As previously discussed on our blog, the Conversions section of AdWords is a great way to track the progress of your paid ad campaigns. Within the Conversions section, advertisers can see how their ads are performing in relation to actual website conversions (i.e. a phone call, contact form submission). However, sometimes advertisers want to know more. While the Conversions section of AdWords sheds light on how effective your ads are, there are other ways to ensure your ads are reaching the right audience. As with any marketing campaign, it is important to know who your customers are, how they think, and what they are looking for. Here are just a few ways to achieve such:
Device and Location Bid Adjustments
Do your customers typically find your website on a desktop computer or mobile device? If the answer is mobile, AdWords managers should consider implementing mobile bid adjustments to account for customers viewing ads on smartphones and tablets. Mobile bid adjustments can be set at the campaign level.
Additionally, if you know that the majority of your customers live in a specific geographic area, add a bid adjustment in the respective cities and towns. For example, if you specialize in high-end products, bid more in upscale locations. If your product or service is geared toward an urban lifestyle, consider increasing the bid in nearby cities. Of course, advertisers should be sure to track the success of these adjustments to confirm any suspicions.
Understand Your Customers’ Search Behavior
Less-experienced AdWords managers may be unaware that they can see which search terms are ultimately resulting in the display of their ads. To do so, navigate to the Keywords tab, click the Details dropdown menu, and select “All” under Search Terms. Keywords and phrases that searchers find your ad for will be shown.
This feature is twofold; advertisers may see the actual keywords and phrases that are their potential customers are searching, and also eliminate any if they are irrelevant to the business. To do so, simply check off the keyword in the left-most column, and click “Add as Negative Keyword” above. Conversely, advertisers may also add the keyword or phrase to an Ad Group if it is not already being used. Understanding the search behavior of your potential customers is also useful in your overall Web marketing strategy.