Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on getting up to speed with Google Ads, especially coming from a background in Facebook and TikTok ads. It's definitely a skill that can add a lot of value to your agency's offerings.
You're right, learning never stops! But let's get you started on the right path. It's great that you've indentified a growing client demand and that your looking to upskill instead of always farming that work out!
We'll need to look at getting stuck in first...
First off, and I know this might sound simple, but honestly the best way to learn Google Ads is by actually using it. Forget about binge-watching courses for now (although they can be helpful later on). Set up a test account with a small daily budget – maybe £10-£20 to start – and just start experimenting. You'll learn far more by doing than by watching videos.
We've seen this time and again. Theory is great, but practical experience is where the real learning happens. It's like learning to drive – you can read all the books you want, but you won't truly learn until you get behind the wheel.
The great thing about getting started straight away is, that you can quickly begin to identify the areas you need to brush up on or lean into further. From that experience, you can make a decision on weather or not you will purchase a course on the subject matter.
I'd say you need to focus on search campaigns...
To start, I'd recommend focusing on Google Search campaigns. They're the most straightforward type of campaign and a great place to learn the fundamentals. Steer clear of the more complex campaign types – like Performance Max or Discovery – until you've got a solid grasp of the basics. It can be easy to get distracted by these and lose focus on the fundamentals.
Focus on the areas which will yield the best results for your time. For example, it's worth remembering that Google is mostly keyword based, and so getting a firm understand of what the client is trying to achieve will dictate the campaigns you should go for.
One thing to remember that is different from Facebook, is that Google is primarily a search engine, so the type of ads you'll do are very different from what you'll do on Facebook. The type of persona can differ as well, especially for B2B, where the persona is actively looking for something to fix a problem. This is different from B2C, where you might be catching them between looking at what their friends are up to.
You probably should nail keyword research...
Honestly, keyword research is absolutely vital for search campaigns. This is where you'll really want to focus your initial efforts. Get familiar with the Google Keyword Planner and start brainstorming relevant keywords for your clients' businesses. You want to find a good mix of keywords with decent search volume and relatively low competition.
Think about what your clients' target customers are actually searching for. What phrases are they using to find the products or services your clients offer? Put yourself in their shoes and try to anticipate their search queries. You don't just need to come up with the keywords but also the negative keywords that are less relevant.
I'd also say to look at the search terms reports in the ads section. What are people actually searching for?
Also you'll need to think about keyword match types.
-> Broad Match:- The most broad.
- Can match to searches that aren't directly related to your keyword.
-> Phrase Match:
- Matches to searches that include the meaning of your keyword.
-> Exact Match:
- Most targeted.
- Can match to searches that are very similar to your keyword.
From my experiance, Exact Match can sometimes restrict the flow of leads, however is also the most tailored. It's worth remembering though that if you restrict the flow of leads too much, your ads might not get seen!
You'll need tightly written ad copy...
Once you've got your keywords sorted, the next step is to craft compelling ad copy that's highly relevant to those keywords. Your ad copy needs to grab people's attention and entice them to click. Think about the benefits of your clients' products or services and highlight those in your ads.
Make sure your ad copy aligns with the user's search intent. If they're searching for "plumbers near me," your ad copy should mention local plumbing services. The more relevant your ad copy is to the user's search query, the higher your quality score will be, and the lower your costs will be. It's also worth thinking about your landing page, and weather or not this has been optimised to match the ads.
I'd say that its worth spending a good amount of time on getting the ad copy correct. If you don't, you will have to go back and do it later which is less efficent. It's an important thing to nail.
Also remember to use the correct tracking and measurement so that you can see what's working and what isn't. It can be easy to miss this!
Don't get bogged down in all the advanced features right away. Just focus on getting the basics right, like keyword research, ad copy, and bidding. As you get more comfortable, you can start experimenting with things like remarketing, dynamic keyword insertion, and audience targeting. There's definitely some new things that Google are putting in the mix, however you'll need to get to grips with the fundamentals first.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Getting Started | Jump straight into running campaigns with a small budget. |
| Campaign Type | Focus on Google Search campaigns initially. |
| Keyword Research | Prioritise thorough keyword research using the Google Keyword Planner. |
| Negative Keyword Research | Don't forget to work out which keywords are irrelevent and exclude these. |
| Ad Copy | Craft compelling ad copy that is highly relevant to your keywords. |
I remember one software client for whom we reduced the cost per user acquisition from £100 to £7 by optimising their Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns.
We're also working with a client who was in a similar position to you. Their socials were doing great, but they wanted to get Google up and running. So we helped them, and they found that Google was even better at lead generation! So it's definitely worth learning!
Whilst this advice should get you started, you might benefit from some expert help to get going or refine what you have. As you know, optimising all of these things can take time and experience. It can also be hard to know where to start! It could also be worth looking at how other people are doing things too.
We offer a free initial consultation where we review prospective client's strategy and account together. This is super helpful and gives potential clients a taste of the expertise they'll see going into their project if they decide to work with us.
Regards, Team @ Lukas Holschuh
