Google AdWords currently has over 1.2 million advertisers worldwide and generated the bulk of Google's over 89 billion dollar revenue last year (Statista). Why did they make so much? While it doesn't work for everyone, many business are finding that Google AdWords is worth the price in for the amount of leads generated through it's online advertising. Great, right?

Yes, but oftentimes business owners don't realize that they could get away with paying Google less in order to get the same great results.

Here are some great tips to help you squeeze the most out of your advertising dollars when using Google AdWords:

1. Determine Your Goals and How They Will Be Measured Before Setting Up Your Campaign.

Think about the specific action that you want searchers to take, whether it is to call you, go to a landing page, fill out a form, make a purchase, download a free piece of content, sign up for a webinar, etc. How will it be measured?

2. Determine Whether You Want to Run Your Ad in the Search Network or the Display Network.

Avoid running your ad in both in the same campaign because they should be set up differently. What is the difference between the two? The Search Network is where your ads can show up on both Google.com and search engines that partner with Google when a user performs a keyword search.  The Display Network allows your ads to show up on thousands of websites (potentially) in the Google Display Network, which displays Google Ads. If you would like to run an ad in both, we recommend they be done with separate campaigns.

3. Use Google's Geo Targeting to Target Certain Geographic Locations.

Every dollar counts, so take advantage of Google's targeting feature to specifically target customers in certain geographic locations.

4. Choose the Right Match Types.

There are four main match types to choose from when setting up your ad campaign.

• Broad Match: This is where Google gets to determine the search queries relevant to your keyword. But sometimes this doesn't jive with what you consider to be relevant, so be careful not to use only broad match.

• Phrase Match: This type of match requires your keyword to appear in the same order as a search query in order for your ad to show up. For example, if "Foxboro small business websites" is your phrase match, the person searching must type that exact phrase to see your ad. They may also see you by searching "best Foxboro small business websites" or "mobile friendly Foxboro small business websites." However, when searching "Foxboro business websites," your ad will not appear.

• Broad Match Modifier: A mix of broad match and phrase match, this match tells Google that in order for your ad to show up, each word in your keyword must be contained in the search query. However, the order of words doesn't matter.

• Exact Match: Pretty self-explanatory. The searcher must type in the exact keyword that you have specified in order for your ad to be visible.

If you are new to Google AdWords, it is recommended that you stay away from using only broad match, as you will probably be wasting clicks on searchers that are not interested in your business. This in turn will cause Google to lower your quality score, which helps determine where your ads rank and how much you pay per click. Click here to learn more about why Quality score matters. Instead, use a variety of match types.

Check out this video by Google on keyword match types on the search network.

5. Structure Your Campaign(s) Properly.

Utilize separate campaigns when possible to target different segments, or segment your campaign with targeted ad groups such as product/service type, geography, match type, and more. To start, use keywords that have proven to be successful.

6. Perform Ongoing Split Testing for Each Ad Group.

Once you have set up your ad groups with different segments, it's time to create your ads for each. You should always run at least two ads per each group. Monitor how each ad does, and then pause the lower performing ad and create a new one to compete with the higher performing ad. When comparing ads, look at the Click Through Rate (CTR) and the Conversion Rate before determining which ad to dump. Whatever you do, don't take a "set it and forget it" approach and let under performing ads continue to run and waste your advertising dollars.

7. Consider Your Audience and Use Variety When Creating Ads.

Think about your target customer when crafting your ads. Often when ads are created, they sound very similar to each other. Step outside the box, do some searching to see what other ads are popping up at the top of search results, and create ads using a variety of approaches with wording. Maybe one ad appeals emotionally, one has urgency, one has a "free …" offer. You get the picture. See what angles work and what angles don't to craft future ads. Whatever you do, make sure that you aren't misleading your target customers because they will be completely turned off to your brand, and you've wasted money on clicks.

8. Track Conversions.

Conversion tracking can help you trace successful keywords and ads and tells you what kind of return on investment (ROI) you are getting from your campaign(s).

How do you set up conversion tracking? Click here to get instructions from Google AdWords on how to set up conversion tracking for your ads.

With these tips, you can set up your Google AdWords ad campaign with confidence.

Too busy running your business to set up, monitor, and tweak your Pay-Per-Click ad campaign through Google AdWords, Bing, or other PPC ad providers? No problem. Our online advertising experts can help you determine which type of advertising would be the best fit for your business, and we can implement your campaigns for you. ASK A QUESTION OR GET A FREE ONLINE QUOTE for more information on our online advertising services.