An app marketer’s guide to Google Ads

Formerly known as Google AdWords, Google Ads has come a long way since its launch in 2000. It’s famously regarded as the first-ever self-serve advertising platform. Fast-forward to today where nearly 80% of internet users are reached by Google Ads display campaigns every day. This monolithic reach testifies to the vast influence Google has over internet users. So, if you want to refresh your Google search ads strategy or desire a step-by-step Google Ads guide, continue reading.

Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) model. Therefore, Google’s PPC model means that app marketers can target and bid for a specific keyword on Google. Businesses of all types utilize this platform to gain visibility and advertise on Google.

As the ads on Google’s pay-per-click model are paid, they differ from organic search results, which webpages earn through search engine optimization (SEO) tactics. For example, in the image below of Google search ads, we see that the user has searched using the term “app marketing”. The first three listings are paid ads, and the listings after that are organic search results.

Here’s an easy step-by-step Google Ads overview on how it works based on a cost-per-click (CPC) bidding campaign.

1. An advertiser creates an ad for target keywords.
2. A user performs a search (query) on Google.
3. An auction is triggered among ads with relevant keywords.
4. Google allows all relevant ads—only one per account—to enter the auction.
5. Utilizing Quality Score and Ad Rank formulas, a winner is chosen.
6. The advertiser pays only when their ad is clicked on.

There are eight types of Google Ads campaigns, and within each of these are different ad formats. Overall, there are 22 different ad types on Google Ads that fall under the eight main types of Google Ads campaigns.

In contrast to Google Search ads, Google Display Ads are not confined to search engine results but respond to the environment in which they appear, displaying video, text, or images.

1. Increase brand visibility

As these ads can appear across millions of sites and mobile apps, Google Display Ads serve to build brand awareness for businesses.

2. Introduce your brand

Related to the first point, because Display Ads appear across the entire Google Display Network, they offer the chance to promote your app to potential users who wouldn’t otherwise find it during a Google search.

3. Pursue niche markets

Because Google Display Ads are environment-based, they can be highly contextualized. Advertisers can decide whether to use website or user-based targeting for their display campaigns. Utilizing machine learning to optimize targeting, Google Ads can help direct your Display ads to the most relevant environments.

In the example below, the advertiser decided to employ website-based targeting. A website ad for the company Better Homes & Gardens seems to fit nicely on a blog about gardening books, avoids looking like spam, and will likely appear to readers on this website as the categories are similar.

First, if you’re new to Google Ads and need a complete overview of how to use Google Ads, check out this Google Ads Tutorial 2023 by Metics Media for a step-by-step Google Ads guide. Second, we recommend organizing the following paid search best practices for Google Ads.

1. Utilize proper naming conventions

The level of ease with which your future self or new team members will be able to navigate your Google Ads account depends entirely on your naming conventions and structure. While the structure can vary depending on your app vertical or preference, ensure your account is organized from the beginning.

Here are some common naming conventions and examples:

• Campaign type: Search, Shopping, Display, Google Display Network
• Geography: Japan, Turkey, U.K.
• Language: EN, DE, ZH
• Bidding type: CPM, CPC, ROAS
• Optimization goal: AddToCart, Lead, SignUp

For example, many Google SEO ad campaign managers abbreviate their naming structure like so:
S_Japan_EN_CPM_AddToCart.

2. Uncover the top keywords for your ads

Do not run Google Ads without first nailing down your target keywords. Note that Google Ads has three keyword matching options: Broad match, phrase match, and exact match. These types dictate how closely your keyword needs to match a user’s query.

Google also recommends utilizing negative keywords, meaning that your ads will not be shown to users if they search for one of your negative keywords.

Lastly, Google Keyword Planner is a free tool marketers can use to discover new keywords for their search campaigns. Your keywords matter, so make sure you’re performing keyword research for each campaign.

3. Determine your bidding strategies

There are four main bidding strategies for Google Ads, and each corresponds to a different advertising strategy for app marketers. Select one of the following based on the goal of your campaign. Note your bidding strategy will vary from campaign to campaign.

1. Get clicks: If your primary goal is to get more traffic to your app or website, then we recommend a click-based strategy.
2. Boost conversions: Turn on conversion tracking to see the source of an install or purchase. This information can be used to help determine the quality of the source.
3. Increase views: While related to impressions, bidding on video views is a must for marketers wanting to track engagement with their videos.
4. Maximize impressions/views: Focusing on impressions is key for app marketers desiring to increase brand visibility. In this bidding strategy, you’ll pay for the number of impressions, that is, for every 1,000 times your ad is shown to a user. Relatedly, view-through attribution is a strategy many app marketers are diving into. Check out our ebook Gaining Visibility with view-through attribution to stay in the know.

Check out these Google Search best practices and practices for all ad types on Google Ads.

1. Focus on that Quality Score

According to Google, “Quality Score is a diagnostic tool meant to give you a sense of how well your ad quality compares to other advertisers.” In other words, it’s a big deal. If your Quality Score is below seven, review the areas that impact your score to see if there are areas of improvement.

To improve your Quality Score, ask these three questions:

1. Does my ad copy contain the keywords I’m targeting?

2. Does my ad copy promote user action, and does it stand out from the crowd?

3. Does my landing page contain the relevant keywords I’m targeting and offer a good user experience?