Targeting factors such as age, demographic, location, device usage, and more are crucial determinants when establishing an advertising budget and estimating returns. Google Ads provides businesses with budget-friendly advertising options.
Location Targeting
Location targeting is fundamental to Google Ads Optimisation, as it allows advertisers to choose the locations that their ads will show. For small businesses, the ability to limit advertising spend to only include relevant geographical locations where their ideal consumers live is crucial. Google Ads provides targeting options such as:
- Country, region, or county: This is beneficial for national businesses that have a defined service area.
- City and town: This is useful for businesses serving a specific city or town.
- Circle (Radius) around a point: For instance, to target consumers within a 15-mile radius of your business.
- Specified postal codes: This is the most accurate targeting option for a specific area.
Consider taking the time to customise your campaign target locations as Google will show your ads to people “Interested in” the targeted area. So, if your aim is to only show your ads to people who are present, select the option, “Presence: people in or regularly in your targeted locations”.
Demographic Targeting
Through Google Ads, you have the ability to edit or cancel bids for your advertisements based on the following demographics:
- Age — include or exclude certain age groups (18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 years and older)
- Gender — if your product or service is targeted primarily towards one gender
- Parental status — whether or not the user is a parent
- Household income — this only applies to certain countries, but allows you to focus on higher or lower income brackets
Once your campaign has been running for several weeks, do not make assumptions — look at your campaign data. Even though certain demographic groups may perform better than others, Google Ads can help you adjust your bids upward for better-converting demographics and adjust or cancel ads for poorer-converting demographics.
Keyword Targeting
Search advertising is dependent on keywords. If a user types a query into Google and the query includes any of your chosen keywords (assuming your bid meets a certain threshold), your advertisement will show. Because keywords impact your expenses, controlling them is critical.
- Broad match — your advertisement may appear for a search containing a related term, though some may be synonyms or different wording. This match type will likely receive a greater number of irrelevant clicks than any others.
- Phrase match — your advertisement will appear if the search includes the keyword phrase, plus any other additional words.
In general, there is a good balance of reach and relevance.
Exact match – your ad will appear only if the search query is exactly the same and not too distant from targeting the keywords.
Phrased for specificity but also the greatest limitation.
Considering budgets, starting with exact match and phrase match keywords provides the best chance of capturing real intent searchers while reducing disinterest clicks.
Negative Keywords
Keywords you choose to include are as important as the ones you choose to exclude. Negative keywords let Google know that your ad should not show for certain searches. For example, if you sell high-end kitchen appliances, you will want to include “cheap” and “free” so that you don’t attract bargain hunters who are unlikely to make a purchase. By frequently reviewing your search terms report, you can discover which keywords should be added as negatives.
Audience Targeting and Remarketing
In addition to demographics and keywords, Google Ads offers audience targeting at a more granular level. This includes in-market audiences (those who are actively looking for comparable products or services), custom intent audiences (built from particular search activities), and remarketing lists (those who have already visited your website). Since you are targeting individuals who are already acquainted with your brand, remarketing usually has a high conversion rate.
Bringing It All Together
The best Google Ads campaigns combine specific demographics, precise location targeting, relevant keywords, and a carefully considered set of negative keywords. Start narrow – it’s always easier to fine-tune what’s working than it is to expand after the targeting has been broadened – and allow the data from your live campaigns to inform your targeting adjustments.