Google Ads guide for businessesGoogle Ads

With CPC billing, you pay for a click rather than a mere impression. Check the campaign type, bidding strategy and actual billing model directly in the account.

Each time an advert could be served, Google runs an ad auction. Whether the advert appears, and in which position, depends on several current auction signals.

A high bid alone does not determine the auction outcome. Google cites factors including the bid, advert and landing-page quality, search context and the expected impact of advert formats. None of these can guarantee a particular position.

Alongside search adverts, Google Ads includes other campaign types and automated options. Availability, names and features may change, so check the current options in your account.

A search campaign can provide a transparent test when there is specific search demand. Another type may suit other objectives; none guarantees clicks, enquiries or commercial viability.

Keywords and match types influence which queries a search advert may be considered for. Other campaign and auction signals also apply; delivery is not guaranteed.

The exact, phrase and broad match types give Google different degrees of flexibility under their current definitions. Check the official explanations and, above all, the actual search terms in your account.

Begin by forming search-term hypotheses related to your offer and region. Only genuine search-term and conversion data can show whether ‘Webdesign Agentur Saarland’, ‘Werbeagentur Saarbrücken’ or another term generates qualified demand.

Negative keywords can exclude unsuitable search contexts. Whether a term such as ‘kostenlos’ is relevant or should be excluded depends on the offer and actual conversion data.

Align location settings with the area you actually serve and check the current definitions of presence and interest. A radius alone will not prevent wasted spend; review the location reports.

Responsive search adverts combine several headlines and descriptions that you provide. Check the Google Ads account directly to see how many assets are currently available and which requirements apply.

Use the available space for distinct, supportable messages instead of repeating the same empty phrase.

Write what the searcher wants to read, not what sounds good internally. Treat the search query as the headline for your answer.

How much does a click cost? The specific auction determines the price, not a price list. Factors including competition, the bid, search context, region, device and advert quality can affect it.

That is why we do not quote price ranges here. How much does Google Ads cost? sets out an honest calculation with all the variables.

Set limited test parameters suited to the expected volume of data and the maximum loss you can afford. Check the current rules on daily budgets and actual billing directly in the account.

The right bidding strategy depends on your objective, available data, measurement quality and available settings. Automated strategies are not a promise of results; document changes and monitor learning and measurement periods.

Then measure, adjust your hypotheses and reallocate budget only on the basis of qualified results. Historical enquiries do not guarantee future performance either.

Landing-page experience is one of Google's stated quality factors. A relevant landing page can therefore be a useful point to review, but it guarantees neither Quality Score, position nor conversion.

The landing page should follow logically from the advert and search intent, work on relevant devices and make the next step clear. How many calls to action make sense depends on the offer.

For Google Ads review, the advert and landing page must also be consistent, accessible and transparent. The offer, pricing terms, company identity and contact route must not be presented misleadingly or concealed. Even a technically sound page does not guarantee ad approval.

Choose the most relevant landing page rather than using the home page by default. For a specific service enquiry, the corresponding SEO page may be better suited; test its impact in your own campaign.

Our guide to conversion rate optimisation explains in more detail how to turn visitors into enquiries. The conversion rate is the figure you use to assess success.

Without conversion tracking, you are flying blind. You can see clicks and costs, but not which keyword generates enquiries.

That is why we set up tracking before the first advert. We track campaigns through to the enquiry, not merely the click.

Set up conversion measurement and, where appropriate, Google Analytics with a suitable legal basis, transparent privacy information and any consent required for the specific setup. Before loading non-essential analytics or marketing tags, check the applicable requirements and Google's current user consent policy for the EEA.

Then the real work begins: review search terms and conversion data, restrict poorly performing targeting, test new adverts and maintain negative keyword lists.

Google Ads is not a system you set up once and leave unattended. Without regular review, wasted spend can go unnoticed.

We see the inside of many accounts. The same mistakes recur with remarkable consistency.

Do not accept in-account recommendations without scrutiny. Automated suggestions do not necessarily share your business's commercial objectives, measurement limits and risk thresholds.

Broad match, budget changes or automated assets may suit some objectives and data situations. Document the hypothesis and test every change against qualified results.