What is AdWords?
AdWords is a service offered by Google to help brands display advertisements. With AdWords, you can place ads on search result pages using keywords or advertise your product on websites related to your business through banners or links.
With technological advancements and the growing influence of social media, AdWords has become the leading online advertising platform for brands in many countries, including Turkey. Its advantages include low costs compared to other platforms, pay-per-click pricing, and support for video, image, flash, and text-based ads.
Why Use AdWords?
Advertising is the act of introducing your product or service to your target audience. There are many types of advertising and various platforms to choose from.
AdWords is a significant advertising medium, managed by a reputable company and one of the world’s largest advertising networks. Ads created through AdWords appear on Google search result pages, related searches, or even at the top and side of the page—making it a highly effective tool for brands.
With Google dominating the search engine market in many countries, including Turkey, appearing in Google search results through ads is crucial for attracting customers.
How to Use AdWords
Although the AdWords system is user-friendly and easy to manage, professional assistance is recommended for significant advertising campaigns.
You can start your AdWords campaign by visiting adwords.google.com and logging in with your existing Gmail account or creating a new one.
What Strategy Should You Follow?
Before starting with AdWords ads, you should clarify the following:
- What will be the size of your campaign?
Will you run a small campaign with a monthly budget of $100–$200, or invest in a higher-quality campaign? - What product or service will you promote?
Is the focus on selling a product, offering a service, or introducing something new? - Who is your target audience?
Will the ad target a specific city, the entire country, or an international audience?
Answering these questions will help categorize your campaign effectively. AdWords will calculate pricing based on the competition in your chosen category.
For example, some keywords may cost as low as 0.01 TL per click, whereas highly competitive sectors like “Home Moving Services” or “Mobile Credit” can range from 1 TL to 20 TL per click. Prices are based on demand within the industry.
Tips for Effective AdWords Campaigns
To make your ads more engaging, consider the following tips:
- Highlight competitive pricing:
If your product is competitively priced, display the price in your ad. - Broaden or narrow keywords based on goals:
If you aim to attract visitors, use broad keywords. For direct sales, opt for specific keywords like “Buy Socks” instead of just “Socks.” - Optimize click costs:
Paying more per click won’t guarantee success. Stay in the top ranks with minimal costs by focusing on tracking and optimization. - Distribute your budget wisely:
Avoid running out of budget midway. Spread your budget to ensure consistent visibility throughout the month. - Get professional help for competitive industries:
Collaborate with agencies or professionals for better results in competitive sectors. - Use free AdWords trial coupons for testing:
This helps you understand the system and optimize your initial campaigns.
How Are AdWords and SEO Related?
SEO aims to rank websites higher in search engines for specific keywords to attract more organic traffic. AdWords, on the other hand, drives traffic through paid ads.
When you run AdWords ads for a specific keyword, your site might receive more visitors, positively impacting its ranking. However, paying for ads alone won’t improve your organic search ranking. To boost visibility effectively, you should integrate SEO strategies with AdWords campaigns.
Differences Between AdWords and SEO
- AdWords:
Paid advertising that appears at the top or side of search results. Ads are prioritized based on quality score and cost-per-click. - SEO:
A detailed process to organically rank higher in search results through optimized content and structure.
While AdWords ads may bring immediate results, they don’t substitute for a well-rounded SEO strategy. A combination of SEO and AdWords ensures long-term success, allowing your site to climb search rankings while capturing immediate traffic through paid ads.