from My Friend & Guest Poster Deepak Gupta

Savvy marketer Deepak Gupta has become a great friend through Twitter, and when I read about what he learned from two days at a Google Grants Workshop at their Headquarters in California earlier this year, I wanted to learn more about how to implement AdWords.

Google AdWords also known as Pay Per Click can have numerous benefits if planned, executed and monitored properly. However, we must also be aware of the pitfalls

How do you go about running an AdWords campaign?

Step-by-Step

First — You and your team need to define attainable goals like these:

1) Increasing donation volume

2) Recruiting more volunteers

3) Raising brand awareness

Second — Set up campaigns appealing to relevant geographic and or demographic targets. So that you can track your campaigns efficiently, do not duplicate or move around keywords once you are up and running.

When you set up your Ad Scheduler, you have the choice between Accelerated and Standard Delivery (evenly delivered ads throughout the day).

Third — Develop tightly themed Ad Groups. The more relevant your ad text is the higher the CTR (click through rate), the Quality Score and the Page Rank.

As for Ad Text Optimization, place catchy calls-to-action and inter-capitalize your display URL. For instance, instead of having www.helpmyresume.org, show www.HelpMyResume.org. In addition, rotate various ads and you can track individual performance.

Fourth — Keyword research requires careful thought. Use the Google Suggest Tool to find relevant keywords. Try to come up with keywords from the User’s perspective, not yours. Be sure to look at all match types – broad, phrase and exact.

Fifth — Landing Page Optimization. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen an ad, clicked and then be lead to page that has nothing to do with the product/service I looked for. There are numerous resources available on Landing Page Designs. Here is a good presentation from AlexDesigns.com:

The bottom line is you can have great goals, campaigns, ad groups and good keywords, but if you cannot convert (close the sale), you are spinning your wheels.

Possible Pitfalls of Running AdWords Campaigns in a Vacuum

Google AdWords cannot be done alone.  It is only one aspect of Social Medi Marketing. I would highly recommend for any business or organization, at a minimum, to be present on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and show up organic search results in addition to running AdWords.

When people do searches, 75% of the time they click on the organic content found within the search engine results page (SERP). Only 25% click what they see on the sponsored links section. Users tend to trust the organic content more because of the independent review. If you show up in both areas, that is in your favor.

Branding: Keep in mind that if are well-branded and have good press, you will have a better chance of performing better than an up-and-comer.

As for Keyword Research, use the Google Suggestion Tool and brainstorm with your team or others to generate ideas. Do not be embarrassed if you think your term sounds funny – you can surprise yourself!

Once your campaigns are up and running, use the reporting features and Google Analytics to monitor and track your performance. Every so often, adjust your campaigns. Eliminate low performers, refine your keywords, and refine your ads. Repeat this process often.

Budget how much you want to spend on your AdWords Campaigns. Be sure to allow enough extra sums in case your competitors decide to jump in and bid up the price for keywords. Calculate the ROI.

Some obstacles I have come across professionally are that (a) some of your team members may not have the time to read your reports or(b)  working with AdWords is a lower priority than designing a direct mail campaign.

If you have Administrator access and are in an Organization that appreciates enterprising people, then take the Bull by the horn and be a one-person shop.

Posted by Deepak Gupta

Deepak Gupta
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