How Do I Create a Cost Effective Google Adwords Campaign?

If you own a website and have tried to generate traffic, you probably have had your ups and downs.  At somewhere along the road, you have probably heard of Google Adwords and maybe even tried it.  Many of our clients retain us to manage their online marketing budgets and sometimes this includes their Google Adwords Campaign.  Simply running a Google Adwords Campaign is not enough....it must be const effective, after all, you don't want to spend $1000 and only make $10.

How To Run a Cost Effective Google AdWords Campaign....
Google Adwords can drain your marketing budget in just a few hours (no matter how big your advertising budget is).  To avoid this, and to assure that you make more money than you spend, here are the cardinal rules to follow when establishing a Google Adwords Campaign.

Research. Research. Research.
Before you even fill your Google Adwords with money, you should research what keywords you will be advertising.  For some advertisers, this is easy.  But finding the keywords is not enough, you must find keywords that are cost effective.  For example, if you are a Chiropractor living in Virginia, you may think "Chiropractor" is a great keyword until you find out that the "suggested bid" on Adwords is $7.50.....then you may want to rethink your strategy since every click will potentially cost you $7.50

How?  Google (within Google Adwords) has tools.  One of these tools is a "keyword research tool" or as they call it "Keyword Planner" that will help you budget how much your keywords will cost. In general the more specific you are, the more effective you will be.  "Chiropractor in Virginia" will be cheaper than "Chiropractor" 9 out of 10 times.  This example could also benefit from less searched keywords such as "alternative to doctors" etc.  Once you find the keywords and they fall within your budget (the lower the better) it is time to hone the search down.  Make sure you understand how match types work before you set your keywords in place.  The difference between putting in Chiropractor and [Chiropractor] is huge and can cost you everything.  See "Using Keyword Matching Options" by Google Help.

Target. Target. Target.
Once you picked the keywords, an advertiser should limit who, when, where and what is searching for their advertisements.  On Google Adwords you can decide if you advertisement is shown on mobile, tablets or PCs.  Once can also decide if you want your advertisements shown in a specific geographic region, such as only Virginia or everywhere BUT Virginia.  You can also plan to show your ads only on Sunday nights or Tuesday mornings.  Depending on what you are advertising, you should make sure that you are targeting the right group and area at the right time.

Test Test and Limit Your Daily Spend.
Once you have completed the keyword research and have targeted your advertisement, you are ready to run your ad live.  Woah!!! Slow down.  Before you go all out with your budget the first week try running your advertisement with the minimum budget for a week or two.  For example we always test a budget at $1 per day for 14 days.  After 14 days we know which keywords worked better than others, if there was any conversion (sales from advertising) and how much each click actually cost.

Turn Up The Heat Little by Little
Now that you have followed our tips, turn up the budget everyday and rework your keywords.  You will notice some keywords get more clicks than others.  Make sure to increase the budget on the keywords that matter.  For example, if you are getting 100 click on "Chiropractor" and 50 clicks on "Chiropractic Services in Virginia", you should turn off the keyword "Chiropractor" since it is less likely to convert (after all, they might just be looking for a definition of Chiropractor).  If you are advertising an item like shoes, "shoes" would not be as good as "shoes for sale" since the latter keyword is probably being searched by a consumer ready to buy.

Have useful tips or information about the subject matter in this article?  Feel free to comment below...

Hope this was helpful,

The PushYourRank Team
Author: Nicholas Coriano

About The Author: Nicholas Coriano is an Entrepreneur, Web Developer, Social Media Marketer, SEO Consultant and the founder of this blog and The NewYorkWebsiteDesignCenter.com.  While developing websites for his own businesses and marketing his entrepreneurial ventures online, he began blogging useful tips and "how-to" articles on PushYourRank.com for reference purposes.  To retain Nicholas for help with your Website, Social Media, SEO or other online/technology needs, email PushYourRank@Gmail.com

About PushYourRank.com: PushYourRank.com (the Blog) is a blog that helps small businesses, start-ups, developers, amateurs website builders, bloggers and entrepreneurs develop their websites, their social media presence, their search engine optimization techniques and more ....online.  The Blog publishes articles about Ecommerce, Email Marketing and How To Make Money Online...as well as any topic that pertains to the Internet or Online.  If you need help developing a website, SEO or Social Media outsourcing, see NewYorkWebsiteDesignCenter.com, if you would like to advertise or have us publish an article on a certain subject, please email us at PushYourRank@Gmail.com