Understand Google Ads In (It Doesn't Get Simpler Than This)

The (Extremely Basic) Basics

Google is a search engine with over a billion websites indexed on it.

When you type something into Google and hit enter, Google matches up what you typed in with pages from websites that are relevant to your search. That’s essentially what ‘indexing’ means.

Because Google was one of the first services to do this, and do it well, it has become the go-to search engine for most of the internet-using world.

This made it a very valuable space for advertising.

Google is worth over a trillion dollars because individuals have been paying them to advertise on their platform for nearly 20 years.

So How Exactly Does It Work?

Let’s suppose you sell socks, and you have a website listing all the different types of socks you sell.

socks.com, naturally.

If someone types in ‘buy fish’, you probably don’t want your website to show up for this search, because that person isn’t looking for socks. It’s quite certain they’re looking to buy one, or perhaps even many, fish.

Who would you like your website to appear in front of?

People who are looking to buy socks, of course!

But how does Google know to only show your website to someone who types in ‘buy socks’ and not ‘buy fish’?

You tell them!

Socks, Not Fish

Keywords.

Keywords are at the heart of every Google search advertising campaign.

(I’m specifying a ‘search’ campaign, as there are other types, but I’ve only got 500 words to teach you enough to understand the basics).

If you use ‘buy socks’ as one of your keywords, that means your website’s ad will only show up for someone who searches ‘buy socks’.

Helpfully, Google will also show your website’s ad for variations of ‘buy socks’, and you can even tell it how specific (or broad) you’d like those variations to be.

Want to know the really cool bit?

You only pay Google money when someone clicks on your website’s ad, which means you only pay for the people who are interested in your socks!

Surely There’s a Catch?!

You might be thinking ‘But what if the person goes to the site and doesn’t buy any socks?’

That’s an excellent question, insightful reader!

That’s where your website takes over and convinces the visitor to make a purchase or send an enquiry. So it’s worth make sure socks.com is up to scratch.

‘Errrr… why isn’t everyone with a half-decent site doing this and making boatloads of cash?’ I hear you ponder.

Well, creating and maintaining a profitable Google Ads account isn’t a walk in the park. Even if the concept is easy enough to grasp.

I could describe to you how a car works, but building one is a completely different kettle of fish.

If you want to guarantee ultra-qualified traffic to your site you spent lots of time and money on, it’s worth hiring a professional.

If only you knew one…