Google Ads can put your business in front of people at the exact moment they search for what you sell. It can also spend a budget quickly on clicks that never become customers. The difference is management. This guide from Loudmouse, a Perth digital marketing agency in Subiaco, explains what good Google Ads management looks like, how to judge results and what to ask before you hand over your account.
Why Google Ads works when it is managed well
- Speed. Search engine optimisation is a longer-term game. As soon as Google Ads campaigns are live, they can drive qualified traffic to your site.
- Intent. When someone searches for your product or service, that is a clear sign they are ready to act. Ads place your offer in front of them at that moment.
- Control. You can target by location, language, age and device, and dial the daily budget up or down in near real time.
- You pay for clicks. You pay when someone clicks your ad, not when they see it.
- Everything is measurable. Impressions, clicks, conversions, ad copy and landing page performance can all be analysed and improved.
What good management includes
1. Conversion tracking you can trust
Every good account starts with reliable tracking, so spend can be tied to business goals such as enquiries, calls and sales. If the account counts the wrong things, every optimisation decision after that is built on sand.
2. Keywords that match buying intent
Ad copy and keywords should target people when they are ready to convert. That means reviewing the actual search terms that triggered your ads and adding negative keywords for searches that will never become customers.
3. Ads and landing pages that match the search
The ad should answer the search, and the landing page should continue the same message and make the next step easy. A great ad sent to a slow or generic page wastes money. See our guide to landing page design that converts.
4. Fast follow-up on leads
A lead is only valuable if someone contacts it quickly. For ABC Blinds, WA's long-standing window coverings supplier, we combined changes to their Google Ads campaigns with an email automation that notifies the team the moment a lead comes in, alongside a Facebook lead generation campaign. Measure and quote enquiries rose 15.6%.
5. Active budget management
Google Ads provides near real-time performance data, so campaigns can be dialled up or down. If the cost per lead stays inside your target, increasing the budget can scale results. If it drifts, the budget moves to what is working.
How to judge your Google Ads results
- Cost per lead or sale, not cost per click. Cheap clicks that never convert are expensive.
- Lead quality. Are the enquiries the kind of customers you want?
- Search terms. Look at what people actually typed. Irrelevant searches mean the targeting needs work.
- Impression share. How often your ads show when they could. Low share can mean the budget or the ad rank is holding you back.
- Return on ad spend. For ecommerce, revenue against spend is the number that matters.
Questions to ask a Google Ads agency in Perth
- How will you set up and check conversion tracking?
- How often will you review search terms and add negative keywords?
- Who owns the account and the data if we part ways?
- What will you report each month, and how will it link to leads and sales?
- How do landing pages fit into the plan?
Google Ads as part of a wider plan
Google Ads works best as one part of a digital marketing strategy, alongside social media, content and a website built to convert. Loudmouse is powered by the creative advertising experience of Gatecrasher and based in Subiaco. Explore our Google Ads management and digital marketing strategy services, or see our work.
