Google AdWords

The Basics of Google AdWords

Google AdWords are essentially bids on keywords that populate advertisements within a Google search. Showing up in a Google search requires that the searcher have entered specific keywords into the Google search bar that your company is then paying for to be discovered in this search.

Let’s consider your sales funnel again. The top of the funnel is geared at people who are researching auto shops. The middle of the funnel is geared at people who are researching YOUR auto shop. The bottom of the funnel is geared at people who are making a decision on whether they want to come to your auto shop.

Google AdWords target the top and middle of your funnel. Since AdWords are targeted keywords, a user must already be searching for something like “auto shops in Seattle” or “break pads replacement in Dallas” to show up.

I’ll say that again because it’s so important. Those who find you through Google AdWords are already leads because they were searching for your services, your company, or something related when they selected your ad to learn more.

What Is the Difference Between Organic Search and Google AdWords?

Organic search is just that – it happens organically. In simpler terms, organic search happens naturally. A user who finds your website through organic search did not click on a paid ad to find you.

While both forms of traffic originate from a Google search, organic search requires that a user clicked on a search result rather than a paid Google AdWords ad.

In order to show up in an organic search, your company must be utilizing search engine optimization (SEO). SEO can show up in dozens of forms, but in this scenario it typically means that you are targeting topics and keywords that your audience is searching for and writing more content about them.

This typically means blogging about auto repair, tips on maintaining your car, and other related topics that are popular questions among your clients. When a Google user searches for “auto repair shop,” then you would show up organically for that search.

In order to show up for Google AdWords, all your company has to do is pay. By selecting specific search terms, you can target specific audiences who are searching for the services you deliver. After adding a monthly budget or maximum keyword bid, your ad will consistently show up when a user searches those terms.

How Do Google AdWords Targeted Keywords Work?

Here’s a sample scenario of how Google AdWords work. In this example, you are trying to increase the amount of European-manufactured cars that your Seattle-based auto repair company pulls in annually.

When setting up your advertisement, you can either build out a plain text ad (to mimic an organic search result) or you can build out an image ad. Setting up your ad will include selecting what keywords you want to show up for during searches as well. In this example, you may want to target search terms such as “European car repair,” “Seattle BMW repair,” “Mercedes Auto Shop,” and other terms along those lines.

Let’s say a Google user is searching for “European car repair in Seattle.” Google AdWords is able to geotag searches, meaning that only those who live in Seattle will see your ad. Since you chose “European car repair” as a search term for your ad, then your ad will show up either above the organic search results or along the right-hand bar of Google.

If the user clicks on your ad, then it comes out of your budget. This is what is referred to by the name “pay-per-click” – you only pay if someone clicks on your ad. Facebook Ads are largely set up as a pay-per-click functionality as well, whereas Facebook boosts are generally used to gain a larger audience to the Facebook post itself.

Clicking on your ad will then deliver the user to a specific page on your website that you choose. In this example, it would probably be a pillar page (a long form content page describing every facet of that topic) listing the manufacturers of cars that you work on, types of services you offer, client testimonials, and more.

You can also link a landing page (a short page without a navigation menu that is concentrated on asking a user to relinquish their information for a download) if you are looking to convert leads immediately rather than letting them self-qualify themselves by researching before filling out a form. This landing page could be promoting an eBook you have written about tips for car maintenance on European cars.