What You Should Know About Google Smart Campaigns
Google ads have been around forever and it’s easy to get started. For small businesses and small marketing teams who want to be successful with digital marketing, Google Smart Campaigns are a great option to add to your toolbox. Smart ads relieve a lot of the pressure for creating a Google Ad campaign by letting the algorithm do some of the planning for you.
Google smart campaigns are built off of machine learning.
These ad campaigns not only appear in search results pages (when the user searches for something directly), but in all of Google’s properties. Google Smart Campaigns appear in Gmail, YouTube, display, maps, and in search. It allows the ad to get placed in many more places for your audience to see.
Marketers have the opportunity to pick an objective which could be website visits, leads, or reach. Then Google places the ad out in all of its properties accordingly. With Google Smart Campaigns, you can get your ad in more places and in front of more people.
What are the Benefits of Google Smart Campaigns?
- Simplicity
- Lower CPC (cost per click)
- Less maintenance
What Makes Google Smart Campaigns Simple?
Google Smart Campaigns let businesses that don’t want to deal with all the little adjustments involved with running digital ads, but still want accurate placement and results. They are quick and simple to set up.
How Do You Get Started with Google Smart Campaigns?
If you’ve already got a Google ads account, you need to create a new account. Leave the objective blank and choose Smart Campaign. There are some intricacies, specification options, and ways to change the ads for those who like to add as much detail as possible. Rather than picking specific keywords, you’re picking keyword themes.
How Does Google Smart Campaigns Offer Lower CPC?
Google Ads have gotten expensive because of bidding and competing for specific keywords. Businesses competing for keywords they want to rank for are raising the cost.
With the machine learning algorithm that Google Smart Campaigns uses, you’re no longer bidding on keywords but are rather putting in a budget, selecting an image, copy, and specifying the objective or result you’re after. From there you let the algorithm do its job.
How Are Keyword Themes Better for Placing Ads?
Machine learning places ads according to keyword themes that think more like a person and how they would search. We don’t think in broken keywords or phrases (e.g. “furnace broken”) and the Smart Campaign will bring in all of those other relevant words automatically. Certain keywords can be omitted and there’s an opportunity to break ads down into several different campaigns.
Do You Have to Maintain Google Smart Campaigns?
While Google Smart Campaigns are less maintenance and set up, you still have to monitor the ads. But with digital marketing ads, it is never ‘set it and forget it’. You can change out different keyword themes, change images, or refine budgets. These campaigns, however, are less technical to manage.
What Are Some Reasons that a Google Smart Ad Might Not Run?
A Google Smart Ad may not run if there is not enough data.
In order for Google Smart Ads to run, there has to be data so it can understand who to put the ads in front of.
A Google Smart Ad may not run if the search volume is low.
If the search volume is low, maybe you need to expand the keyword themes. Without enough data within the keyword themes selected, the ad cannot run.
A Google Smart Ad may not run if the conversion objective was selected.
It’s normal to want conversions but maybe there aren’t currently enough conversions. And maybe you don’t have enough conversions right now.
Google Smart Campaigns Use Machine Learning to Get in Front of Targeted Audiences
Machine learning technology is going to continue to evolve. As more data is understood, ad targeting using keyword themes will also improve. Google Smart Campaigns appear in many places online and are getting “smarter” at understanding behaviors to provide a better experience.
Want to just listen?
Ep #04 – Google Smart Campaigns: Everything You Need to Know
Listen to “Ep #04 – Google Smart Campaigns: Everything You Need to Know” on Spreaker.
This week, the team introduces a new member to the podcast. Follow along as the Elevated team discusses Google Smart Campaigns. There is a lot to cover here!
Listen on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Podcast Addict, and Google!
