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Beginning your adventure in online marketing, you are bound to come across a lot of training courses, case studies and expert opinions about marketing platforms, strategies and the like. As Google Ads is one of the most popular advertising platforms used for marketing on the Internet, there is no shortage of opinions, suggestions, or articles about it either. Remember, however, that not everything you read is worth believing right away. Some of the beliefs cited are simply myths, which I would like to debunk in today’s article.
Myth 1: I-use-positioning,-so-it-doesn’t-pay-me-to-use-Google-Ads.
Fact: It’s best to use both.
The belief that SEO alone can help us achieve the same results as SEO supplemented with Google Ads is not only wrong, but also limiting the potential that can come from making full use of the tools available in online marketing. The fact is that it is best to use both SEO and Google Ads. This is because Google Ads offer great flexibility. They allow you to instantly display your ads in the first positions of search results, which is more difficult to achieve with SEO alone – especially if there is a lot of competition in your industry. This is especially useful when you need immediate visibility, such as in connection with a short-term promotion. Besides, Google Ads provides advanced analytical tools that allow you to closely monitor and optimize your campaigns. This gives you full control over the cost and performance of your ads.
Myth 2: Keyword-matching-doesn’t-matters-much
Fact: Proper keyword matching can help us avoid budget burnout and achieve better results
The perpetual use of approximate matching in Search ads in Google Ads can lead to wasted ad budget and ineffective campaigns.
Tight keyword matching allows you to achieve precise results. This ensures that your ads will only be displayed when users enter the exact same phrases as the keywords. This eliminates the risk of displaying ads to people who are not interested in your offer. Proximate and phrase matching, on the other hand, allows you to reach a wider range of potential customers, while allowing you to control when your ads are displayed. This means you are assured that your ads appear in the right contexts and are not wasted on inappropriate phrases. It’s also worth keeping in mind negative keywords, which allow you to exclude display ads in situations where they are not desired. This is another tool that helps optimize ad spending and achieve better results.
Myth 3: The more you spend, the better the results
Fact: ad performance depends on many factors, and spending is just one of them
More budget in Google Ads campaigns is certainly a factor that can affect the effectiveness of ads, but it is not the only key ingredient leading to success. Optimization of keywords, ad content, landing pages and targeting are as important, if not more important, than the campaign funding itself. If a campaign is poorly prepared, a larger budget will only increase costs without any real impact on results. Instead of focusing only on the amount of the budget, advertisers should therefore focus first and foremost on the quality of their campaigns, optimize them, test new solutions, and monitor performance metrics to achieve the best results with the available budget.
Myth 4: Ads must always come first
Fact: The first position in search results is not a guarantee of the highest sales.
Of course, a high-profile ad is a reason to be happy, but it is not the only aspect that affects success. Let’s take a look at a situation where you are competing in the search network with other businesses for those valuable positions at the top of the page. In this case, the content of the ads begins to play a key role. What we write in our headlines and ad texts, as well as a properly chosen CTA is of great importance. The key aspect is the coincidence of the content with search keywords and ad extensions. This way, even if our ad is in second or third position, we can get more clicks than one belonging to a competitor.
Why does this happen? The reason is simple. The user’s final choice depends on which ad offers the content that best suits their needs and expectations. Contentful and understandable headlines and properly written ad text attract attention, provide information and prompt the user to interact. Valuable extensions, such as additional information about the product or service, can make the ad more attractive.
Myth 5: Google Ads gives effects from the start
Fact: Positive results from ads are the result of time, testing and optimization
Every ad campaign goes through a learning process. This means that initial results may be less satisfactory, but as the campaign continues, the Google Ads system becomes smarter and more precise. In addition, effective Google Ads campaigns require constant testing and adjustment of strategies. This means that you have to experiment with different keywords, ad content, target groups and budgets to find the optimal solutions. Testing and optimization is a lengthy process that requires patience. Also, competition and seasonality affect campaign performance. Depending on the industry, it can be more difficult to achieve visibility and results. Seasonal changes in demand also affect the effectiveness of ads and sometimes it will be more difficult to achieve satisfactory results, making it necessary to spend a little more time on the campaign. Ultimately, it is also important to remember that a key aspect of successful Google Ads campaigns is continuous optimization. Advertisers need to analyze results, identify weaknesses and make changes. It’s a process that is ongoing and evolves as experience is gained.
Myth 6: Clicks and CPCs are the only indicators suggesting ad success
Fact: We should analyze many other factors
But what exactly should we pay attention to? The answer to this question depends largely on the strategy of our campaigns. If our main goal is to generate in-store purchases, then how often this very event occurs, its average cost, ROI and the ratio of purchases to clicks are key indicators that should be analyzed in detail.
Even if generating website traffic is important to us, the number of clicks alone is not enough to clearly determine whether a campaign is successful. The click-through rate (referred to as CTR), which reflects the ratio of clicks to ad impressions, is also an important factor. A high CTR may suggest that an ad is attracting attention and is attractive to users. In addition, one should not forget about the quality of the campaign, which is expressed by the quality score. Quality score takes into account the quality of keywords, ad content, landing pages and other factors. Higher quality score can reduce the cost of clicks and improve the visibility of ads. So it’s worth analyzing this indicator and adjusting the campaign according to its score.
Mit 7: Google Ads is the only way to succeed in online marketing
Fact: It’s worth using multiple advertising platforms at the same time
There are many other advertising platforms besides Google Ads, such as Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, Pinterest Ads, Microsoft Ads and many others. Each of these platforms has its own unique features and capabilities that allow you to reach different target groups in different ways. It is therefore worth considering implementing additional ads on any of these platforms. Which platform is best to choose depends on the industry you are in, your target audience, your campaign goals, etc. For example, on TikTok, representatives of the millenials and Gen Z generation are mainly active, so if you care about reaching a young audience, this channel is worth considering. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is a good solution for advertisers operating in the B2B stream, as the platform attracts the attention of business representatives and often high decision-making employees in companies. It’s also worth considering that using a single platform carries risks related to possible changes in algorithms, ad pricing or politics of a particular platform Therefore, diversifying online advertising across platforms can help minimize these risks and increase the chance of success.
Summary
Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article. I hope I was able to shed some light on issues that often cause frustration and uncertainty for Google Ads users. As you develop your ad campaigns, remember that flexibility, patience and the ability to adjust your strategy are the keys to success in the world of online marketing.
It’s worth being open to experimentation and change, as the online advertising market is extremely dynamic, and user trends and preferences can change. What worked yesterday may not work today. That’s why monitoring results and analyzing data are extremely important. Continuous improvement of advertising strategies based on the information collected can lead to better results.
Remember also that not everything you read on the Internet is trustworthy. There are many myths and false beliefs about online advertising. That’s why you should approach sources of information with caution. The most important source of knowledge about the effectiveness of online ads should be your own results. They are the best reflection of what works in your particular case. You should also use case studies and research based on hard data. Examples from other companies and advertisers can provide valuable insights and inspiration. In addition, listen to independent experts who specialize in digital marketing. Their experience and knowledge can be invaluable.
