6 ting du bør vite om Google Ads

6 things you should know about Google Ads 

This blog post is for those who don’t know much about Google Ads, but want to learn a bit more about what it is. Here you get an easy-to-understand introduction to Google Ads.

You’ll gain a good understanding of Google Ads, even if you’ve never used it or read about it before.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads is the platform behind the ads you see on Google when you search. The ads appear at the top/bottom of the search result and to the right when you’ve done a search.

Google Ads works with advertisers to show the best ads that match your search.

The keyword for Google Ads is relevance

The key word for Google Ads is relevance. Google uses various factors in an algorithm to adapt the ads to your search. This makes the ads relevant for you, so you click on them.

Remember: If Google isn’t relevant for the users’ searches, no one will use the search engine.

Here you see where Google Ads usually appears after you’ve searched.

The search results/ads inside the red frame are Google Ads. Those outside are organic search results. There are important differences between these two:

Google’s organic search results

Your website’s position in organic search results depends on how good your site is and results over time in relation to SEO (search engine optimization).

SEO includes both the code and content on the website. Different factors affect your organic ranking. Follow Google’s rules, or your site may end up far down and it’s hard to climb back up again.

Organic searches are free in theory, but require advanced SEO knowledge. Often, big brands have top positions – but it depends on the search.

An important factor is also the number of relevant incoming links to your site, and if those links are from quality sites.

Paid Google Ads

A quick and effective way to get good and relevant traffic is through paid Google Ads. The ads are usually shown based on selected keywords.

You can optimize your ads for your target audience that’s actively searching for what you sell. If “Mrs. Hansen” searches for “cheap ceramics”, you can show her an ad – if you sell it. You need to be good at targeting your ads and campaigns precisely.

This form of advertising is also called PPC marketing (Pay-Per-Click). You only pay when someone in your target audience clicks and visits your website.

And that leads us to the next part of the post.

How much does Google Ads cost?

Google Ads costs nothing – and everything. A bit cryptic? Yes …

You can set exactly the budget you want to use for Google Ads. If you’re a small business and only have 200 NOK/month for marketing, you spend no more than that. Google shows your ads as often as the budget allows – then pauses until next month.

It’s almost always worth advertising on Google Ads, depending on your market. Most important: everything is measurable. Whatever you do in your ads, you can measure if the ads/campaigns/keywords are successful.

This is how you can optimize Google Ads, keywords and campaigns, and focus on what works. Read the statistics. You can analyze data both in Google Ads and in other tools such as Google Analytics. I won’t cover statistics and analysis any further here – it can quickly get technical and confusing.

Which companies can use Google Ads?

No restrictions on who can use the platform – it depends on your business. If you sell strawberries from your farm and have little surplus, you may not have resources for advertising.

However, Google Ads is highly relevant for online stores, for example in clothing. I have examined two keywords – “clothes online” and “fresh strawberries” – and will show the difference and relevant targeting tools.

The numbers are from the same database and can be compared. You see how often the searches are used and the competition for the keyword. It tells you how much Google expects you to pay to compete. The word “fresh strawberries” is cheap to bid on – you pay the suggested amount when someone clicks the ad.

Later in the post, I link to a Google video that explains bidding and click prices.

My point? If you have some capacity to work on Google Ads, do it yourself. You can also hire an agency, if you don’t have the time or possibility. You control your budget and compete for the keywords you want.

Can’t big companies just pay more and take all the spots?

Short answer: No.

As mentioned, relevance is most important for Google. You’ll learn more about this in the video at the bottom of the post.

Google uses an advanced algorithm. Many factors matter. For example how good your landing page is, how well the keyword matches what the audience is searching for and more. Everything is summed to a “quality score”. Along with price, it decides who wins the spot. You can compete against big players by creating good ads and websites.

What does it take to maintain and manage your Google Ads account?

It’s free and takes little time, depending on account structure. You can create your account here – totally free.

It only costs money when you start advertising. Setting up a Google Ads account takes just a few minutes, but truly mastering it takes time.

Google Ads is constantly evolving, and you must keep updated. Invest some hours in learning the platform to get results. Without investment you risk wasting money. It’s recommended to contact an agency for Google Ads advice.

Here is Google’s help page for beginners: Google Ads Help

Where else can I use Google Ads?

Besides the search network, you can use Google’s “Search Network Partner”. These are websites that use Google’s websearch. You can advertise on the partner network for expanded opportunities. Here’s a short summary of two:

In the “Display Network” you can advertise graphically on different sites with permission.

On the right, you see MX.dk – they show Google ads. There you can use images instead of just text.
This form of advertising requires graphic materials and a bit more effort.

On the Display Network, you can choose to pay “per impression”. Then you pay when someone sees the ad – not just when they click. This works well for branding.

You can also use video advertising on Youtube. To the right you see a commercial from CallMe that plays before a Youtube guide.

The user can skip the video after five seconds. Maybe you’re wondering: “Why pay if the user skips?” Good question! Google is clever: you pay only if the user watches over 30 seconds – or the entire video if it’s shorter. You can actually get a lot of free exposure with video on Youtube.

In addition to normal skippable ads, Google has introduced bumper ads: 6-second videos that the user has to watch before the content. With 6 seconds you interrupt less but can say the most important thing. This ad type is great for branding.

What can I use Google Ads for?

Below is what you can use Google Ads for:

• Relevance. Everything you do in Google Ads must be relevant to your product and especially your target audience.
• Targeting. You can target your product so potential customers find what they’re searching for. You reach them during the buying process – it’s about being visible online.
• Budget. Whatever your budget, you can afford Google Ads. You can often profit if you invest time. You can also pay others to generate traffic and increase sales.
• Measurability. Important! Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how many have seen your ad, visited your shop, and how many actually buy? And why those who visit choose not to buy?

As promised – here is an explanation of how the interaction between bid and quality score determines whether your ad ends up at the top – or not.

Hope this article has given you the knowledge and tools to start and understand what Google Ads is and how it can help you. Below you’ll find a short video summary where Thomas explains the most important aspects of Google Ads in one minute: