driven decisions. As Google has reported, advertisers who use their AI-powered responsive search ads have seen up to a 15% increase in clicks compared to other ad formats.

The Impact of Voice Search and Visual Search

New search technologies like voice search and visual search are poised to revolutionise the way users interact with search engines. With the rising popularity of voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant, voice search is projected to account for 50% of all searches by 2023, according to comScore.

Similarly, visual search, which allows users to search using images instead of text, is gaining traction thanks to platforms like Pinterest and Google Lens. According to a report by Gartner, early adopter brands that redesign their websites to support visual and voice search will increase digital commerce revenue by 30% by 2023.

These trends present both challenges and opportunities for search ads. On the one hand, they may require rethinking your keyword strategy and ad copy. On the other hand, they open up exciting new avenues for reaching and engaging with your audience.

The Increasing Importance of Personalisation and Relevance

As users become more accustomed to personalised experiences, delivering relevant and personalised ads is more important than ever, this goes beyond simply using the right keywords. It involves understanding your audience’s needs, preferences, and behaviours and tailoring your ads accordingly.

Indeed, a survey by Epsilon found that 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalised experiences.

By staying abreast of these trends and continually adapting your strategies, you can ensure that your search ads continue to drive meaningful results in the ever-evolving digital landscape. The future of search ads is bright and full of opportunities. Will you seize them?

Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Search Ads in the Digital Era

The exploration of search ads throughout this guide has illustrated their importance as a compelling instrument within the digital marketing arsenal. Search ads offer an unparalleled opportunity to engage with potential customers just as they search for your products or services.

Recapping the Value of Search Ads

To summarise, let’s highlight the principal advantages of search ads:

1. Highly Targeted: Search ads allow you to reach a specific audience based on variables such as keywords, geographical location, device type, and even the time of day. This high level of precision leads to highly relevant ads, increasing click-through rates and conversions.
2. Cost-Efficient: Unlike conventional advertising, where you pay a flat fee regardless of the outcome, search ads follow a pay-per-click (PPC) model. This model ensures you only pay when someone clicks your ad, making the most of your marketing budget.
3. Measurable: The wealth of data provided by search ads enables you to assess your performance and fine-tune your campaigns. From impressions and clicks to conversions and ROI, you can keep track of every facet of your campaigns.
4. Adaptable: The high degree of flexibility that search ads offer means you can modify your bids, keywords, ad text, and more at any moment. This adaptability allows you to adjust to shifting market conditions or changes in business needs.

Looking Forward: The Ever-Changing Terrain of Search Ads

As we look to the future, the terrain of search ads is destined to continue evolving. With progress in AI and machine learning, the emergence of new search technologies such as voice and visual search, and the growing need for personalisation, there are more chances than ever to foster meaningful connections with your audience.

Final Thoughts: Capitalising on the Opportunities Presented by Search Ads

As this guide has demonstrated, excelling in search ads necessitates a blend of creativity and analytics. From constructing compelling ad copy and refining landing pages to navigating ad auctions and bidding, understanding and utilising these aspects can set you apart in the bustling digital marketplace.

A study in the UK showed that companies typically see a 200% return on their investment in Google Ads, emphasising the potential of search ads to generate significant results for your business.

Are you ready to harness the opportunities offered by search ads? Whether you’re a seasoned veteran eager to stay updated on the latest trends or a newcomer prepared to take the plunge, the world of search ads is at your fingertips. Let’s embrace the challenge and opportunity together.

Leveraging Professional Expertise for Your Search Ads Strategy

While search ads offer exciting opportunities for business growth, developing a winning strategy can be complex, time-consuming, and requires a deep understanding of multiple aspects – this is where professional expertise comes in.

The Benefits of Professional Guidance

Even with an understanding of the principles of search ads, executing a successful campaign can be daunting. Digital marketing professionals have the skills and experience necessary to guide you through the process. They can provide the following:

1. Expertise: Digital marketing professionals stay on top of the ever-changing trends, algorithms, and features of search engines. Their expertise can help your business navigate and utilise these changes to your advantage.
2. Strategy Development: Professionals can help design a customised strategy tailored to your business goals. They can identify the right keywords, develop compelling ad copy, and optimise your landing pages for conversion.
3. Performance Analysis & Optimisation: Professionals don’t just set and forget your campaigns. They continuously monitor and analyse the performance, making data-driven adjustments to optimise the results.
4. Time-Efficiency: Managing a search ads campaign requires a significant investment of time, especially when it involves constant optimisation. Professional marketers can save you time, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your business.

The Geek Designs Advantage

At Geek Designs, we understand the nuances of both Google and Bing search ads. Our team of digital marketing experts is committed to helping businesses like yours make the most of these powerful tools.

With a data-driven approach and a customer-focused mindset, we are dedicated to providing strategies that align with your business goals. Our track record speaks for itself, with businesses seeing an average increase in conversions of up to 35% after implementing our search ads strategies. 

Read more about how Geek does this by checking out what we did for our client: Securitas.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Venturing into the world of search ads can be both exciting and overwhelming. With the right expertise by your side, you can confidently approach this journey, knowing that your campaigns are built on proven strategies and professional insights.

Fancy making this potential for Search Ads a reality? Get in touch with Geek, and let’s start building your path to digital marketing success.