Google remains one of the most widely used advertising platforms in the world. Within Google Ads, you can choose from a variety of campaign types including Performance Max, Display, Shopping, and Search. Among these, Search Ads are the most common.
At the start, optimizing search ads can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, you can steadily improve performance. Here are five actionable tips to help you get the most out of your Google Search Ads.
Basic Advertising Materials
Responsive Search Ads are the standard in most campaigns. However, if you rely solely on responsive ads, your ad real estate may remain limited, leaving space for competitors to take prime positions. Using ad extensions can help you occupy more space and capture more clicks.
Basic advertising material + site link + call out
Common ad assets include:
- Site Links: These function like mini-ads within your ad, directing users to specific product categories, services, or pages on your website. While the description field is optional, filling it out maximizes your ad space. On desktop, Google can show up to six site links, and on mobile, up to eight. Testing different site links allows you to identify the best performers.
- Callouts: Short snippets that highlight additional business information. For example, if your main description promotes a product formula, callouts might include "Custom Sample Orders" or "Free Consultation." These help convey value without cluttering your main ad text.
- Structured Snippets: Positioned after callouts, these consist of a header and up to ten values. Headers must be selected from Google’s predefined options and should reflect the type of information you want to showcase. For a beauty brand, headers could be “Product Types” with values like [Makeup], [Skincare], [Fragrances].
- Images: While often associated with Display campaigns, images can also appear in Search Ads. High-quality product images can increase engagement, but be sure to use the correct square format for search results. Keep in mind that images may not appear in every impression initially, but clicks and conversions often increase over time.
Combining your base ad with site links, callouts, and images ensures maximum visibility and engagement.
Basic advertising material + site link + call out
The landing page URL is a critical element in Google Search Ads. After clicking an ad, the landing page is where users interact with your brand and take valuable actions. Properly optimized URLs ensure a seamless user experience, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
Google allows two URL options for optimization: the ad’s landing page URL and a final keyword-specific URL. Using keyword-specific URLs helps improve relevance, aligning the landing page with the user’s search intent. This is particularly effective when promoting multiple products within a single ad group. When there is a discrepancy, the keyword-specific landing page takes priority over the general ad URL.
When running campaigns across multiple countries, a strategic approach is essential. Targeting multiple regions with similar languages or demographics is common, but some markets may be more valuable or have significantly higher average CPCs.
Google’s advanced bid adjustment feature allows you to increase or decrease bids by -90% to 900% depending on location, device, or audience segment. This helps reduce costs in less competitive regions while maximizing exposure where it matters most. Properly applied, bid adjustments can improve efficiency and save budget.
Negative targeting is important, but overusing it can limit performance. Small businesses managing campaigns without agency support may be tempted to block irrelevant categories or even “unknown” categories entirely.
Google treats negative targeting strictly. Excluding too many categories can cause you to miss potential high-quality audiences. For example, the “unknown” category may include users who are perfectly aligned with your products and ready to convert. The best practice is to monitor campaign data and only exclude categories that are truly hurting performance.
A clear keyword strategy is the foundation of any Google Search campaign. Define goals first, then identify high-performing keywords that align with those goals.
For conversion-focused campaigns, high-performing keywords are those that drive actual conversions. For traffic-focused campaigns, the number of clicks to the landing page matters most. By defining your objectives, you can start optimizing effectively and allocate budget to the keywords that matter most.
At DISRUPT, we combine deep Google Ads expertise with tailored global marketing strategies. Our team of specialists, representing eight countries, creates localized content and actionable insights to help businesses succeed internationally. If you want to grow your business with Google Ads, partnering with DISRUPT can help you plan and execute a results-driven strategy.
DISRUPT is an authorized agency for the Export Voucher and Innovation Voucher programs.
