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5 Google Ad hacks that’ll increase ROI

Reading Time: 6 Minutes

Trying to decide which marketing platforms to invest in can be really stressful. Like, really stressful. SEO, SEM, Facebook Ads, content marketing – the list goes on. It can be overwhelming to know where you should spend your money. 

Before we share our top 5 Google Ad hacks that’ll increase ROI, let’s talk about the importance of having a digital strategy. Without one, you’re really just wasting time and money. 

Start with your strategy. It’s really easy to set up campaigns all willy-nilly, chucking money into them to see what sticks. But you’ll waste a lot of time and money if you do this. 

Chapter 1

Top tips for creating your own digital marketing strategy

- Define your business goals and then create marketing goals that will help you reach those goals. 
- For example, if you’re looking for more leads, you’ll need website traffic. If you want more website traffic you’ll need good SEO and some ads to drive that traffic.
- Segmenting your audiences. Unpack their demographics and learn their behaviours.
- Take note of where your target audience is spending their time online. This will help you choose what platforms you invest in. 
- Develop eye-catching creative assets and key messages to support your marketing campaigns.
- Consider hiring a professional (like us!) to assist you with building your strategy. 

With a marketing strategy in place, you can now look at setting up campaigns to support your marketing strategy. And if you want more leads, you’ll absolutely need a Google Ads campaign. 
5 Google Ad hacks that'll increase ROI

Google Ads. What are they and why does my business need them?

Google Ads generate leads. Aside from showing up on the first page of Google, Google Ads are ADS, specifically designed to solve or serve a search term that shows intent. Google Ads help you connect with potential customers by highlighting relevant ads in just one click. 

Read Google Ads mistakes in 2021 – and how to avoid them

How much do Google Ads cost?

Google Ads are charged on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. That means that you are only charged when someone clicks the ads. 

The price of the click constantly changes based on the demand. In winter, the demand for search terms like ‘winter coat’ go up and the price cost per click, therefore, increases. 

So it’s hard to say EXACTLY what they cost. The price will depend on your industry, the cost-per-click rate and your marketing goals. Ambitious goals will require a larger budget. You can use tools like keyword planner to research search terms and identify cost-per-click prices.  

Right! Now that we understand the importance of a digital strategy and the basics of Google Ads. Let’s take a look at 5 Google Ad hacks that’ll increase your ROI. 

Chapter 2

Hack #1 – getting your tracking sorted

It seems obvious, but we can’t tell you how many accounts we’ve inherited with incorrect or missing tracking. If you don’t have tracking set up (or set up properly) you’re wasting your money. 

Make sure that your Google Ad campaign is tracking conversions correctly. Work with your web developer and Google Ad team to test your tracking. Visit Google Ads help centre for help articles. If you get stuck – or if it becomes overwhelming – let us know. We’ll be able to help you. 
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Chapter 3

Hack #2 – identify which keywords are working and which aren’t 

If you’ve been paying someone to assist you with your campaign, you should be getting a report with the best-performing keywords. These are the keywords that are driving the most traffic and conversions.

Head to your Google Ads dashboard and navigate to the ‘Keywords’ tab on the left-hand side. This should bring up a list of keywords used in your campaign/s. Filter by conversions to see a list of keywords that generated the most conversions. 

For the keywords that aren’t driving conversions, consider removing them from your campaign. 
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PRO TIP: Remember the marketing funnel! Think about search terms and keywords that a potential buyer would be entering into Google at each stage of their consumer journey. Their search terms will always start broad as they are learning about the product or service they need. As they get closer to the bottom of the funnel, their search terms will become more specific. 

Chapter 4

Hack #3 – identify locations and times that do and don’t convert

Unless you’re an eCommerce store that’s open for business 24/7, your Google Ad campaign doesn’t necessarily need to be ON all the time. 

Head to the Reports section of your Google Ad dashboard. Click ‘Pre-Defined’ reports and either ‘Time’ or ‘Geographic’. Then pick either ‘day of the week’ or ‘hour of the day’ to see what days and times you receive conversions. 

You may notice a trend. If you identify that people are more likely to buy at night, pause your campaign in the mornings to save some ad spend. 
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Chapter 5

Hack #4 – check the Google Display placements

Google Display Network is a cost-effective way to run ads to your target audience. Unlike Google text-based ads, Google Display ads are placed on websites where your audiences are ‘living’. Instead of bidding on keywords, you specify who your audience is, and no matter where they are online, your campaign will show to them. 

Now, you want to make sure that your ads are showing up on sites you are happy with. To do this, head to the Display Network and then Placements. Sort the list by clicks and look at the top 10. Make sure that you are happy with the websites that are coming up. If not, make sure you remove them from your campaign. 

You might want to consider creating your own custom ‘safe list’ of websites where your potential customers might be. 

Being a bit more selective on where your ads show is good branding sense. And having your ads on websites that are most relevant to your industry and audience can most certainly shift your ROI.
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Chapter 6

Hack #5 – get the budget right!

Setting the correct budget is a really important part of the process. Just because you can spend $10 a day, it doesn’t mean you should. You need to set an appropriate budget for your industry and your marketing goals. 
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Here’s an ROI formula to help you:

Use the Google Keyword Planner to get a rough indicator of the average cost-per-click. Then, pick a budget that you can afford, for example, $500. 

If your average CPC is $1.50 and you have $500 to spend, divide 500 by 1.50 which will give you a rough indication of how much website traffic you can expect. Then times that number by your average conversion rate to get an indication of how many leads you’ll get. 

Budget divided by CPC = website traffic x average conversion rate = number of leads

The world of digital marketing and online advertising can be a scary, daunting place – if you don’t have someone to guide you through it, that is. Have some questions about using Google Ads for your business? You’ve come to the right people! Digital marketing is our thing. Schedule a complimentary one-hour meeting here with our team to learn more.

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