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Google AdWords Management Brainerd

Make the money you pay to Google matter.
Google Ads: Make It Work for Your Business

Google Ads can drive results, but is it really working in your favor? You need an expert who isn’t tied to Google’s interests, someone who focuses on what truly benefits your business.
Schedule a callback with a Google Ads Specialist based in Brainerd to see the actions we’d take if we were in your shoes.

BRANDS WE WORK WITH USING GOOGLE ADS

Logo ParkNFly
Logo Quality Air
Logo SalesFix
Logo Penfold Property Group
Logo Network Steel
Logo Ontex Healthcare
Logo Acacia EAP
Logo MakMax
Logo EPSON
Logo RUD Group
Logo Windgap
Logo Brainerd Appliance Sales
Logo Doors Direct
Logo Heal With Laser
Logo Digital Dental
Logo Social Pinpoint
Logo Aarons Outdoor Living

Think About Your Google Ads.

Do Any Of These Sound Like You?
Newbie Ned

I've heard that I should be using Google Ads but I tried it myself.

The phone rang but I only just made enough to cover the cost of the ads. If I think about the profit I made after paying for staff and materials I made nothing. 

Google got all my money!

How can I do it right? Can I learn? Can I get help? Can I stop wasting money?

(Matter Solutions are here to help)

Jaded Jane

We are tired of Google Ads, seems like it has been a waste of money, over and over again.

We tried it years ago when it was Google AdWords. We got a cold-call from a "big agency" in Brainerd who looked after it for $89 per week.

They set up some stuff and it seemed to work at first, but it didn't get any better and we still didn't really get busy.

When I told them I wanted to quit they put on the hard sell, promised to get it working and then things went back to not working.

We've heard good things. We need leads and see competitors doing it.

We just need someone we can trust to get it right for us!

Experienced Ellie

I know how PPC works and I need a solid provider to complement me and my organization's in-house team.

I want my PPC managed well, I want someone who can do the day-to-day checks and come up with ideas and recommendations.

I want things well tracked and managed so we stick to the approved budget and get returns.

I know Google AdWords can link up with SEO & Social but I'm tired of being the communication linkage when the specialists I use all work at the same agency (just in different departments)

I'm so tired of repeating myself.

I want an PPC expert in Brainerd who can get it done right.

Google Ads Success Stories

  • Cost Per Lead (CPA) reduced by 91.8%!
    $830/lead (old agency)  less than $70 (with Matter)

    Who & What?

    Industry: Cosmetic & General Dentistry
    Target Market: Brainerd
    Ad-Spend: A$70k/year initially - reduced to A$50k/year

    Objectives

    1. Capitalise on existing reputation for high-end procedures, e.g. porcelain veneers, etc.
    2. Secondary - Maintain Flow of General Dentistry.
      Take care of local community needs with localised ads to bring a steady income from general dentistry services.

    Impressive Results: Cost Per Lead (CPA) reduced significantly!

    • Initial CPA (2019) was $830. Reduced to $245 in 2020 and persistent improvement means <$70 in 2024
    • More Leads despite budget reduction.
    • Better return for the client's investment.

    Client says...

    Sam listened to what we wanted and turned it into what we needed! Now we're getting highly qualified leads daily!

    Sam our AdWords Expert says...

    Month to month we see incremental improvements so we're always headed in the right direction. These add up over time and come together in the form of the massively better results compared to the previous Google Ads Management Agency.

     

  • A$100k Sales Boost on entry to US Market (Q1) 
    Targeted Google Ads Campaigns

    Who & What?

    Industry: Heavy Duty Industrial Tools and Machinery
    Target Market: United States of America
    Ad-Spend: AUD$5,000/month (excl management fees)

    Objectives

    1. Increase network of wholesalers by securing leads of potential wholesalers who need key products.
      Client especially keen to find wholesalers who know of their Aussie brand products.
    2. Secondary - Open to Customer Leads too.
      Find customers looking for product to empower (new) wholesalers, prompting re-stocking and increased sales.

    Impressive Results (within 3 months)

    • Qualified leads worthy of quotes worth over USD$200,000
    • Sales Revenue over USD$100,000 and growing!
    • Learned about the market and plenty of room to grow in new directions with Ads and SEO.

    Client says...

    Don't tell people our name! This is going great and we want more, but seriously, just keep up the good work!

     

    Sam our AdWords Expert says...

    This campaign clicked into gear nicely because the offering, the quality products and the demand aligned really well! We kept the management fees reasonable by using Google's Automation where sensible, but not blindly trusting it.

     

  • Google Ads Campaign for Tradies with great ROI
    Flexible campaign: Get the right leads using data!

    Who & What?

    Industry: Home Improvement Garage Doors Brainerd (automated)
    Target Market: Brainerd, United States
    Ad-Spend: AUD$1-2k/month (excl management fees)

    Objectives

    1. Transient Workforce: Secure appropriate leads when contractors, or part-time employees are available.
    2. Flexibility and Responsiveness: COVID is a good example, but we've always run this campaign very flexibly to find the right customers at the right time.

    Impressive Results (within 3 months)

    • 61.8% Reduction in Cost Per Lead (CPA) so far, since 2018
    • CPA still declining slowly, because well optimized already + competition

    Sam our AdWords Expert says...

    Strategic Keyword Targeting has been the "secret" to our success. Finding high-intent keywords and using data from the website's ability to generate leads has been data-driven gold mine!

     

We've rescued clients from some horror stories, fixed their broken wings and helped their Google Ads bring in leads and sales!

Horror Story - Caveat Emptor

One of our SEO clients asked us to run Google Ads for a new service that they wanted to explore. This is a great idea, using AdWords as a "quick pivot", a short to mid term exploration of keywords and messaging can take place without all the long term effort needed for SEO.

They had used Google Ads in the past with another agency and given up. Their conclusion had been...

"spending too much on Google Ads for too little return" 

... but after some solid SEO success, and learning how clear (and blunt) the Matter Solutions can be they wanted us to go into bat for them.

Their previous Google Ads experience had tried to promote their main service, whereas this strategy that could yield "low hanging fruit" and despite the profit level being somewhat smaller than their main service, the revenue turnover from the new service was likely much bigger.

After gaining access to their Google Ads account it became painfully obvious why they weren’t satisfied with the previous results. Either they had taken Google’s advice as gospel and set up their own Campaign under its guidance, or they have employed an agency based on a slick sales call and then been handed to a junior with no experience.

Firstly, a majority of Keywords were Broad Match, meaning Google was picking the Search Terms its algorithm deemed had the same “intent” as the chosen Keywords. Even worse, there were zero Negative Keywords. The sheer volume of waste was insane.

You could have spent a week picking through the wreckage that was the Search Term Report, and they’d only ran it for 5 months!

Fortunately they have Conversion data, which allows us to see if there were any nuggets of gold in the vast dirt pile. Conversion data usually indicates the amount of leads the company has received - we usually set it up in Google Analytics so that we are able to see what source is performing the best as it informs our overarching strategies.

Unfortunately they had incorrectly set up the Conversion codes on their website, so all that sweet, sweet Conversion data was now a sour, unusable bunch of figures that simply indicated that someone had visited the site’s home page. Hardly what someone would consider a potential sale.

It became apparent that not only could I help them increase leads for their new service, but we could also remedy some of the sins of the past. We sat down with the client with a detailed report on their account and the research into the new service, laying out a plan of action and the pricing.

As suspected, they’d taken on a Google Ads agency in the past and were initially unsure about spending money on another agency, a “once bitten, twice shy” situation, however, the transparency of reporting, the clarity of the process and strategy, and the education on the tactics that would be employed helped them make the decision to engage our Google Ads services.

 Within weeks we were able to identify a Return On Investment (ROI), and with this valuable information we were able to set about executing the strategy for increasing the ROI by decreasing the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).

Same Tradie - Alternate Universe

Read the left column first (or above if you're on mobile).


Had our SEO client in the previous story not approached us for Google AdWords services, with all of the changes to the Google Ads system in the last few years, they would have likely come to the same conclusion...


"spending too much on Google Ads for too little return"

And they wouldn't be wrong. Based on what was witnessed in their account from the past, they would have spent thousands for near zero results. 

Broad Match Keywords and no Negative Keywords would have resulted in their Ads showing in the Google Search Results for irrelevant Search Terms. 

No matter how good their Ad Text might be (and it wasn't good), or if they're in the number 1 position, trying to sell a particular service when the Ad and Landing Page is showing for an irrelevant product, even if they got the Click, their Bounce Rate would have been HORRIFIC. 

If I search for an Electrician in my area and land on a website that sells Electric Trains, I am BOUNCING HARD! 

Think this is a silly example? 

I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN! 

This specific example was from a different business but the exact same issue would have occurred on their Account too. 

Let's forget some of these Account Structure transgressions for the time being. 

Let's say that the person had entered in a relevant Search Term and despite the badly written Ad Text, had decided to click on the Ad in the number 1 position (let's also forget that being in the number 1 position with a badly written Ad potentially costs 10x more per click). 

Let us remember, instead, that the Conversion data in the Account is useless. They were literally gaining "Conversions" from people landing on the Home Page. 

Think about that! They'd have been optimizing THEIR CAMPAIGNS BASED ON SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULD DO AS A MATTER OF COURSE! 

Matter Solutions will report on any of these issues BEFORE you employ our services. 

What Next?

Are you ready for a conversation with our team and a meeting with Ben or Sam? Take a look at our Get Started page. It will get you thinking about working effectively together and how to get the most out of First Contact.
Get Started

Client Testimonials

 PROPERTY DEVELOPER WITH MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

"Sam has a done an amazing job of turning dollars into clicks and leads.... which become sales"

AUSTRALIA'S PREMIER COSMETIC DENTIST

"We engaged Matter Solutions for SEO and they advised we use Google Ads while our rankings improved. Sam listened to what we wanted and turned it into what we needed! Now we're getting highly qualified leads daily!" 

MULTI-BRAND DIGITAL FOR CONTINENCE PRODUCTS 

Ben and his team have been super helpful throughout the (3) website builds. Far more cost-effective and faster than our in-house option we've been able to have way more input  and flexibility too.
We're excited to begin SEO and Ads for these new websites.
How We Work - "The Leads Turbine"
Our Comprehensive 5 Steps Of Web Marketing
1

Ready? Strategy Call & Plan

Step One is a serious Strategy Call with a Google Ads Specialist. Be ready to talk about your goals, your customers, your plans and your budget.

2

Get Set: Pre Flight Check.

Our checklist starts with access to your Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and others. We make this process simple with brief step by step video tutorials to help you help us gain access quickly and easily to your Google products.

With these we will:-

  1. Dig in to find specific opportunities for your Google AdWords account, your website, and if there is any opportunity around SEO Brainerd.
  2. Generate a range of helpful reports to help strategise and provide immediately actionable advice.
  3. Use this data to recommend the best way(s) forward for you.  
3

Set: Clear Engagement & Agreement.

Client and agency all on the same page about the goals, the KPIs, the benefits to your business, the strategy AND the tactics that will be employed to achieve them, and anything you (or your team) need to provide.

We're about as flexible as an agency can be, however, we are blunt with our approach to gaining results as we know what works through years of experience. Sometimes a client has their own ideas around what will and won't work, and sometimes those ideas aren't always the best. We'd rather be upfront with our concerns, than be 3 months into an unproductive strategy. 

Clarity Plus: Our proposal plans often have clear boundaries explaining what you *do and don't get* so you get a clear picture about how far the scope of our work reaches. 

checklist
4

Go! Take Action.

Services engaged get into action *together*.
We put all the foundations in place for your success. 

Ads
SEO
CRO

Google Ads Management and Facebook Ads both have similar steps...

  1. Build out the account and campaign(s) according to the plan.
  2. Help the client get their payment profile sorted.
  3. Get it live (usually) ASAP.
  4. Book in regular/frequent calls to review inbound leads and progress with the right client team members.

Search Engine Optimization - Typical action plan...

  1. Technical Audit (beyond the Pre-Flight Check one).
  2. Keyword Development - Refine and expand keyword research.
  3. Content Audit - focused on keyword clusters and their chosen pages.
  4. Tracking - Set-up monitoring of rankings.
  5. KPIs - Extract benchmark data for future reporting.
  6. OPO - Scientific On Page Optimization, starting with "primary" pages.
  7. Building Trust - Off Site Optimization with trusted citations.
  8. Build Authority - Earning relevant inbound links with content and outreach, some smart approaches to help webmasters on your behalf to earn you links.

Conversion Rate Optimization - Typical action plan...

  1. Define/agree on what issues need attention.
  2. Implement an experiment, usually A -vs- B.
  3. Book in next steps: (i) up-and-running right, (ii) completion date estimating, and (iii) implementing lessons from the result.

Learning and improving your website is an essential part of our Leads Turbine process. When you *know* that your website converts you can confidently invest in SEO, Ads and Copywriting.

All hands get into action on your digital marketing plan. All the services you've engaged get into action together and in concert to put all the foundations in place for your success. We keep you informed throughout using our campaign tracking systems.

5

Entrepreneurial Re-Planning, and... 

What happens after the initial 3 or 6 months? (this section title gives it away)

We repeat the process from a higher position and a more informed plan just like entrepreneurs improving a business. The strategist and specialist recommend a new Sprint or give you options for a longer-term commitment, which itself is effectively a series of Sprints, but gives you peace of mind about annual budgeting.

  • Sprint - 3 or 6 month campaign to get your business headed in the right direction.
  • Retainer - Usually only available after you've done a few sprints and done to spread the cost over a 6 or 12-month commitment.

... Accountability

Take it from us Sprints & Quarterly Strategic Reviews keep any marketing agency on its toes. We want to be on our toes so if you just want a set and forget campaign we might not be the right agency for you. 

Getting started is about step one (above) - have a conversation, usually over Zoom, with a highly experienced Google Ads Specialist. We always give helpful advice to make the right digital marketing decisions for you (even if that's to NOT do Digital Marketing).

Talking to a few Google Ads Managers? 
Awesome, we encourage that!

First Class Reputation For Digital Marketing

We urge you to go and check out what people have to say about Ben, our founder, and the team at Matter Solutions.

We're confident that you'll find that our team in Brainerd walks the walk, and we look after our clients for the long term.

Read Google reviews about usRead Facebook reviews about usTake a look at our Testimonials page
Google Reviews that highly recommend Matter Solutions
Alastair's Story Of Our Educational Approach
"Sam gave me a great grounding - and hidden tools that made Campaign and Ad creation easier!"

Alastair Morris - Sales & Marketing Manager
MakMax United States
Some PPC Results For Clients
Snapshots of PPC Returns. Clients, Traffic, Conversions & Keywords Redacted
Do You Need To Learn How Google Ads Work?
Helping Brainerd Learn About Google Ads.

Places we share PCC and Digital Marketing knowledge today

  • A great place to start is our YouTube channel: YouTube.com/askMatterSolutions (740 subscribers and growing).
  • We have some specific playlists, our PPC ones are actually embedded and link to the right and below.
  • The Digital Marketing Workshops ran monthly from 2016-2019 in Brainerd, MN and Sydney (near Hyde Park) will make a come back soon (after COVID). These workshops cover SEO, but not in much depth, it actually covers how digital marketing channels like Brainerd based SEO, Ads, CRO, website design and even things like your Social Media all fit together for your business.
  • Digital Marketing Blog posts. Here's a link to the sub-section of SEO blog posts.

Here are some videos of managing Google Ads.

There are two playlists worth watching:-

(above) FAQ - Questions done quick - Google Ads Questions

(below) Google Ads - Everything you need from Start to Finish

Watch this playlist from our YouTube Channel

Google Ads - Everything you need Start to Finish
Frequently Asked Questions...
...about Brainerd Google AdWords Management

What is GOOGLE ADWORDS?

Google AdWords is the old name for Google Ads. It is the advertising system that helps Google generate the vast majority of their income!

Without the cynicism, it is an advertising platform that allows businesses to show their ads in a highly targeted way to people who are searching for their product or service, provided their Account is optimized to do so.

Google does assist businesses in setting up the account, however, one must retain the cynicism present in the above paragraph if deciding to use their assistance. Their representatives work for Google, not you!

Google AdWords is a powerful advertising platform that can:

  1. Increase leads and sales.
  2. Identify new opportunities and markets.
  3. Improve insights into target market online behaviour.

The different types of Advertising you can do through Google include:

  1. Search Network
  2. Display Network
  3. YouTube Network

Each network has different targeting options that allow you to narrow down your audience in order to show your Ads to people most likely to buy your product!

1. Search network

Google AdWords Search Network gives you the opportunity to bid on Keywords related to your product or service so that your Ads can be seen on the first page when someone searches for that Keyword.

The higher your bid, the more likely you are to be at the top of the page!

Of course, outbidding people for the position means that you will pay a higher Cost Per Click if your Ad gets clicked on. Ensuring that your Ads are highly targeted, your Quality Score is high, and your Keywords are optimized for Conversions is of the utmost importance - if you don't know what that means, we recommend having a chat to us first!

2. Display network

Google Ads Display Network has many uses and opportunities.

gOOGLE aDS iS NOT A CONSPIRACY! 

Can you help us with Facebook Ads?

Yes, that is explained on our Facebook Advertising page.

Facebook ads are very different to Google Ads. Google's ads, especially the ones in search are unique. They get your product or service in front of potential customers when they're looking for you. Facebook ads is less active, it is more like traditional ads on the television or radio - they're interrupting people's day with an ad offering something they didn't know they wanted. There are excellent opportunities there, but it is a very different beast from Google's Search Ads.

SEO Brainerd

How long do the brainerd Google ADWORDS take?

Google AdWords can be a short, medium, and long term strategy, depending on the business and how it is used. It complements the long term SEO strategy in many ways and can be used as a "quick pivot" medium of testing new markets.

Consider these three factors:-

  1. Budget
  2. Time
  3. Competition

Budget and time are the two main factors as they affect the outcome of the Google AdWords account. If you have a small Budget, you will need more time to gather the data necessary to make qualified decisions, but if you have a large Budget, that can help you gather data quicker.

Your Competition affects your cost per click, which in turn affects your Budget and therefore affects the time factor as well. Ensuring that your Google AdWords account is properly targeted reduces wasted spend in the early weeks of a Campaign, and improves the performance of the account by reducing the time it takes to identify that which is performing, such as which Keywords and Ads is most likely to result in a Conversion.

In our years of experience, we have found that it takes around 12 weeks on average to gather the required data that allows you to significantly improve the performance of your AdWords account.

In many cases we strike gold in a Campaign much earlier than that, however, we recommend our clients use this rough guideline to gauge where they are at the present vs where they will be in the future via Cost Per Acquisition identification.

Many clients continue to use Google AdWords even when their SEO Strategy has them at the top of the Organic Search Results. Sometimes it is for brand recognition, sometimes it is because the Google Ads take up so much real estate on the front page now that it means their competitors are on top of them, sometimes it is to test out new targeting or new markets!

DO I NEED TO WRITE the ads FOR Matter Solutions TO USE?

No, but you can if you really want to. We provide the format and character limits, you provide the copy! Sounds simple and effective, yes?

In the past clients have begun their engagements with us by specifying strict editorial control, i.e. they want to write every single word that appears on their Ads. However, due to a number of factors, including Google Best Practice, this slows everything down massively and isn't advised.

Matter Solutions have been writing brilliant Ads for more than a decade that achieve high Click Through Rates, however, we understand that you'd like to make sure that your brand is being properly portrayed...

  1. We write our Ads based on the messaging within the website.
  2. We write our Ads based on the messaging within the website and send through an example for your approval.
  3. You write your Ads, send them to us, we have to pimp your Ad Text in accordance with Google Best Practice guidelines and our extensive marketing experience... and then send it back to you for approval.

In some fields (finance, healthcare and legal) we know that clients must approve our Ads before publication - Option C is the clear path for these clients.

Option A is recommended if you trust the messaging on your website. We simply distill that messaging to fit the character limits, while ensuring the Headlines are attractive to the person who is searching, and create an appealing Call To Action relevant to your business.

If you think that your website's messaging might need tweaking for new potential clients, we'd recommend Option B - we still write it, you advise of any minor tweaking for potential clients, we administer those changes and send it live.

isn't Google AdWords just set and forget?

If you ask Google this question, the answer would be undoubtedly "yes", other than increasing your budget or allowing an Artificial Intelligence to bid for you.

If you ask anyone who has had any experience with Google AdWords, the answer will be a long drawn out "nooooooo" with the person wide-eyed terrified at the thought of leaving a Campaign in Google's hands with no optimisation.

While it is true that there is a flurry of activity in the early months of a Google AdWords Campaign as various tactics are employed, with a significant amount of Negative Keywords being added, Bids being adjusted, Keywords paused or new Campaigns created, among many other activities, the effort moves to executing the broader strategy by analysis of Ad engagement, while also viewing the behaviour of people once they visit your site.

Many clients are happy that they have halved their Cost Per Acquisition in the first few months, but after a while this rate of improvement slows and some clients wonder why there isn't the same activity happening on their accounts. At this point some clients decide that Google AdWords has reached its peak for their business and they'd rather save the management fee per month.

They then leave the account alone and it trundles along, never really improving, just maintaining. The thing is that improvements to a Campaign after the first six-ish months may be incremental, but they are still improvements.

In my many years of Google AdWords experience, the clients that stick around for years see the greatest benefit. Over that time the Campaign continues to be refined, and while the CPA might not halve every three months, even a mere ten percent improvement year on year after the Campaign is returning a healthy ROI means that the business profits despite the small Management Fee.

Recommendations
  1. Consult someone who understands Google Ads.
  2. Calculate the investment period and don't be afraid to commit to it.
  3. Find a provider who you can work with you on short, medium and long term returns to suit your needs.

HOW DOES YOUR TEAM KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES?

We use a scientific data-driven approach that is based on the Pareto Principle and formulated around a proprietary Theory called Core, that identifies and targets the performing elements of an Account and focusses the Budget there in order to gain an ROI.

Google Ads requires us to consider two things, the algorithm upon which the Ads are distributed, and the people to which the Ads are showing. Or as we like to put it:

Appeal to the human, satisfy the AI.

Appeal to the human  

The first principle we use:

Is the person who triggered my Keywords while Searching on Google looking for my product or service, and does my Ad Text entice them to visit my site?

The fundamentals don't change that much. In fact, it sounds downright simple. But if it was easy, then you wouldn't be here.

This concept has many moving parts, from Keyword selection to Negative Keyword implementation, to perfecting the three Headlines to reflect the person's intent, within 30 Characters, to creating Ad Descriptions that entice, inform, and perform.

Satisfy The AI 

Another principle is to satisfy the platform, the algorithm, the Artificial Intelligence, the "AI", that you show your Ads on:

Google is looking to reward the best Ads, so ensure that your Ads reflect Best Practice!

The best thing about Google's algorithm for the Quality Score is that, as long as you abide by some pretty basic guidelines, as long as you Appeal to the Human, you're likely going to Satisfy the AI.

Two factors that cross-over:

  1. Ensuring the Headlines reflect what is being searched for,
  2. Sending the potential client to the best landing page.

Again, fairly simple, but far from easy. Keywords evolve as more Search Terms come in, better Ad Text, analysis of Google Analytics data and pivoting targeting where behaviour dictates, new features come on the scene, the list goes on. In fact, the range of optimisation tactics that can be implemented to improve the Campaigns is virtually endless, but the strategy remains the same.

Appeal to the Human, Satisfy the AI.

WHY IS Google ads IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS?

We use two analogies for this question in the past, one relates to Real Estate, and one relates to warfare.

If you're a student of successful business, you'll know about Ray Kroc, the "founder" of McDonald's, and you'll be aware that "required reading" for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies includes Sun Tzu's The Art of War. This is relevant, I promise.

There is an anecdote about an appearance by Ray Kroc where he asks the crowd what business people think McDonald's is in. Invariably someone from the crowd responds with "hamburgers".

"Incorrect, Maccas isn't the best hamburger maker, you can make a better one at home," says Ray (paraphrased using Aussie lingo), "the actual business we are in is Real Estate!"

And it is true, at the time of this anecdote, the only rival for Real Estate holdings in the world was the Catholic Church.

You're wondering what this waffling has got to do with Google Ads and whether you need it? Here it is:

The Convenience of being in the Right Place at the Right Time.

No offence to Maccas, but they're not number 1 on anyone's list over the age of 10. They're well priced, but it is their convenience that makes them best at what they do. They're in the Right Place at the Right Time.

And with the analytical tools with Google and the Google Ads system, you can show up in the Right Place at the Right Time with your Ads and sell your hamburgers... or whatever it is you sell.

Let's look at the Sun Tzu analogy.

BE WHERE YOUR ENEMY IS NOT.

The Art Of War has many relevant passages, but this one shows us that we can learn relevant Search Terms through Google Ads that our opposition simply might have missed or doesn't have a stronghold over.

This allows us to use our Google Ads account like foot soldiers, exploring and holding strategic positions while our artillery builds up a presence in the background. In this case, the artillery is your SEO and the "background" is the Organic listing.

And finally, a mish mash of the Real Estate and Military analogies

Location. Location. Location. We've all heard this Golden Rule of Real Estate, apply it to your digital strategy. If you are at the top of Google in the Organic section, the Maps section, and the Google Ads section, that means that there are THREE listings on the battleground that is the front page of Google that your competition isn't showing their listings.

Can I do Google Adwords myself?

Oh, for sure! If you have the time and expertise to ensure that your Google Ads account will be spending money where it is going to make you money, go for it!

Learning how to recognize performing and non-performing elements of a Campaign goes much deeper than simply looking at how much the Clicks cost, or improving your Click Through Rate.

Conversions don't magically appear because you have some enticing Ad Copy and as the manager of your Google Ads account, you need to be empowered with the knowledge of what happens before, during, and after someone clicks on your Ads.

This means not only understanding the data in the Google AdWords account, but also being able to analyze the behavior of people on your site in your Google Analytics account to optimize your advertising performance, across all Digital Channels!

Our commitment to success extends to helping clients through comprehensive, hands on, targeted, and company-specific Google Ads Training. We'd strongly recommend this training if you are looking to look after your Google AdWords account yourself.

Do I need any Marketing experience?

No, definitely not.

The best thing about digital marketing with Google Ads is that it is quantifiable. Not only will you be able to see the Clicks to your site, but we will show you what Clicks become Conversions (Sale or Lead), and even better, what people were Searching for in order to Convert.

The digital marketing optimisation process does include your expertise, it is your business after all.

You will learn how and why the system works, we'll also teach you how to analyse the data coming in as we believe not only in transparency, but we also know that the more you know about the system's capabilities and limitations, the better our combined strategies will result in ROI.

Can you guarantee the 1st position in Google?

The only way to guarantee the top position in the Google Ads section is to have an unlimited Budget and be willing to pay top dollar for a Click.

While we'd love to work with clients who have unlimited Budgets (get at me!), we are realists. Google Ads' Quality Score system may provide a mechanism to reduce the Cost Per Click of your Campaign, these days most people have at least attempted to optimize their Ads in order to better compete.

Our Ads are written with Best Practice in mind and therefore have the best opportunity to have a lower Cost Per Click, but even then we wouldn't recommend being in the top position!

In some cases, particularly if your industry is competitive, the person who clicks the Number 1 Ad will often look at the Ads in position 2, 3 and 4 in order to do their version of "due diligence". And if your offering is similar to the last website they look at, you have potentially spent top dollar in order to give the person in position 4 the Conversion.

Data-driven results come from testing what position is best to Convert in the Search Results. Sometimes being Number 1 can really be Number 2 (sorry for the toilet humour).

QUESTIONs TO ASK OF A Google Ads COMPANY LIKE THIS

If you find yourself on the edge of buying Google Ads services from someone who guarantees top position, ask this question, and get the answer in writing, ideally enjoined into the contractual agreement.

How do you circumvent Google Ads policy to make these guarantees?

How much does google ads cost?

How long is a piece of string?

There are many factors at play with Google Ads and how much it costs, particularly in relation to Keywords:

  1. Competition.
  2. Cost per Click.
  3. Search Volume.

In our initial review, we delve deep into what you are looking to achieve, what is the core of your business and what Keywords to target through Keyword Research. We then provide you with an initial report that takes into account the above factors and gives you an approximate Cost per day/week/month.

It needs to be kept in mind that the approximate Cost is for the Keywords uncovered in the course of consultation and through Keyword analysis. Over time this Cost could increase or decrease due to optimisation and Search Term analysis that results in Negative Keywords being added to the Campaigns

This is important, IF THE DATA PROVES THE INCREASE/DECREASE TO BE JUSTIFIABLE ONLY THEN WILL WE RECOMMEND AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN BUDGET.

We are data-driven, in the course of optimizing a Campaign we often find new Keywords to work with that perform well and therefore need to increase the Daily Budget. Alternatively, we might find that there are some Keywords that simply do not have an ROI and therefore there is no point in spending money on them, in which case we'd be able to reduce the Daily Budget.

Keyword Competition

The primary factor in the Cost of Google Ads is competition. Your competitors are the ones that increase or decrease your Cost Per Click, and it is them that you must "battle" for position in the Search Results of Google Ads.

Remember that scene from Bruce Almighty when Bruce grants everyone what they wished in their prayers? And there was chaos as all these people won the lottery?

Many people have left the "battle" up to Google in the hopes that the Almighty's Algorithm is benevolent to them and their business. Their competitors had the same idea.

Increasing your bids every time your competition increases theirs simply results in massively high bids and ultimately, the pricing of yourself out of the market. As I've said above, the only people who win this war are those with the unlimited Budget.

Working out how to optimize when you show, where you show, and what you show in order to beat your competition will assist in reducing your Cost.

How do I know if it’s worth doing Google Ads?

You've probably used Google Ads before, or have heard about it. You might even be one of the unfortunate people to believe that Google Ads is a horror story in the making.

In order to properly determine if Google Ads is right for you, you must consider the Return on Investment for your business. Answering these questions should help...

  1. Do people look for what you do on Google? (Sometimes they don't)
  2. Do you think the people who look for what you do on Google would want to get help from you?
  3. Can you help those people and make a profit?

If you answered "yes" to all three of these questions then Google Ads is a great option for you in the short- to mid-term, even if it is just to tide you over until your SEO campaign begins to take full effect.

What results should I expect to see?

The beauty of Google Ads is that Campaign performance can be determined fairly quickly, with the performing elements of the Campaign being readily identified using advanced Conversion Tracking and analysing online behaviour in the back end of your website.

Results as a term is subjective in the Digital Marketing world, but you as a business owner use it to mean one thing: SALES.

We get that, so we won't come to you with feigned excitement about how our Click Through Rate is high, or how the Cost Per Click is getting lower, or the Bounce Rate is really good. These are "results" for the Campaign, but mean little to nothing to you.

Our recommendation is to prepare for approximately three months of testing and optimisation. From our extensive experience, this is when we have determined what is performing, and how to better target those elements of the Campaign with the allocated Budget.

Sometimes it takes a little longer but there is always an indication of ROI, and in many cases we strike gold straight away.

Will Google ads FIT INTO MY DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY?

We help clients craft Digital Marketing Strategies.

Some clients already have a strategic digital marketing plan defined and need a specialist Search Marketing Company like Matter Solutions to deliver on its activities and meet its objectives.

In either case our Google Ads Campaigns are designed and executed by specialists at Matter Solutions, or other agencies, who provide complementary activities and objectives, e.g.

What REPORTS ARE DELIVERED DURING AN Google Ads CAMPAIGN?

Our Google Ads management includes a monthly report and catch up session.

In the first 6 weeks of a Campaign, we are in contact at least once weekly. In these 20-30 minute phone reviews we go through the data in the Account with targeted questions regarding the experience on the floor in your business.

What does this mean? Think about it this way, the Campaign could be producing hundreds of enquiries that are showing up as Conversions. Without being in contact, this would look great to us. What if those Conversions were duds?

Contact in those first few weeks allows two things:

  1. Identify performing/non-performing elements of the Campaign to maximise/minimise where required.
  2. Inform and teach you as a client to be able to read the data in the Google Ads and Google Analytics.

An informed business owner is then able to receive our monthly reports moving forward and make decisions based on the information.

Brainerd Google Ads Management

We are based in the City of Brainerd, MN. Most of our clients are in the city, Crow Wing county, and central Minnesota. We love to meet clients face-to-face and although that's significantly lessened since Covid-19 we've maintained close connections with our local Brainerd based clients. We know the city, we know Minnesota Nice and we're here to help Brainerd grow. 

Gold Coast Google Ads Management

We have a number of Google AdWords clients on the Gold Coast - and we are keen to help many more. 

Being in Brainerd and therefore not that far from the Gold Coast, prior to the pandemic we regularly would travel there to meet with our clients. While the world has definitely shifted to an online model of meetings, our understanding of the Gold Coast suburbs, culture and layout allows us to easily assist businesses in the area. We're also keen to come meet with you if you're looking for a traditional face to face meeting. 

Sydney Google Ads Management

Our office in Brainerd has a link to the excellent facilities at The Hub, near Hyde Park in Sydney. This has allowed us to meet with the traditional face to face manner with Sydney-based companies and hold seminars on Google AdWords management techniques and strategy. 

Our esteemed and lauded Google AdWords guru (me, Sam) grew up in Sydney and understands the layout of the suburbs, the "cultural" differences of different areas, and the arterial roads that allow us to provide local knowledge despite being interstate. 

If you're in Sydney and want a better deal, an agency based in Sunny MN is a great option. We're almost in the same timezone and you can access professional PPC Specialists for less than the flashy agencies in Sydney and Melbourne. 

Not sure where to start?

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