Google Ads

Google Ads is Google's online advertising platform. Businesses create campaigns that show ads when people search on Google, watch YouTube, browse Shopping results or visit sites in Google's network. Advertisers set budgets and goals, and Google's bidding systems decide how much to bid in each auction based on those goals.

Campaign types serve different purposes. Search campaigns show text ads for chosen keywords. Shopping campaigns use a product feed from Google Merchant Center, and Performance Max campaigns can use one too. Video campaigns run on YouTube, and Demand Gen campaigns reach people across YouTube and other Google feeds.

What makes a campaign work

• Accurate conversion tracking for leads, calls and sales
• Keywords and negative keywords that match real buying intent
• Ads that match the landing page they send people to
• Landing pages with one clear action
• Regular review of search terms and budget

Conversion data drives results

Automated bidding learns from conversions. If conversion tracking counts page views or duplicate form fills, the system optimizes toward the wrong outcome. Sending qualified calls and leads back as conversions, through call tracking tools or offline conversion imports, gives bidding better signals about which clicks become customers.

Search terms and waste

Keywords can match searches that are only loosely related. Reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords keeps spend away from job seekers, do-it-yourself searches and services the business does not offer. Location settings matter too, especially for local service businesses.

Local Services Ads are a separate Google product for service businesses, billed per lead rather than per click. Many local businesses run Local Services Ads alongside Search campaigns.