Jewelry ECOMM Tech

AdWords Management Options For Jewelers June 07, 2018 (0 comments)

Getting your website to the point of reaching top organic rank on the first page of Google should be every retail store’s goal. Driving organic traffic is one of the most powerful ways you can put your business in front of customers. However, search engine optimization is usually a long-term process - months or years of producing quality content and performing other SEO strategies that almost always require the assistance of an experienced agency. And even with a big SEO effort, you simply may not be doing it as well or as long as your competitors - so the effort still may not get you ahead of them on Google’s rankings. This is why its important for jewelers to run Google AdWords. Google AdWords enables you to create fine-tuned ads to attract specific types of customers to your store. They appear in great spots, too for example, the top of Google’s search results page, youtube videos, or other display ads across the web.

How AdWords Works

AdWords work on a bidding system. AdWords determines which ads should show with a lightning-fast ad auction, which takes place every time someone searches on Google or visits a site that shows AdWords ads. There are three main factors Google uses to determine the order that they’ll show ads on their search page:

• Your bid - When you set your bid, you're telling AdWords the maximum amount you're willing to pay for a click on your ad. How much you actually end up paying is often less, and you can change your bid at any time.
• The quality of your ads - AdWords also looks at how relevant and useful your ad and the website it links to are to the person who'll see it. Our assessment of the quality of your ad is summarized in your Quality Score, which you can monitor—and work to improve—in your AdWords account.
• The expected impact from your ad extensions and other ad formats - When you create your ad, you have the option to add additional information to your ad, such as a phone number, or more links to specific pages on your site. These are called ad extensions. AdWords estimates how extensions and other ad formats you use will impact your ad's performance. So even if your competition has higher bids than yours, you can still win a higher position at a lower price by using highly relevant keywords, ads, and extensions.

Together, these 3 factors determine when and if your ad will appear to potential customers. Best of all, you only pay when someone actually clicks the link.

Managing Your AdWords Campaigns

Managing it all can be a big task. However, it's necessary. Jewelers interested in running AdWords will have to make the decision to manage their AdWords themselves or to have an agency or Google partner do it. Typically, its recommended to hire a professional with AdWords experience. The strategies they use vs the basic ones you’ll use could be the difference between the ads paying off or not. However, Google does have a simpler solution - AdWords Express - that are made for storefronts with small marketing teams or without professional help. Depending on your goals, you may want to try AdWords yourself, hire an agency to manage your AdWords account, or you can try Google AdWords Express to simplify it for you. I’d like to walk you through the key differences between AdWords and AdWords Express. By understanding these simple differences, you can choose which platform best suits the needs and goals of your business. At a high-level view, it all comes down to time, resources, and ad formats.

Time and Resources

AdWords: If you’ve got the time to manage online campaigns – ideally an extra five to 15 hours per week minimum – then AdWords might be for you. AdWords gives you the ability to show up on Google.com, the Google Display Network, and Google Maps. Depending on how you build your campaigns, and how active of a manager you are, will dictate how much time you’ll need to spend on campaign management and optimization. However, expect to create an evolving campaign structure, choose keywords, set bids, write text ads or create display ads, and optimize on your own. If this sounds like a bit too much work for you, but you’re willing to invest in resources, consider hiring an in-house marketing manager or a Google Certified Agency (hint: check our Recommended Agencies page HERE) to help manage your campaigns. AdWords Express: If time is of the essence, and you need your campaigns up and running quickly with limited resources, AdWords Express might be your best bet. Don’t just think about short term, though. If over the long term, you don’t think you’ll have time to manage online campaigns successfully and you don’t anticipate hiring a consultant or agency, AdWords Express is for you. This option is ideal for small and medium-sized business owners who wear many hats – and working on their businesses’ advertising is an additional role that’s taking up time. With AdWords Express, you can set a budget and based on your type of business, Google will come up with a list of keywords to trigger ads to your site or Google+ page. Minimal ongoing management and maintenance is also provided by Google. To quickly see the success of your AdWords Express account, consider downloading the AdWords Express app directly on your phone or tablet.

Ad Formats

AdWords: If you are looking for robust online advertising – inclusive of text, animated and/or static banners, and engaging video formats – AdWords is the best place to be. This platform is ideal for businesses that have their own website, and campaigns with a lot of moving parts – i.e., multiple landing pages, a variety of creative ad formats, etc. Also, if you plan to A/B test anything – creative, text ads, or landing pages – AdWords is the way to go. AdWords Express: If you’re comfortable with only having text ads on Google.com and Google Maps, then consider AdWords Express. Although the platform doesn’t contain advanced ad formats, you will still be able to write your own ads which will show next to, above, or below the search results as a “Sponsored Link.” To run on AdWords Express, you don’t even need a website, as you can direct all of your ads to your Google+ page for more information on your business. If you do have a website, though, you can direct ads there as well. I hope this article provides some insight on choosing the right way to manage your Google AdWords. We’ll cover great AdWords strategies regularly!