10 Best Practices for Google Ads Success

It’s true: Navigating Google Ads is no walk in the park.

I’ve got you, though.

Here, I share Google Ads best practices—lessgo.

Foundational Best Practices

The basics let’s start there:

1. Keyword Optimization

Keywords are the linchpin of Google Ads success. The bridge that connects your audience’s search queries to the solutions you offer.

But keyword research isn’t just about plugging terms into a tool and calling it a day. You need to dive deep into the minds of your audience—like deep, deep. Understand their language and anticipate their needs.

How? First, align those keywords with your overall SEO strategy and user intent. But only chase after high-volume keywords if they resonate with your target audience or business goals. It’s about finding that sweet spot where search volume meets relevance.

And what about tools? Google’s PPC keyword research tool Keyword Planner is a great starting point, but don’t stop there. Explore other tools to uncover hidden gems and gain a competitive edge. Think Ahrefs, Semrush, Spyfu, and LowFruits.

Remember, effective keyword research is a continuous process. Stay curious, stay adaptable, and refine your keyword strategy to stay ahead of the game. Nail it, and watch the clicks (and conversions!) roll in.

2. Ad Copy Best Practices

Your keywords might get you in the door, but your ad copy seals the deal. Don’t blow it—you’ve got seconds to capture attention and entice the click, so the pressure’s on.

Bland, generic ads? That’s elevator music—easily ignored. Your ad copy needs to be a symphony of persuasion, sparking curiosity and promising a solution to the searcher’s needs, for real.

Here’s how to write ad copy that demands attention:

• Forget jargon and fluff. Tell people exactly what you’re offering in plain English.
• Don’t just list what your product does. Highlight how it makes the user’s life better.
• Tell people what you want them to do—“Shop now,” “Learn more,” “Get a quote.”
• Appeal to desires, fears, or aspirations to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
• Don’t just set it and forget it. A/B test different ad variations to see what resonates best.

Make it engaging but informative and impossible to ignore. That’s the secret sauce.

3. Landing Page Optimization

Your ad copy might be the spark, but your landing page is the bonfire. It’s where clicks turn into conversions. A poorly optimized landing page? Nah, man, that ain’t it—all those precious leads will just slip through the cracks.

A landing page needs to make a killer impression, deliver on the promises made in your ad, and gently guide the visitor toward the desired action. No distractions, no confusion, just a seamless path to conversion. That’s the play.

Here’s the blueprint for a high-converting landing page:

• Ensure your landing page content echoes the messaging in your ad. Don’t bait-and-switch your visitors—keep those expectations aligned.
• Your call-to-action should be prominent, compelling, and leave no doubt about what you want the visitor to do.
• Cut the fluff. Get to the point quickly and highlight the key benefits for the visitor.
• Testimonials, reviews, and security badges sprinkle in elements that build credibility and ease concerns.
• A LOT of people browse on their phones. Make sure your landing page looks and functions flawlessly on mobile devices.

Remember, a high-converting landing page isn’t just about aesthetics. Oh, no. It’s about psychology and user experience.

4. Bid Management Strategies

Bidding in Google Ads? Every move counts. You’re battling for the top spots, and the right bidding strategy can make all the difference between a winning campaign and a budget-busting flop.

So, what’s the best approach here?

Manual vs. Automated Bidding

Manual bidding gives you granular control. You set bids for individual keywords or ad groups, tweaking them as you see fit. It’s great for seasoned PPC pros who crave that hands-on approach and have the time to monitor and adjust bids regularly.

Automated bidding, on the other hand, lets Google’s AI do the heavy lifting. It uses machine learning to optimize your bids in real-time based on a ton of signals. It’s perfect for those who want to save time or are still getting their PPC feet wet.

Which Bidding Strategy is Your Perfect Match?

It depends on your goals, my friend.

• Maximize Clicks: Ideal for brand awareness campaigns or when you’re just starting out and need to gather data.
• Target CPA (Cost per Acquisition): Perfect if you have a specific cost per conversion in mind and want to scale efficiently.
• Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): The go-to if you’re focused on maximizing revenue and want to hit a specific return on your ad spend.
• Maximize Conversions: Let Google’s AI go all-in on getting you the most conversions possible within your budget.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your unique situation. Google Ads is a playground, so test different strategies and let the data guide your decisions.

Taking Your Campaigns to the Next Level

Fundamentals out of the way. Let’s think bigger:

5. Ad Extensions

Ad extensions (now called assets) are the cherry on top of your Google Ads sundae—those little extras that make it more enticing. They add valuable real estate to your ads, giving you more room to showcase your awesomeness and attract those clicks.

From sitelink extensions that lead people directly to specific pages on your website to call extensions that make it easy for mobile users to get in touch, there’s an extension for every goal. Location extensions, callouts, structured snippets—the list goes on.

So, go ahead. Experiment and find which assets entice clicks from your audience.

6. Ad Scheduling

Next, scheduling. Sure, you could run your ads 24/7, but is that really targeting those peak times when your audience is most likely to convert?

I can’t answer that question for you. You’ll need to analyze your data, see when those clicks and conversions are rolling in, and adjust your ad schedule accordingly.

You can even get granular with bid adjustments if you like. Increase bids during high-performing hours and decrease them during slower periods. That way, you’ll maximize your budget’s impact.

7. Quality Score

Think of your Quality Score as your Google Ads GPA—a report card on how well your keywords, ads, and landing pages are performing.

It’s a complex calculation, but at its core, it boils down to three key factors: 1) how likely is your ad to get clicked (that’s your expected click-through rate or CTR), 2) how relevant is your ad to the searcher’s query, 3) and is your landing page delivering a seamless, useful experience?

Ace these factors, and you’re in for a treat. You see, a high Quality Score unlocks a ripple effect of benefits across your entire account. We’re talking better ad positions for increased visibility, lower costs-per-click to stretch that budget further, and even more opportunities for your ads to shine across Google’s vast network.

So, how do you become the valedictorian of Quality Score?

It starts with laser-focused keywords that align perfectly with your ads and landing pages. Then, craft ad copy that speaks directly to the searcher’s needs enticing them to click. Finally, make sure your landing page delivers on the promises made in your ad and provides a user experience so smooth they’ll want to stick around.

8. Conversion Tracking

Clicks are great, but they don’t pay the bills. It’s conversions that matter.

But how do you know which ads and keywords are the real MVPs driving those precious conversions? That’s where conversion tracking comes into play.

Setting up conversion tracking is step one, but it’s crucial to do it right. Avoid common pitfalls like tracking the wrong actions or missing key conversions. Trust me when I say you don’t want to be flying blind when measuring your success.

Also, don’t fall into the trap of just tracking the big wins. Track those micro-conversions, too. Newsletter sign-ups, eBook downloads, video views… these smaller actions might not seem like much, but they add up and paint a clearer picture of your customer journey.

Once you’ve got that sweet conversion data flowing in, it’s time to put it to work. Use it to refine your targeting, bid smarter, and optimize your campaigns like a pro. See which demographics or interests are converting like crazy? Double down on those audiences. Notice certain keywords are driving high-value conversions? Allocate more budget to them.

9. A/B Testing

A/B testing (or split testing, if you’re feeling fancy) is a scientific experiment for your ads. You create two (or more) versions of an ad, landing page, or whatever element you’re curious about and let them duke it out in the real world. Google Ads will then show these variations to different segments of your audience and track the results.

So, what can you A/B test? Pretty much anything. Headlines, descriptions, landing page layouts, images, and even the color of your call-to-action buttons.

But here’s the key: test one element at a time. Otherwise, you won’t know which change actually moved the needle.

10. Remarketing: Bringing Back Lost Visitors

Think of remarketing as your second chance at love with those potential customers who showed interest but didn’t quite seal the deal. Maybe they got distracted or maybe they weren’t ready to commit just yet. Who knows?

Remarketing gives you the opportunity to re-engage them, stay top of mind, and woo them back into your conversion funnel.

So, what kind of remarketing campaigns can you cook up? The possibilities are endless, but here are a few favorites:

• Standard remarketing: Show ads to people who’ve visited your website or specific pages.
• Dynamic remarketing: Showcase the exact products or services they viewed, reminding them of what they’re missing.
• Video remarketing: Re-engage viewers of your YouTube videos with targeted ads.
• Email list remarketing: Reach out to your subscribers with personalized ads based on their interests.

Again, experiment, discover what’s working, and scale your successes.

Conclusion and Next Steps

There’s a lot here. Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t sweat it.

At Loganix, we live and breathe Google Ads. We’re the experts who can turn your campaigns into conversion machines, freeing you up to focus on what you do best—running your business.

So, what are you waiting for?

🚀 Head over to our PPC management services page, and let’s chat. 🚀