Google Ads Best Practice Checklist

We at TheOnlineCo. have worked with Google as Google Badged Partners for many years now. We currently meet with them frequently to review our campaigns and make sure we are always at the top of our game. Suffice to say, we have learnt a few things by interacting with Google so closely for so long. So we thought we would share our internal CHECKLIST with you. The one we use to make our Ads Campaigns some of the best in the industry.

The following is a no nonsense, no frills list of points we implement on our Google Ads Campaigns. Check off each one and you are sure to have awesome success!

Set Up

• Expand your reach by targeting search partners.
• Set up location targeting only to areas you service.
• Set up ad schedule for successful times of day.
• Link Ads & Analytics
• Allow Data from Google Analytics to show in Google Ads
• Link Ads & Search Console
• Keep search & display campaigns separate
• Import Analytics goals & e-commerce transactions
• Reach past visitors with RLSA ads.
• Choose the most relevant bidding strategy.

Keywords

• Use relevant keywords
• Use negative keywords (use search terms report to find more)
• Use locations with keywords (eg. Blinds & Blinds Sydney)
• Use both exact match & broad match modifier versions of each keyword (no need to put the +sign in front of stop words like if, to & by)
• Ensure exact match keyword bid is higher than broad modifier bid (by 10%).
• Group relevant keywords together in ad groups.
• Pause / remove expensive keywords
• Pause / remove non-converting keywords
• Check causes of low quality score & optimise (landing pages / text ads)
• Optimise to show keywords in an average position of 2 or above.
• Increase bids on keywords showing below first page bid.
• Use “search terms” to find new keywords
• Pause keywords with very low CTR
• Remove duplicate keywords (ensure keywords are only in 1 ad group / campaign)

Text Ads

• Include multiple varieties of ads to test
• Ensure you have quality headings
• Use ad extensions (see below for a detailed list)
• Pause poor performing ads after testing
• Take advantage of text limits (Use all the space)
• Make ads compelling by using specific and compelling messages
• Test & optimise creatives
• Optimise text ads to improve keyword quality score
• Use an exciting call-to-action
• Add display URL paths (eg. Site.com.au/keyword1/keyword2)
• Use syntax where possible {if:mobile} etc.
• Use the term “contact” on desktop and “call” on mobile.

Display Advertising

• Find new potential customers with keyword targeting / affinity audiences etc.
• Use both text and image ads
• Use multiple ad sizes
• Use dynamic ads where possible
• Include unique selling points, prices & promotions
• Use eye-catching images
• Use your logo in all images
• Match image ads with all other marketing

Remarketing

• Use remarketing to re-engage past visitors
• Check remarketing code is on all pages of website
• Create custom remarketing lists
• Review display network placements and remove poor performing sites.
• Remove ads on mobile apps (unless relevant)

Ad Extensions

• Set up site extensions (at least 6)
• Set up call-out extensions (4 per ad group/campaign/account)
• Set up structured snippet extensions
• Use message extensions where possible
• Link with Google Places or set up manual location feed
• Make sure extensions are relevant and high quality

Conversion Tracking

• Check you have all possible conversion tracking set up
• Use call conversion tracking
• Use click to call conversion tracking
• Track form fills
• Track purchases

Monitoring

• Use bid adjustments for higher performing devices.
• Use bid adjustments for higher performing locations.
• Use bid adjustments for higher performing times of day.
• For accounts with multiple campaigns, move unused budgets to limited campaigns.
• View ’opportunities’ tab to find possible optimisation ideas
• View ‘dimensions’ tab to see which days / times perform best
• Ensure campaign is on enhanced cpc bidding after 1 month (if enough conversions recorded)
• Create experiments and test different bidding strategies.

Dynamic Search Ads

• Use dynamic search ads to reach customers based on site content, not keywords
• Use recommended categories
• Create an all-website auto target
• Create different ad groups for your different targets
• Exclude pages you do not want to target

Landing Page

• Use dynamic keyword insertion in page headings
• Use relevant landing page for keywords
• Create new landing pages for different keyword/ad group categories.
• Use keywords on landing page to improve quality score in Ads
• Use a clear call to action
• Decrease page loading speed
• Minimise file size of images
• Remove pop-ups
• Ensure phone number is above the fold and obvious
• Check landing page works on both desktop & mobile devices.
• Use a strong and emotive hero image
• Include testimonials for social proof
• Include features and benefits
• Include reinforcing sales statement below the fold

Shopping

• Use top keywords in product titles
• Use top keywords in product descriptions
• Seperate into 2 or campaigns. 1) Top priority (best performing products) and 2) Low priority  (poor performing products)

Having trouble implementing all the above? We’re here to help!
Feel free to contact our team at TheOnlineCo or call us on 1300 651 527.

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