Google Ads

The Google Ads platform is the most widely used for Search Engine Marketing. But before we explain how it works, we need to answer the following question: what are ads for?

The goal is to increase brand awareness and influence consumer decisions to direct them to your website and convert them. Keep in mind that the abbreviation “ads” refers to the English word “advertising,” which means publicity in Italian.

So, it refers to any form of paid promotion that you can use to increase the online visibility of the products or services you offer. To make this happen, it’s necessary to develop a targeted marketing strategy that resonates with the user at the right moment.

By doing this, you will quickly lead them to make a purchase or complete a specific action without using too much budget. To achieve this goal, online advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads are used.

Within this resource, you’ll have the opportunity to learn and delve into:

• What is Google Ads;
• How Google Ads works and its key features;
• How to create an account;
• Types of ads and the difference between ads and ad groups;
• What types of campaigns exist and how to choose the one most suitable for your goals;
• How to set up Google Ads campaigns;
• The available metrics for monitoring the performance of campaigns and their interpretation;
• Google Ads Vs Facebook Ads.

As you may have gathered, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand how this platform works in order to promote your company online effectively. So, keep reading to uncover the secrets and make the most of its functions.

What is Google Ads

The Google Ads advertising tool is software developed by Big G for online advertising. Its use is free, so there are no costs for registration or use of the platform, while the advertisements themselves are paid.

Consider that as of today, Google Ads is the most widely used tool for SEM because it is easier to use and accessible to everyone. Its peculiarity lies in giving you the opportunity to reach users exactly when they are showing interest in the products and services you offer.

This allows for results and performance that are unimaginable in the world of traditional advertising. In fact, unlike advertising on mass media, with this tool you only pay if the user takes an action or clicks on the advertisement.

Online advertising has simplified processes and democratized them, allowing large multinational corporations to compete for advertising space with small businesses.

This is why a large, medium, or small business cannot do without a Search Engine Marketing strategy. This also applies to small businesses selling products or services, regardless of whether they have a physical or virtual store.

Keep in mind, however, that to use the software effectively, the same points of attention as traditional communication apply:

• the promoted product / service must have its own market, and thus a pool of interested customers capable of purchasing it;
• it is necessary to have a good understanding of the medium in order to create effective advertising campaigns and avoid misusing the budget.

How Google Ads Works

Google Ads, also known as Google AdWords, is an online advertising platform developed by Google. It allows businesses to create and display ads on Google’s search engine and its advertising network. The platform operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where advertisers bid on specific keywords to have their ads appear in relevant search results.

When a user conducts a search using one of the keywords an advertiser has bid on, Google runs an auction to determine which ads to display. The winner of the auction’s placement is based on several factors, including bid amount, ad relevance, and the quality of the landing page.

Google Ads offers various targeting options, allowing advertisers to reach specific demographics, locations, and interests. Additionally, it provides detailed analytics and reporting to track the performance of campaigns, enabling advertisers to optimize their strategies for better results.

Overall, Google Ads is a powerful tool for businesses looking to increase their online visibility, drive traffic to their websites, and ultimately, achieve their marketing goals

Matching Options

This term refers to the relationship between the ad keywords and the user’s query entered in the Google search tab.

The choice of the rule to activate in the type of match between these two elements is extremely important in order to trigger the Google Ads insertion.

The goal, in fact, is to choose the matches that allow you to intercept the optimal target audience for the various campaigns. Below are the rules that can be activated.

• Broad match: To activate the insertion, it is sufficient that there is a match between the ad keywords and the user’s query. It also activates if the potential customer adds other words. This option is the farthest from targeting a qualified audience.
• Phrase match: The keywords are enclosed in quotes. The long tail therefore requires that the words enclosed in quotes be in that order. This does not prevent the search from being activated even if there are additional words in the query.
• Exact match: The perfect match between keyword and query. It is often used in branding campaigns.
• Modified broad match: The keywords have a + sign in front. This symbol activates the modifier and intercepts all queries that revolve semantically around the keyword. It is the most commonly used matching type, but you must be careful to segment and match the search.
• Negative match: I do not want my ad to be displayed when a specific word is in the user’s query.

PPC

Google introduced a new concept of advertising when it replaced the parameter for advertising monetization, which is based on visibility, with the parameter of user action.

This translates to the adoption of the Pay Per Click (PPC) metric. Therefore, it’s not just about the simple display of the ad, but only when the potential customer clicks, the amount is deducted from the budget invested in the campaign.

This is a concept completely opposite to Cost per Mille impressions (CPM) payment, where the advertiser pays for the advertising space every time it is viewed a thousand times by users.

This metric is commonly used for banners in the field of affiliation and, in the case of Google Ads software, in display campaigns.

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Auction System and Quality Score

Keep in mind that the placement of every ad on Google’s SERP is personalized based on the user, geolocation, and time.

So, how does Google decide who to position at the top and who lower down? Advertisers participate in an auction that takes place in a matter of milliseconds, where victory is not determined solely by the bid amount.

The AD ranking is determined by the combination of some evaluations that constitute a very important metric in the platform: the so-called Quality Score.

But what are the metrics that make up the Google Ads quality score?

1. The historical average position of your ad and the CTR that predicts the future click-through rate.
2. The history of the destination URL, i.e., whether the landing page is performing well.
3. The ranking threshold, which is composed of the relevance of the landing page to the ad.
4. For display campaigns, the target devices also matter: for example, if the ads perform well in mobile searches.

The evaluation of this set of factors results in the quality score, expressed as a score from 0 to 10. This score is crucial for winning the auction and determining the actual cost of the ad:

User A    Quality score 8     Maximum bid $6       8 X 6 = 48 Total

User B    Quality score 5     Maximum bid $8       5 X 8 = 40 Total

User C    Quality score 4     Maximum bid $6       4 X 6 = 24 Total

In this case, User A, even with a lower bid, wins the auction because they have a higher quality score, allowing them to achieve a total score of 48 (product of quality score and maximum bid).

But this doesn’t mean they will pay 6 or 8€ per click. It will be the minimum bid that allows them to achieve a total score higher than the maximum bid that defines the actual cost per click.

In this example, User A replaces the $6 offered with $5.01, which is the minimum bid to surpass the total score of the $8 offered by User B. So, $5.01 X 8 (Quality score) = 40.8, which is the bare minimum to surpass the total of the higher bid from User B, which is $8 X 5 (Quality score) = 40 total.

Advertising Editorial Rules

Google Ads has rules for ad publication, primarily falling into three categories:

1. Prohibited content: This refers to the sale of specific products or services. It is prohibited to promote counterfeit products and products harmful to health. Concerning services, this mainly refers to those that encourage dishonest behavior. Creating content that is inherently discriminatory, offensive, or violent is also prohibited.
2. Restricted content: This is a diverse category, ranging from the sale of borderline products like alcohol and adult content to copyright infringement and trademark regulations.
3. Prohibited activities: In order to protect and safeguard users, illegal advertising practices are not allowed. This mainly pertains to the purposes for which data collection is conducted, as well as transparency regulations.

Campaigns undergo an approval process. For further details, you can refer to the specific guide provided by Google’s support.

How to Create a Google Ads Account

To create a Google Ads account, the only requirement is to have a Gmail account. It is not recommended to follow the guided procedure as it restricts access to numerous Google functions. After entering the name of your business, I advise you to click on “switch to expert mode”.

In the next screen, select “create an account without a campaign”.

Next, you will need to enter your business information:

• Billing country,
• Time zone,
• Currency.

Once your Google Ads account is active, you can enter your billing information in the designated section found in the menu. You can access it by clicking on the wrench-shaped icon and navigating to the “Billing” section.

To access the tool and use it, simply enter your credentials on the Google Ads login page or be logged into your browser if you are using Google Chrome.

But how to deactivate a Google Ads account?

In case you want to deactivate your account, keep in mind that you will still need to pay any accrued costs over time. If there are still funds in your account, you will be refunded within a maximum of 4 weeks.

The requirements for closure are:

• Access to your account as an administrator
• Have set up billing information.

To delete the account, you will need to click on the wrench-shaped icon, go to “Settings,” and click on “Preferences.” Then, expand the “Account status” section and click on “Delete my account.”

How to Set Up Google Ads Campaigns

If you’re wondering how to get started with Google Ads, first, it’s important to decide which keywords to use for the campaign. Consequently, you’ll need to think about the terms users might type into the search engine to find the product or service.

As a next step, you need to set an advertising goal that will help you understand which campaign is best suited to reach as many users as possible. Once you’ve defined both the goal and the target audience to reach:

• Log in to your account;
• Click on Campaigns;
• Click on the plus button and select New Campaign;
• Select the advertising goal;
• Choose conversion goals;
• Select the type of campaign.

Remember that a successful Google Ads campaign can help improve your site’s ranking in Google search results. However, setting one up can be complex.

Below, I’ll explain how to do it step by step, so you can start getting the traffic you desire and take your online business to the next level.

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Objectives

Google’s algorithm will target users within the selected audience segments who are inclined to perform specific actions. We need to tell the search engine what the objective is for each campaign.

• Brand awareness and reach: The goal is to introduce the company to as many people as possible.
• Product and brand consideration: When the user has a need, they will remember that my brand is the right solution.
• Traffic: Encouraging users to take any action.
• Lead generation: In addition to landing on the website, the user leaves their information.
• Promotions and visits to local stores: Used for local campaigns to encourage visits to physical stores.

It also allows for additional actions such as:

• Sales: Conversion occurs when the user makes purchases on the e-commerce site.
• App Promotion: Do you want to encourage the user to download the brand’s application?

Campaign Types

Google Ads campaigns are a grouping of advertisements that share a budget, targeting, and other settings. They are often used to organize products and services offered on your websites.

Being an excellent tool for promoting a website or a product, it’s important to know how to set them up to get the best possible results. If you’re planning to launch one:

• Identify your target audience and their interests.
• Determine your goals: Do you want to increase traffic to your website? Improve the conversion rate?

Once you understand your business objectives, you’ll be able to choose the type of campaign. In fact, based on the type of user you want to target, the stage of the funnel they’re in, and the type of product or service you want to promote, there are 6 types of campaigns:

• Search,
• Display Network,
• Google Shopping,
• YouTube,
• Smart Campaign,
• Gmail.

Bidding Strategy

In Google Ads, there are several types of bidding strategies, but the main ones are these four:

1. Manual CPC: You decide how much to bid for each keyword. It requires continuous and very precise analysis.
2. Maximize Clicks: The advertiser sets a maximum limit that the system manages by making the best possible bid to achieve the best positioning within the set limit.
3. Target CPA: Achieve as many conversions as possible at the manually set price.
4. Maximize Conversions: The parameter here is not the click, but the conversion, which occurs when the user makes a purchase on the site or fills out a form to acquire a lead.

Except for manual CPC, machine learning from Google plays a significant role in bidding strategies: the machine learns what the best bid is, with the best parameters (day, time, user).

Artificial intelligence is one of Google’s major innovations, allowing us to achieve the best performance from our ads.

The advice is to rely on Google Ads AI only when you have accumulated enough data to allow the software to work at its best.

Geo-targeting

Google Ads campaigns are a grouping of advertisements that share a budget, targeting, and other settings. They are often used to promote products and services offered by your own websites.

Being an excellent tool for promoting a website or a product, it is important to know how to set them up to get the best possible results. If you are planning to launch one:

• Identify your target audience and their interests.
• Determine your goals: Increase traffic to your website? Improve the conversion rate?

Once you have understood your business goals, you will be able to choose the type of campaign. In fact, depending on the type of user you want to target, the stage of the funnel they are in, and the type of product or service you want to promote, there are 6 types of campaigns:

• Search,
• Display Network,
• Google Shopping,
• Youtube,
• Smart campaign,
• Gmail.

Google Ads Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword planning tool available within the Google Ads platform. It is used to provide forecasts on ad costs and competitiveness.

Furthermore, it is also an important reference for SEO as it provides possible related keywords and the semantic field of what you want to position organically on the SERP.

However, if you don’t have active campaigns, the tool does not show the exact search volume of the keywords, but only a generic range of the average monthly searches.

To use it for free without activating any campaign, you need to switch to expert mode when setting up your account.

Accessing the tool from the Google Ads tools menu, you have access to two types of searches:

• Find new keywords: by entering a keyword of interest, you can get ideas to add related keywords and also know the search volume of each of them.
• Get search volumes and forecasts: you can either search for historical metrics or focus on trend and cost forecasts.

To use this tool, go to the hamburger menu on the left side of the main screen and click on “tools”. You will see the “planning” option which, when clicked, allows you to view the “keyword planning tool” option.

With “find new keywords”, it shows you a list of new keywords sorted by relevance. It also provides information about the level of competition and the recommended bid for clicks to position it at the top or bottom of the page.

In some cases, it also provides data on the quarterly or annual percentage change in search volumes for each keyword.

Regarding the “Get search volumes and forecasts” option, by selecting the budget and bidding strategy, the tool provides very interesting data in the form of charts.

For a specific keyword in a target location and selected time frame, it provides information about:

• Number of clicks,
• Impressions,
• Cost,
• Average CPC,
• CTR.

Furthermore, the graphs provide detailed information on these metrics based on a specific location and the device used by the user.

The results obtained, therefore, allow you to plan a strategic plan based on the objectives, although the success of a campaign is obviously influenced by several factors.

Ads and Ad Groups

With Google Ads you can create targeted advertising to reach your intended audience. The tool offers the ability to create text, display, and video ads that will be displayed on Google’s search results pages.

Furthermore, ads can be targeted based on various factors such as location, age, gender, and interests. As a user, you can choose from different types of ads based on your needs.

It’s important to note that you should never create just one ad group, but multiple together. This is done to ensure that Google prioritizes the most relevant ad group.

For keyword suggestions and selection, use the planning tool found in your account. Once you’ve decided on the keywords you want to use, insert them into each ad group, making sure not to exceed 20 keywords per ad group.

To create all types of ads, as a starting point for each one, you need to log in to your Google account, select the chosen campaign, and click on “Ads”.

Text Ads

A text ad consists of only words, with the advantage of being easy and quick to manage. They are used to reach users when they search on Google, and you compose them like this:

• Headlines: They should indicate what your business is about and be engaging, as they are the first point of contact with potential customers. You can add up to three headlines, but remember they should not exceed 30 characters each. They can be separated to appear differently depending on the device used.
• Final URL: This is the page where the customer is directed when they click on the ad, so it should be relevant to the type of search associated with it.
• Display URL: This is the URL that the user sees. It usually corresponds to the homepage of the website and is displayed in green.
• Description: It should provide more detailed information about the product or service you offer and encourage user action. Do not exceed about 200 characters.
• Tracking Template: This is added if the advertiser has tracking code on the website to monitor traffic from Google.

For ads targeting local businesses, you can also include the phone number and address for direct contact with the company or to locate it on maps (especially useful for mobile device ads).

Display Ads

Display ads are banners or text ads that are found only in Google’s display network and not on the search engine pages. Each publisher decides what type of format to host on their platform. 20% of the spaces are dedicated to text-only ads, so it’s advisable to include them in the library.

As already mentioned for banner formats, reference is made to the rules dictated by the IAB. The platforms that host the banners are the “display network,” where the user spends 90% of their time compared to the search network.

This type of ad allows for creative communication and is particularly suitable for branding. Therefore, the main KPI is to make impressions. As for the list of Google’s partner sites, there is no official list. Certainly, it includes Amazon, Ask, and, of course, YouTube and Google Maps. It’s a list that changes frequently.

Video Ads
Video campaigns are created to better engage the user and are the type of ads visible in video format. Generally, they can last from 6 to 15 seconds and are displayed on the YouTube platform. Below are some formats of available video ads.

• Skippable in-stream ads;
• Non-skippable in-stream ads;
• Video discovery ads;
• Bumper ads;
• Outstream ads;
• Masthead ads.

Snippet Extensions

Snippet extensions allow developers to provide additional information about their websites that will be displayed in Google’s search results. This allows users to get more information about websites before visiting them.

Introduced for the first time in 2012 and gradually implemented on all of Google’s search engines, extensions are additional information that is added to the search ad and can be inserted at the campaign or ad group level.

Google will then decide whether and which ones to show. However, the more extensions there are, the more likely you are to secure a spot in the top part of the SERP. Here are the most important ones:

• Callout: primarily used on smartphones, it is used when promoting complex activities that require direct and immediate contact. But also for telephone booking services. Remember to set the times when you want the extension to be visible. It has the advantage of increasing CTR by up to 6-8%. In addition, the effectiveness of the ad is measured immediately.
• Sitelink: these are the blue links under the snippet. They are shortcuts to take users from a generic query-triggered ad to a specific page on the website. They are clickable.
• Callout: these are keywords that are at the bottom of the snippet but are not clickable. They are used to emphasize service features. At least 4 must be uploaded to complete the line. However, you can have up to 12, and Google will then choose which ones to display.
• Location: important for any business whose goal is to convert offline. This extension allows you to be located on a map and appear to users in the area with GPS enabled. As mentioned earlier, Google has made a significant investment in Maps, meeting the needs of physical stores. This extension is only possible if the advertiser has a Google My Business listing.

Google Ads: Campaign Types

Google Ads offers a range of versatile campaign types to suit different advertising goals. Each type is designed to reach your target audience effectively. Here are some of the key campaign types:

Search

The Search campaign is an excellent opportunity to increase traffic to your website and improve its positioning on search engines. It allows you to create text ads aiming to provide users with the most relevant results to their queries.

In other words, these are advertisements that appear in the search engine results page (SERP) of search engines like Google and Bing based on the keywords entered by users. Search advertising campaigns are a great way to reach potential customers when they are already interested in what you offer.

These campaigns have become more effective since Google introduced the option to choose audiences.

Display Network

Another compelling facet of Google Ads campaigns is the Display Network. This powerful tool allows you to showcase your ads on websites, videos, and apps to enhance your website’s visibility on search engines.

However, it’s crucial to pay attention to the tone and messaging of your advertisements. Strive for an engaging approach without being intrusive, piquing the interest of potential users.

To create a Display campaign:

• Log in to your Google Ads account.
• Click on Campaigns.
• Press the plus button and select New campaign.

Choose from:

• Sales,
• Leads,
• Website traffic,
• Brand awareness and reach,
• Select Display as the campaign type.

Google Ads Display campaigns encompass various ad formats, commonly referred to as banners. Hence, ads appear within websites that are part of Google’s network.

Each publisher decides the type of format to host on their platform. Some sites may only accept text formats. Alongside text, there are multimedia ads (HTML), illustrated ads (gif) with a compelling Call to Action (CTA), and then there are videos.

The formats adhere to IAB standards, making them consistent across Europe. Advertisers can choose to exclude specific placements, and unless specific to your campaign, it’s advisable to exclude apps.

You can also set frequency limits, choose operating systems, and exclude certain portals. While keywords are pivotal for search ad campaigns, understanding your buyer personas is fundamental in this context.

Google Shopping

Google has made substantial investments to develop this tool, providing a direct response to Amazon. To run this type of campaign, the advertiser must link their Google Ads account to the Merchant Center account.

Once the catalog is uploaded, it’s essential to optimize the product card “attributes.” These correspond to the keywords that trigger the promotion when a user enters a query in the search engine.

YouTube and Video

When it comes to digital marketing platforms, one cannot ignore YouTube, one of the most powerful and popular social media platforms in the world. In addition to being a website that allows users to share videos, YouTube also offers the opportunity to create and publish ads.

The ads created on this platform can effectively reach potential customers at a reasonable cost. They are highly customized based on user preferences and involve the use of videos to promote a product, service, or company. These videos can be posted on the company’s YouTube channel or on other websites and social media.

Furthermore, videos are often more informative and engaging compared to traditional ads, making them ideal for marketing campaigns. Finally, they can be easily shared on social media, allowing businesses to reach a wider audience.

Intelligent or Smart Campaign

Smart Campaign is a marketing campaign that relies on customer interactions with your products or services, often utilizing advanced technologies to reach consumers.

The campaign focuses on sending personalized messages to customers based on their preferences and needs. It also aims to provide users with a smarter and more tailored shopping experience.

This type of campaign centers around customer behavior and how your products or services can meet their needs. It’s a campaign where the emphasis is on customer experience.

The Smart Campaign is important because it helps you get the most out of your Google Ads campaigns, thereby increasing ROI (return on investment).

Gmail

Gmail ad campaigns are part of the display campaigns category. They are Google Ads campaigns that appear in the email inbox. The ads can include a preview of a video or an image.

To create or edit one, you can use Google Ads Editor. This type of campaign has specific metrics: forwarding from Gmail, and saving, which moves the email to the inbox. The ad can be targeted to an audience or it can be a remarketing campaign.

You can use keywords: if Google finds that keyword while scanning the email, it will show the ad to the user. The ads can include a preview of a video instead of an image. They perform better on mobile and have an open rate of over 50%.

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Google Ads Ad Metrics

Monitoring the performance of Google Ads involves having access to a wide range of metrics that allow for accurate measurements of advertising campaigns.

But why talk about metrics? They are important to evaluate if marketing campaigns are performing as expected. Considering all the available measurements provided by Google Ads can help better understand how to:

• Optimize and measure campaign performance to understand how to achieve your goals.
• Optimize costs.
• Maximize conversions.
• Help you monitor your campaigns in detail.

The evaluation of results can be done for:

• Contacts received.
• Conversion rate and bounce rate: they provide information on how many people are actually buying from you or visiting other pages on your site.
• Clicks received.
• Cost per click: it provides an idea of the cost-benefit ratio of the campaign and how many people are actually interacting with your ad.
• Number of impressions: it will help you understand the reach of the campaign.

These metrics can be used to determine which part of your campaign is performing well or poorly, so you can make informed decisions on how to optimize your strategy. While there are many different indicators, some of the most important ones are CTR, CPC, CPA, and CR.

CTR

The CTR metric is a particularly useful parameter that allows you to understand if the ad is relevant to what the user is searching for. It represents, in percentage, the number of clicks compared to the number of impressions.

CTR is a crucial parameter for evaluating the quality score, and the calculation formula is:

(number of clicks / number of impressions) x 100

Although it is an important metric in all campaigns, it is more relevant in search campaigns compared to display campaigns, where the number of impressions is extensive, and the CTR is marginalized. In performing search campaigns, the CTR should be above 1%.

CPC and CPA

CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) are two parameters for budget management and are important for evaluating the cost of an advertising campaign.

In short, CPC is the cost you incur each time someone clicks on your ad. On the other hand, CPA is the cost you incur each time someone completes a specific action, such as purchasing a product or filling out a form.

Which of the two models is better for you? It depends on various factors, such as the nature of your business, your advertising goals, and so on.

CPC and CPA are two important metrics for PPC advertisers. The main difference between the two is that CPC focuses on the number of clicks obtained from the ads, while CPA focuses on actual purchases or conversions.

CR and ROI

CR (Conversion Rate) and ROI (Return on Investment) are two important concepts in marketing. Essentially, CR, or conversion rate, is one of the most critical aspects of online marketing, and understanding how it works is essential for success.

It is the percentage of visitors to your website who take an action, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter. There are various factors that can influence the conversion rate, and it’s important to optimize your website with this metric in mind. For example:

• Offer a service or product that is easy to understand or simple to use.
• Tell visitors exactly what you want them to do and make it easy for them to do it.
• Offer something of value. Whether it’s discounts, free shipping, or valuable content, give visitors a reason to convert.

If the conversion rate is low, it means you’re not doing a good job of turning traffic into leads or customers. The formula to calculate CR is:

(users who convert on the landing page/users who performed the CTA on the ad) x100

The meaning of conversion refers to any action you want to track:

• a purchase,
• a contact request,
• the download of a catalog.

Getting the highest number of conversions at the lowest cost possible is the main goal of every Ads investment. ROI, on the other hand, stands for “Return on Investment” and can be measured by monitoring conversions and applying this simple formula:

total revenue / total advertising spend = ROI.

Differences Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads

Why talk about Google Ads vs Facebook Ads? Both are online advertising platforms with similar functionality but with some substantial differences.

First of all, it’s important to highlight that Facebook is a social network while Google is a search engine. This means that while users are actively searching when they enter a query on Google, those same users are spending their leisure time on Facebook and are not necessarily turning their attention towards making a specific purchase of a product or service.

Therefore, on Google, you’re engaging in a “pull” type of marketing, whereas on Facebook, you’ll need to capture users’ attention with a form of “push” marketing. For the same reason, Google Ads is suitable for users who are further down the sales funnel, who have a clear need, and already know which product or service to purchase. It targets users who express a conscious query.

On the contrary, the Facebook Ads platform caters to those who are higher up the funnel. Users who may not yet be familiar with your brand or aware of the products or services your company offers. In fact, it’s said that Meta’s online advertising platform is more suited to addressing a latent query.

Another important difference lies in how the two tools function. While Google allows you to intercept all users who enter a query on search engines, Facebook gives advertisers the opportunity to target ads to users who have shown specific interests on social media. In other words, with Google’s platform, you can target based on:

• relevance to the user’s search;
• their browser’s language;
• the device they’re using;
• their location;
• actions taken by users who have visited your site or interacted with an ad (remarketing).

While using Meta’s online advertising platform, you can define your target based on:

• purchase behaviors, i.e., user interests;
• importing phone contacts or email addresses to the platform (custom audience segments);
• user life events, i.e., their past experiences;
• the AI’s platform-defined audience similar to those involved in past campaigns.

Additionally, while Google Ads is used to create campaigns to advertise pages on your website or landing pages linked to it, Facebook Ads is used to create campaigns to promote posts from your business page.

So, is Google Ads or Facebook Ads better? In reality, neither tool is better than the other. But you have to choose which one to use and how based on some variables:

• your buyer personas, i.e., the users you’re targeting and their digital habits;
• the target market;
• the type of products and/or services you offer;
• your goals, whether you want to generate a conversion or make yourself known;
• the budget you have available;
• the history of your website.

Truthfully, it can be said that a comprehensive marketing strategy should involve the integration of both platforms. They correspond to two different moments in the marketing funnel, and it would be optimal to use them complementarily to optimize the conversion rate of your website.

Advantages of Google Ads

Flexibility

• Budget and publishing method flexibility: Each campaign created can be assigned a daily budget that can be modified at any time. This budget can be distributed over a specified period in two ways: standard, where the budget is evenly distributed over time, and accelerated, where the budget is spent as quickly as possible, depleting it faster. Once the maximum threshold is reached, Google Ads suspends ad publication. This allows for complete budget control.
• Rapid campaign implementation: Campaigns are straightforward and quick to create. Simply allocate a budget to the campaign, create ad groups where keywords and their matches will be inserted, and then implement the ad, which is the creative content.
• Real-time editing capabilities: Changes are immediate, enabling you to conduct tests, understand real-time performance, and make necessary adjustments for ongoing campaign optimization.
• No minimum duration limit: There is no fixed duration limit for a Google Ads campaign. Campaigns are halted when the set budget threshold is reached.

Efficiency

• You only pay for clicks: With the PPC system, you only pay if a user actually clicks on the ad.
• Google Ads reports allow you to measure campaign results and optimize them. You can delve into detailed metrics, allowing you to measure ROI. Google Ads can also be linked to Google Analytics 4 for even greater campaign control.
• Every time the ad appears, even if not clicked, you receive free advertising through impressions.

Coverage

• Reaching over 85% of Internet users in Italy. As Google is the most widely used search engine in Italy, you have the opportunity to reach almost all Italian internet users.
• Possibility to plan campaigns at a local level. This means you can target ads only to users in a specific country, region, or city.

Timing

Ads are displayed to qualified users. Ads appear when a user performs a search on Google. This means the ad is presented to a user who has shown interest in a product/service.

Hence the importance of consistency between the message conveyed in the ad and the search query. It is undoubtedly the most powerful tool in inbound marketing.

This doesn’t mean Google Ads shouldn’t be considered an outbound marketing tool: display and video campaigns can fall into this category, even though the user seeing the ad is still profiled.

Google Ads Courses and Certifications

Now that you’ve completed reading the guide on Google Ads, it’s time to delve into the aspect of training.

In fact, to navigate the use of this platform, it’s not enough to just learn the concepts you’ve found in this guide.

You’ll need to practice, acquire more skills, and refine them. But what are the Google Ads certifications?

There are 9 certifications issued by Google itself, organized into 3 levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. But how do you prepare for the Google Ads certification?

Keep in mind that it’s important to become familiar with the program and its terminology. Additionally, you need to conduct research on different types of advertising campaigns and how Google’s algorithm works.

Then, it’s crucial to test your abilities through an exam and practical experience. By following these steps, you’ll be ready to obtain the Google Ads certification.

In order to become a Google Ads consultant, Digital Coach, a school with a decade of experience in the field, will allow you to prepare yourself to obtain the certifications with their Google Ads course.

Finally, if reading this guide has sparked your interest in the world of online advertising and you’d like to delve deeper into the subject, I recommend enrolling in the SEO-SEM specialist course, which is much more than just a Google Ads course.

Indeed, it will allow you to become an expert in SEM and also learn SEO, two disciplines closely connected to each other.

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