Google Ads Guide for Online Course Lead Generation

Okay, so you've got a digital curriculum and want to reach students in London through Google Ads. That's a solid plan, but the education sector can be pretty competitive, so it's important to be strategic to stand out. And I can understand why you'd want professional guidance.

The goal here is to turn those clicks into enrolled students, and the key is getting your campaigns finely tuned.

What Keywords Should I Target for Online Courses in London?

First things first, let's talk keywords. You can't just guess what people are searching for; you need to do proper keyword research. Think about what terms potential students would use when looking for online courses like yours. Are they searching for specific subjects, skillsets, or qualifications? Are they looking for "online marketing courses london", "digital marketing course london", "marketing course london"? Are they actively searching for a solution? - Google Search ads will likely be your best option to get traffic from people searching for help.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to uncover relevant keywords, their search volumes, and their competition levels. This will help you focus on keywords that have the potential to drive quality traffic to your curriculum.

I've detailed some search terms and estimated search volume that you could target below:

Don't just stick to broad keywords like "marketing course." Think long-tail - specific phrases that people use when they know exactly what they want. For instance, "online digital marketing course for small business owners in London" is much more targeted and can attract highly qualified leads.

Also, consider the intent behind the keywords. Are people looking for free courses, paid courses, certifications, or just general information? Tailor your ads and landing pages to match that intent.

For example, if you were offering AI implementation services, you could target keywords like "AI implementation service", "AI agency near me", "software agency near me", "AI developer near me" - it depends on your services of course.

How Do I Optimise My Quality Score?

Google loves rewarding ads that provide a great user experience. That's where Quality Score comes in. It's a metric that evaluates the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs and better ad positions.

Here's how to improve your Quality Score:

• Ad Relevance: Make sure your ads are closely related to your keywords. Use keyword insertion to dynamically include the search term in your ad copy.
• Landing Page Experience: Your landing page should be relevant to the ad and provide a seamless experience. It should load quickly, be easy to navigate, and include clear calls to action.
• Expected CTR: Google estimates how likely people are to click on your ad. Improve your CTR by writing compelling ad copy, using strong calls to action, and testing different ad formats.

What's the Secret to Writing High-Converting Ad Copy?

Your ad copy is your chance to grab attention and persuade potential students to click. Here are some tips for writing high-converting ad copy:

• Highlight Benefits: Focus on the benefits of your curriculum, not just the features. How will it help students achieve their goals?
• Use Strong Calls to Action: Tell people exactly what you want them to do. "Enroll Now," "Get a Free Trial," or "Learn More" are all effective calls to action.
• Include Social Proof: If you have testimonials, reviews, or case studies, include them in your ad copy or on your landing page.
• A/B Test: Continuously test different ad copy variations to see what resonates best with your target audience.

Here's a few examples of ad copy to get you started:

Should I Use Conversion Tracking?

Absolutely! Conversion tracking is essential for measuring the success of your campaigns. By tracking conversions, you can see which keywords, ads, and landing pages are driving the most enrollments. This data will help you optimise your campaigns and improve your ROI.

Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads to track important actions, such as:

• Enrollments: The number of students who enroll in your curriculum.
• Lead Form Submissions: The number of people who fill out a lead form on your website.
• Free Trial Signups: The number of people who sign up for a free trial of your curriculum.

What Bidding Strategy Should I Use in London?

London is a competitive market, so you need to choose the right bidding strategy to maximise your ROI. Here are a few options to consider:

• Manual CPC Bidding: This gives you full control over your bids, but it requires more time and effort to manage.
• Automated Bidding: Google Ads offers several automated bidding strategies, such as Target CPA, Target ROAS, and Maximize Conversions. These strategies use machine learning to automatically adjust your bids based on your goals.

If you're just starting out, I recommend using an automated bidding strategy like Maximize Conversions. This will help you get the most out of your budget and learn what works best for your campaigns. If your campaigns are eligible (once you have enough data), you can switch to ROAS optimisation. The system will then try to keep your ROAS stable while you increase ad spend.

How Can I Stay Ahead of the Competition in London?

The education sector in London is constantly evolving, so it's important to stay ahead of the competition. Here are a few tips:

• Keep Your Ads Fresh: Regularly update your ad copy and creatives to keep them relevant and engaging.
• Monitor Your Keywords: Continuously monitor your keywords and add new ones as needed.
• Analyse Your Data: Regularly analyse your data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• A/B Test Everything: Continuously test different ad copy, landing pages, and bidding strategies to see what works best.

How Much Should I Budget?

Just did some research. You're probably looking at about $10-$50 per lead but it can be more expensive if you are in a competitive market or cheaper if you’re lucky and your services are in high demand. I usually recommend a budget for ad spend of $1-$2k per month to start with - but this depends on how many leads you need (number of leads you need x cost per lead = ad spend).

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Running Google Ads in London can be a complex, time-consuming job, especially for online courses where the competition is fierce. With all these moving pieces, and you want to focus on developing your curriculum, you might want to get some help from a specialist.

I've worked with a few B2C education providers and seen pretty good results with Google Ads. For instance, I remember one eLearning business where we generated $115k in revenue in just 1.5 months using Meta Ads. Google Ads can be just as effective, or even better. Based on my experience, I estimate the cost per lead for your business could be between $10 and $50 if we target the correct keywords and ad copy.

If you are interested, feel free to reach out for a free consultation - we'll have a chat, you can tell me about your course, and I'll see if it's something I can help with.

Hope that helps!