How to get your Google Ads advert to the top

When you advertise, you naturally want to be visible and encourage users to click your ad, visit your website, and make a purchase or complete your desired action.

But what if every advertiser wants to be at the top; what do you do then? This post explains how it works. You’ll also find tips on what to do when the cost per click seems expensive, and why you do not necessarily need to be at the very top.

Contents of this post:

1. How to get your advert to the top
2. Help, it’s too expensive to be at the top…
3. Why you do not always need to be at the very top
4. I am at the top, but not receiving much (relevant) traffic

1. I want my Ads advert at the top – what should I do?

Before launching your Ads campaigns, it is important to know that Google naturally operates Ads advertising as a business: the adverts that get users to respond (click) and deliver happy customers (who find what they are searching for) will be prioritised. And that’s only fair.

Imagine an auction – that gives you a good idea of how adverts are selected.

However, the days when you could simply increase your bid (the amount you are willing to pay per click) are over. Today, relevance is one of the most crucial factors.

What does relevance mean for my advert?

Relevance could be, for example, when your ad text contains the word “toy car” and links to a page on your website about “toy cars”. Google is very good at recognising this, and you are rewarded when your relevance is high – more on this below.

What determines ad position – Ad Rank

When Google runs its “auction”, it basically considers these three elements:

1. Bid
2. Quality score
   • expected click-through rate
   • ad relevance, and
   • landing page experience
3. Expected impact of ad extensions/formats

1. Bid

A key parameter in an auction is, of course, the bid itself. In Ads, you get help estimating how much you might need to pay per click (these estimates should be taken with a pinch of salt). I won’t go into bidding strategies here, but you can read more about them here.

One central point is that you cannot simply buy a top position. As mentioned, relevance is incredibly important for getting your ads shown. Google wants to display the most relevant ads that help the user – otherwise, Ads loses its value.

Note: You may come across suggestions to use “automated bidding strategies”. These can be useful if you do not have time to optimise manually. However, be mindful, as you will have less control over bids. Your daily budget can be quickly spent if you target the very top positions.

2. Quality score

The quality score reflects both relevance and your campaign performance.

• Expected click-through rate – when Ads shows your advert, Google expects people to click it. If they do not, your quality score may fall, and your cost per click may rise.
• Ad relevance – the keyword (e.g. toy car) you want to appear for should also be found in your ad text. Doing so will reward you with a better quality score.
• Landing page experience – how easily and quickly does the user find what they were looking for? The landing page should work well and load quickly (including on mobile), be clear and easy to navigate

3. Expected impact of ad extensions/formats

You can add extra relevant information to your ads, such as a phone number, location, or links to specific subpages on your site.

Extensions offer several benefits:

• Your ads will become more prominent (take up more space), and
• They are often more inviting to click (improving your click-through rate)

However, Ads decides when they are relevant and likely to improve ad effectiveness. Sometimes, they just will not appear.

Note: Your ads usually need to rank quite high for the extensions to be shown, so this effect can be self-reinforcing. Ad extensions can help you achieve a high rank (thanks to increased relevance), but you also need to rank highly for them to be displayed in the first place.

Tip: Keep track of your quality score over time. This can help you understand why your ads might be losing visibility and let you take action in time (Keywords > column: Qual. Score).

2. Help, it’s too expensive to be at the top…

If it becomes too expensive to be at the top and your click price approaches the limit you are willing to pay per click, you still have several options.

Example: Many people search for “toy cars” on Google, but competition for Ads placements on that keyword is also high.

If you use that keyword for your advert, you can attract a lot of traffic, but such a broad search does not necessarily mean the user is ready to buy (convert). They might just be gathering information or browsing for fun.

These methods can help you achieve (significantly) lower click prices:

1. More precise keywords – consider how you can describe your product more specifically. In this example, you could choose keywords like “metal toy car” or “toy fire engine”. These keywords tend to be cheaper, although there will be fewer searches. However, your products are exactly what the user is looking for, so the chance of a sale/enquiry increases.
2. Variants of your best keyword – you can allow Ads to match your keyword with more or less precise variants. Try the different match types:
   • exact
   • phrase, and
   • broad match modifier.
     Ads will likely also suggest using the “broad” match type – but use this with caution, as you risk getting a lot of, possibly less relevant, traffic.
3. Local targeting (e.g. builder + Herning) – a simple tactic is to combine your keyword with a town/region name. Bids can be much cheaper, but this requires more effort to set up multiple campaigns. You may also need to create specific landing pages for each location to ensure relevance.
4. Use your daily budget more effectively
   • times of day when conversions rarely occur – consider not showing ads during these periods (Settings > Ad Scheduling).
   • geographical areas – there are often regions where traffic does not result in much sales. Consider excluding these areas or lowering your bids for them (Settings > Locations).
     Tip: From the start, set up your campaigns with “location targeting” – for example, choose the five main regions in Denmark. If you have a lot of traffic, you can refine further to city level.
   • limit the budget for expensive keywords – some keywords generate a lot of traffic and can quickly use up your budget. If they are costly, allocate a separate budget to the campaign they belong to. This gives cheaper keywords/campaigns a better chance.
5. Your brand/company name as a keyword – click prices for your brand are usually quite cheap. If you have a well-known brand, this can generate a lot of traffic and conversions without harming your profit margin. However, it is still advisable to run campaigns for generic terms (e.g. your product type), as you would otherwise miss out on those who do not know you or cannot remember your company name.

Tip: Check the search terms your visitors use to find you. Here you can discover the actual keywords being used, providing inspiration for new keywords/campaigns (Keywords > Search terms). These new keywords can be used to create targeted ad texts, which may quickly achieve a higher quality score (relevance), and thereby often lower click prices.

Important: Organise your keywords by type: avoid putting all keywords and match types in the same ad group. By dividing them into ad groups with, for example, “exact” and “phrase/broad match modifier” separately, you can much more easily control your bids and focus on those that are cheapest.

Also consider other ways to be visible in Google’s search results – read, for example, here: How to fill four positions on page one of Google

3. Why you do not need to be at the very top

It is certainly satisfying to see your advert at the top, above other (perhaps bigger) brands.

It is definitely good for your ego.

But what if more people actually click the advert below… frustrating.

You can take advantage of this situation by sneaking just beneath your competitor at the top and showing a better advert that captures more of the traffic.

Some studies show that the top ad does not always receive the highest percentage of clicks (click-through rate). This varies considerably between industries. The point is, you can influence how many people click your advert.

Ad copy – attract more clicks even if you are second or third

Know your product and your customers better than your competitors.

1. Your product – what can your product do, and what does it offer the customer?
   • Features – for example, strength
   • Benefits – such as durability
   • Value – for example, save money, avoid uncertainty.
     Especially the last point can prompt people to respond. This way, you show what your product can do, and make it personal and especially interesting to the customer.
2. Your customers
   • what do customers actually want
   • how is a product like yours used
   • in what situations

The better your knowledge, the better you can write compelling ad copy.

Tip: You can often achieve even better results by focusing your ad copy on what the customer could lose, rather than what they gain – for example, “avoid missing out due to sold-out stock”, “are you also struggling with sleepless nights”, …

Content – stand out from other ads

It has long been a good tactic to include a specific price in the ad copy – and it can still be effective.

But when everyone does this, or if all other ads use “xx% discount”, your ad risks getting lost in the crowd, and you probably do not want to engage in a race to the bottom on discounts.

Stand out – what else can you offer?

Perhaps you can offer a great subscription, or perhaps you provide super-fast service/delivery.

A phrase such as “see how easy/affordable our scheme/instalments can be for you” often generates a lot of traffic. Afterwards, you must of course deliver on what you have promised.

Ad format and design

Ads now offer a broader format with more space and information. You can use this to become more visible. Many advertisers still do not take advantage of this feature.

Make it easy for the customer – ad extensions

You can add additional links directly in your advert (sitelinks), which point to specific pages on your website. Just having a visual link makes it much easier for users – they often click before they have even thought about it.

Mobile search

More than 50% of all searches are conducted on a mobile device.

However, it is not always easy to navigate on a small screen and find the product you are looking for – especially when on the go.

Tip: Make it easy for users to contact you via mobile. With a call extension in the ad, users can click directly (a phone icon appears), and call you instantly. Simple and effective.

And here’s another tip…

Tip: If you are often on the phone or out on the road and cannot always answer, the SMS ad extension could be a smart solution. With this, users can click the SMS field in your ad and send you a message directly.

Well done!

Thanks to your efforts in optimising your ads, your quality score has increased, and so has your ad rank – bingo, you are now at the top even without raising your bid to your competitor’s level. Congratulations!

4. I am at the top, but not receiving much (relevant) traffic

Are you getting a lot of traffic through Ads to your site, but not enough sales/conversions?

Some key things to consider:

1. Are you using the right keywords? “Cheap car” will probably generate a lot of traffic, but are your prices as low as you claim?
   Tip: Use the Search Terms function in Ads to see what customers are actually searching for before clicking your advert (Keywords > Search terms)
2. Do your ad texts set the right expectations? Perhaps your products are not actually “premium” quality – better to be honest and precise, and attract the right visitors to your site.
   If you only operate locally and not nationwide, make that clear in your ad copy.
3. Your landing pages – are you sure the traffic is not relevant? Could it be that you are not making the most of your site to retain and activate potential customers? Conversion optimisation of your landing pages is becoming increasingly important, not only to maximise your traffic, but also because Ads evaluates your campaigns based on this (quality score – click price).
4. Is the sales process longer than you expect, and might a customer visit your site several times before deciding?
   • Consider how you can keep in touch with potential customers: for example, offer a guide to download (sent via email), newsletter sign-up, free call-back (support), live chat function on your site, …
   • Use Remarketing: show ads to those who have visited your site before:
     1. Display ads (visual) – can be quite affordable, as many users just need a reminder and will then return to your site directly (without clicking the ad)
     2. RLSA – increase your bids on text ads for users who have previously visited your site

Google provides some excellent tools for finding interesting keywords, but also use your experience and sense of how a customer might search and enquire.

Tip: Talk to your sales team/phone staff to learn how customers typically phrase their questions. Perhaps these expressions can be used as keywords or to make your ad copy more lively and engaging.

Test your adverts

Create several versions of your ads within each ad group to see which perform best. You may be surprised at the difference even a small change can make. Do not forget to test your best-performing ads as well.

Also remember that even if your ad was at the top yesterday, it may not be there tomorrow. Ads continuously rotates the positions of adverts to show what it deems most relevant. You can check your average ad position in Ads to see how you are typically ranking (Keywords > column: Avg. position)

Conclusion:

Accept that sometimes it is simply expensive to get your Ads advert to the top, even if you are doing everything right.

At this point, you need to rely on your sales skills. Engage your traffic and make the most of it. It is often easier to sell more to an existing customer than to acquire a new one.

With good customer service and ongoing follow-up, you can still build a successful business when considering customer lifetime value and total revenue.

WeMarket can help your business with Google Ads advertising – you are always welcome to contact us here!