– A Short Introduction –
The good news is that, if you run a local business, the targeting settings of your Google AdWords campaigns can also be local, defined within a certain geographical area or even at a city-level. The bad news is that this is not something every local business owner (and not even all online marketers) are aware of this possibility. There is only one small step between owning a restaurant in New York and your ad being displayed for search queries such as “restaurants in Houston, Texas”.
Geographical Settings
First things first: choosing and applying the correct geographical settings is key to any campaign with a very specific focus. Coupled with language settings, geographical display settings are among the most important elements you any marketer needs to define carefully and precisely. Just think about the actual number of search queries similar to the aforementioned one trigger ads on Google search daily. Imagine all those Internet users who click your ad as a result, only to discover that your restaurant is located in another city and leave your website quite dissappointed. Each of these visitors cost you a click. An irrelevant click, which consumed money out of your budget and brought no actual benefits for your business.
Language Settings
There’s a lot to know about the language settings for Google AdWords campaigns. What most advertisers fail to comprehend is that these settings make direct reference to the language in which Internet users use Google when they search. So, this kind of settings are not about the language in which search queries are submitted, nor are they regarding the language in which ads are written and even less so concerning the native language of any given user.
But, even if this might be clear, it doesn’t mean that language settings cannot still be troublesome in terms of targeting. Efficient targeting means knowing your audience and including them in your campaign settings. It’s not enough to have a high-quality website/ service/ product and relevant ads, you need to show those ads to those who matter for your business. Don’t forget about minorities, either. If your product/ service/ business is useful for them, the y might turn out to be beneficial and even help you grow.
Time Settings
Or, more precisely, the possibility the Google AdWords system offers in terms of optimal targeting solutions in online paid advertising. Let’s look at an example. Let’s assume you run a catering business and you work schedule is 9-to-5 on working days. Your target-audience is formed primarily by people who order lunch at the office/ work place. Most of these people search for lunch options before lunch. Consequently, most orders are bound to be made in the first part of the day (morning to noon). So, there you have it: that’s when you’ll schedule your campaign to run – exactly when users are actively searching for what you offer. Order increase guaranteed!
Bid Adjustment
One more piece of good news: scheduling a campaign comes with additional benefits. More exactly: the bid adjustment option, which allows you to automatically manage your Max CPC within certain time intervals. For instance, Google AdWords allows you to bid 200% of your default bid from 09:00 to 12:00, and 80% of your initial Max CPC between 13:00 and 17:00. Pretty useful, right? You reach your target audience more efficiently and also make good use of your budget. Juggle around with the Bid Adjustment setting until you find the right combination, while more efficiently managing spend limits and actual costs.