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Running a successful Google Ads Search campaign requires more than just high bids; You need an agile and strategic approach, particularly given the platform relies increasingly on AI and automation. Our priority for clients is to generate high-quality leads, and these proven strategies are essential to ensure your campaigns are performing at the highest level.
1. Master the Quality Score Components
Your Quality Score (QS) directly impacts your ad rank and Cost-Per-Click (CPC). Focusing on these three components is non-negotiable for efficiency:
Expected Click-Through Rate (eCTR): Ensure your ad copy is highly relevant and includes a compelling Call-to-Action (CTA) to encourage clicks.
Ad Relevance: Match your ad copy precisely to the keyword themes within each Ad Group. Avoid using generic ads across diverse keywords.
Landing Page Experience: The page a user lands on must be fast-loading, highly relevant to the ad copy, and offer a clear, professional path to conversion (e.g., a B2B form). We ensure your landing page design is optimised not just for aesthetics, but for conversion rate performance.
2. Embrace Broad Match with Guardrails
While PPC experts may have had previous hesitations about Broad Match, Google’s AI is constantly improving its ability to match high-intent searches. You should now use Broad Match, but always with strict guardrails:
Combine with Smart Bidding: Pair Broad Match keywords with an effective Smart Bidding strategy (like Target CPA or Maximise Conversion Value) to let Google's AI focus on high-value traffic while keeping costs managed.
Negative Keyword Strategy: Continually review your search terms report and add irrelevant, low-intent terms as negative keywords. For a professional service, this means excluding queries related to "free", "jobs" or irrelevant geographical locations.
3. Leverage Responsive Search Ads
Responsive Search Ads are now the standard for a reason. They allow Google's AI to test multiple combinations of headlines and descriptions to find the highest-performing message for each individual search query.
Use All Assets: Use all 15 headline and 4 description slots available. This gives the AI maximum options for testing.
Pin Assets Sparingly: Only pin assets (e.g., your strongest unique selling proposition or brand name) if they must appear in a specific position. Over-pinning limits the AI's ability to optimise.
Integrate Video: Even in Search campaigns, incorporating relevant video assets (using Video Extensions) can differentiate your brand and enhance engagement in a multimodal search environment. Our video production services can create high-impact, short videos specifically for these ad extensions.
4. Optimise Conversions for Lead Quality
A conversion should be defined as a qualified form submission, not merely any submission. It is crucial that your conversion tracking accurately measures the quality of the leads generated:
Implement Value: Assign a monetary value to your conversions (e.g., 'Contact Form Submission' = €100). This allows Smart Bidding strategies like Target ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) to prioritise higher-value leads.
Use Enhanced Conversions: Implement Enhanced Conversions to send anonymised user data back to Google, improving the accuracy of your tracking and, more importantly, the performance of your automated bidding strategies.
Track Phone Calls: For professional services, phone calls are often the highest-value conversion. Use Google forwarding numbers to track calls directly in your account and assign them a specific conversion value.
Partner with Together Digital for ROI-Focused PPC
Google Ads is a complex, data-driven system that requires constant attention and strategic refinement. Our Dublin-based team offers end-to-end management, from building high-converting landing pages and crafting compelling ad copy to deploying advanced AI-powered strategies like those in AI Max for Search Campaigns.
Ready to see a better return on your ad spend? Talk to our PPC specialists today.