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How to advertise smartly as an e-commerce business
E-commerce is booming like never before. Structuring a Google Ads campaign is of utmost importance to advertise effectively. In this blog, we delve deeper into the structure of search campaigns. Advertise smartly and reach the right audience for your product or service.
Why advertise on Google Ads?
A Google Ads campaign allows you to generate ads that appear based on search queries, targeting your desired audience. This increases your chances of getting clicks, driving more traffic to your website. Achieving a good quality score—Google’s rating of your ad’s relevance—is crucial. This score influences how often your ad appears in search results and its position. With a well-structured campaign, you can achieve excellent results both in the short and long term. Moreover, a properly organized campaign makes it easier to adjust and optimize, ensuring strong performance.
What do you need to start with Google Ads?
To advertise through Google, certain essentials are required. First, you need a product or service to sell—this is self-evident, as advertising without something to promote is futile. Second, you need a (realistic) advertising budget you’re willing to spend. Additionally, you must already have a website with a relevant landing page. Finally, setting clear goals for what you want to achieve with your ads is crucial. Without specific objectives, you risk not using your budget efficiently, potentially missing out on revenue from your advertising efforts.
Structure of a Search Campaign
Search advertisements are the most recognized and widely used method for advertising through Google Ads. A search campaign begins with selecting keywords. When people use these keywords, your ads appear in the search results. You only pay when a visitor actually clicks on your ad. However, the frequency at which Google displays your ad depends on several factors, including competition, your bid, your budget, and the quality score assigned to your ad.
The importance of search campaigns cannot be overstated. They allow you to quickly reach a large audience actively searching for what you offer. Every individual who clicks on your ad can be considered a potential customer.
Google Ads operates as a virtual marketplace where advertisers bid on keywords. A bid consists of a maximum price—the highest amount an advertiser is willing to pay per click (CPC or Cost-Per-Click). Additionally, the cost is influenced by the quality of the ad and the associated quality score assigned by Google. Lastly, the expected impact of ad extensions and formats also affects the cost.
Tips
Setting up a campaign may seem simple, but designing it strategically is much more challenging. As mentioned earlier, achieving a good quality score is critical, as it impacts your Ad Rank. A lower score results in a higher CPC and a lower ad position. This demonstrates that simply placing a higher bid does not automatically lead to a better position in search results. Strategizing carefully and ensuring the quality of your ads are essential for maximizing your return on investment.

The Ad Rank is calculated by multiplying the quality score by the maximum Cost-per-Click (CPC). Improving the CPC can therefore lead to a better ad position. The quality score itself is based on three key factors: ad relevance, landing page quality, and the expected click-through rate.

In this blog, we provide four practical tips for starting a Google Ads campaign.
1. Long-tail keywords
Keywords with high competition tend to be expensive. Broad keywords like “digital marketing” are abstract and may not always be effective. For example, such a term could refer to information, an agency, a book, etc. Instead, consider using long-tail keywords like “digital marketing company in Antwerp,” which are more specific and relevant. Long-tail keywords generally face less competition and help you reach users with concrete search intent. A balanced mix of broad and long-tail keywords is essential, and the more relevant your keywords are to what you offer, the higher your quality score will be.
2. Ad extensions
Search ads typically include three headlines, two description lines, and a visible URL. Ad extensions allow you to make your ads more relevant and noticeable by adding:
- Sitelinks: Direct links to specific pages on your website.
- Highlights: Features of your product or service.
- Location extensions: Your address, linked to your Google My Business account.
- Callout extensions: An area to list services and products.
- Call extensions: Add your phone number.
- Message extensions: Enable users to send a message.
- Price extensions: Showcase an overview of prices.
- App extensions: Link to your app.
- Review extensions: Display Google My Business reviews.
Not all extensions appear simultaneously, but they enhance your ad’s visibility and quality, often resulting in cost-effective campaigns.
3. Exclusions
Excluding irrelevant keywords ensures your ad doesn’t show up for unwanted terms. You can define exclusions both at the account level and within specific ad groups. This approach helps prevent wasted budget on irrelevant searches, keeping your ads focused and efficient.
4. SKAG (Single Keyword Ad Group)
SKAGs involve creating ad groups with just one keyword. This keyword is further divided into an exact match and a broad match ad group. Exact keywords are excluded from broad match groups to avoid internal competition. Ideally, the keyword is incorporated into the ad’s headline and description lines.
Example:
Ad group: Website laten maken / exact
- Exact match keyword:
[website laten maken]
Ad group: Website laten maken / broad match modified (BMM)
- Keywords:
+website +laten +maken
- Negative keywords:
[website laten maken]
Broad match groups are often used for inspiration. During optimization, if a keyword combination in a broad match group drives conversions, you can create a dedicated SKAG for it.
Example:
If “WordPress website laten maken” generates conversions, create a SKAG specifically for this keyword with tailored ads and URLs. Then add the keyword as a phrase match (“WordPress website laten maken”) to the original broad match group to prevent overlap.
This method improves ad relevance, leading to a higher quality score. The insights gained are invaluable for building and optimizing your account in the long term.
Other campaign types in Google Ads
Lastly, let’s explore other types of campaigns available within Google Ads that you might consider using.
Display campaigns
Display campaigns consist of text or banner ads that Google showcases across its Display Network. This network can reach over 90% of internet users worldwide and is often described as a collection of websites where paid ads can appear. Display campaigns allow targeting based on keywords, topics, audiences, and remarketing. These ads are particularly effective for building brand awareness and re-engaging users.
Shopping campaigns
Shopping campaigns are ideal for showcasing your products directly in search results. You can set up a shopping campaign by importing a feed from your online store into Google Merchant Center and linking it to your Google Ads account. As a result, your products appear at the top or side of search results with images, prices, and store information. A well-structured feed with accurate product categories and detailed descriptions is essential for visibility. Additionally, you can link your in-store inventory, giving customers a reason to purchase from you, whether online or offline.
Video campaigns
YouTube, one of the largest search engines and the top video platform, offers opportunities for video campaigns. While creating video ads requires more time and a higher budget than text or image ads, videos often leave a stronger impression. Consumers are more likely to watch a video about a product or service than read about it, making video campaigns a compelling option for brand engagement and retention.
Universal App Campaigns (UAC)
Universal App Campaigns make it easy to promote your app across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and Gmail, as well as within other mobile apps and websites via the Display Network. All you need to provide is the text, starting bid, and any creative assets. Google takes care of the rest, optimizing the campaign to ensure your app reaches the right users.
Conclusion
Advertising with Google Ads may seem straightforward, but there are many pitfalls to navigate. Preparation and strategy are key to success. Leveraging tactics like long-tail keywords, ad extensions, exclusions, and Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) can significantly improve your campaigns.
Need help with your Google Ads strategy? The marketing experts at Hybrid are here to assist!
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