Understanding the differences between SA360 vs Google Ads is the first step toward a successful paid advertising campaign. Both programs have their advantages and drawbacks and can serve to supercharge your marketing effort.
No matter which paid channel you’re using, you can benefit from various tools and features. Almost every modern PPC platform offers a range of automated bidding strategies, from manual bidding to enhanced CPC to target ROAS. Additionally, marketers can create and optimize campaigns with keyword research and match types, ad copywriting, and conversion tracking.
In this article, we’ll talk about how SA360 and Google Ads can affect your bid strategy and overall campaign goals and which one could provide better results for your business.
Comparing Google SA 360 vs Google Ads
In the ever-increasing digital space, understanding the different platforms and technologies used to manage campaigns is key to success. While both are made by the same company, Google Search Ads 360 and Google Ads are significantly different platforms.
Google Ads
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is, first and foremost, a platform that serves Google paid campaigns. Marketers can use it to actively monitor their paid advertising, explore new opportunities (e.g., testing different keywords or match types), and adjust settings as needed.
With this software, they can track changes in keyword performance, clickthrough rates, and cost-per-clicks, as different settings may affect their performance. Marketers can also use the reporting tools offered by Google Ads to review their campaigns and optimize accordingly.
Google Search Ads 360
Google Search Ads 360 (former DoubleClick Search) is a platform designed to assist marketers in managing and optimizing their search engine marketing campaigns across different channels. Unlike Google Ads, which specializes in Google platforms, you can use this software for just about any paid channel, including Bings Ads and Yahoo!
SA360 enables marketers to create, manage, and analyze completely different campaigns from a single dash. They can set budgets, target keyword bids, and track performance. SA360 also offers insights on how to improve campaigns, such as suggested keyword additions, bid adjustments, and budget allocations.
The tool is a part of the paid Google Marketing Platform and represents and offers a plethora of Google Ads data to improve your workflow.
Using Platforms’ Advanced Features
Both Google Ads and Google SA360 offer intuitive interfaces for inventory management and campaign management. By understanding the platforms’ various features and settings, advertisers can craft powerful campaigns and optimize their performance. With the right approach, these platforms can help marketers achieve their desired results and, ultimately, make a bigger impact on their digital marketing efforts.
Different Types of Paid Search Ads
When it comes to paid search, there are a variety of ad formats you can use to get your message out. These formats include text ads, image ads, video ads, local ads, and shopping ads.
Text Ads
Text ads, also known as search ads, are the most common type of paid search ad. These ads are usually text-based and appear on search engine results pages. They usually appear as either sponsored or organic listings, and they typically contain a headline, description, and link to the advertiser’s website. These ads are designed to be noticed by potential customers who are searching for relevant products or services.
Image Ads
Image ads are graphic-based ads that appear on search engine results pages or other websites. These ads are often used to draw attention to a product or service and can display static images or even animations. Image ads can be used to stand out from the competition and can be targeted to specific search terms or demographics.
Video Ads
Video ads are becoming increasingly popular in the search engine space. These ads typically feature video content that can range from short clips to longer, more in-depth pieces. Video ads can be targeted to specific audiences and locations, and they can be used to build brand awareness and capture leads. They can also be used to showcase a product or service in an entertaining way.
Local Ads
Local ads are designed to reach targeted audiences in a particular location. These ads appear in search engine results pages, and they typically contain information about a business, such as an address, phone number, and hours of operation. Local ads can be used to capture leads in a specific area, and they can be targeted to people who are searching for businesses near them.
Shopping Ads
Shopping ads are used to advertise products on various pages. These ads are designed to showcase products and services in an appealing way, and they typically contain an image, price, and description. Shopping ads are a great way to increase sales and conversions, and they can be targeted to specific audiences and locations.
Implementing Automated Bidding Strategies
One of the most important decisions that can make or break your paid search campaigns is deciding which bids to set. With so many options available, the choice may seem overwhelming. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads both offer automated bidding strategies to automate this process and get the best returns on your budget. Here are some of the most popular automated bidding strategies:
- Manual Bidding: Manual bidding allows you to manually set the bids for each keyword in your campaign. You will need to continuously adjust these bids according to performance metrics such as Cost per Click (CPC) or Return On Investment (ROI)
- Enhanced CPC: Enhanced CPC automatically raises or lowers bids based on the probability that a click will lead to a conversion. This strategy helps you focus more on conversions rather than clicks
- Target CPA: Target CPA sets bids to try and achieve an average Cost per Acquisition across all clicks. You can set the target CPA yourself, and Google Ads will automatically adjust bids accordingly
- Target ROAS: Target ROAS also attempts to achieve a desired cost per acquisitionMaximizing but instead looks at the return on ad spend. This strategy focuses more on the amount of revenue generated from a given budget than the number of conversions
- Position-Based: Position-based bidding is targeted more toward visibility and getting the most out of your budget. It sets bids so that you will appear in the top positions for the majority of your keywords but not necessarily the first place
- Maximize Clicks: Maximizing clicks automatically sets bids to generate the most clicks possible within your budget. It is ideal for driving short-term traffic to a website or a product launch
Choosing the right automated bidding strategy will depend on your business objectives as well as your budget. There isn’t a universal approach to bidding, but understanding how each strategy works can help inform your decision. With the right strategy, you can optimize your campaigns for maximum performance.
Using Optimal Campaign Structure and Settings
Creating a successful campaign starts with a good structure. Whether you’re creating a YouTube campaign, Facebook Ads, using auction time bidding, or value based bidding, these tricks will ensure that you’re the perfect layout and format.
Follow Your Objectives
It is important to design campaigns around particular objectives, such as driving sales or lead generation. This will help in setting up the right offers or landing pages along with the right ad copy and budget allocation.
Create Ad Groups
You then have to segment the audience for each campaign, with each ad group having an associated theme. The associated keywords should match the theme of the ad group to properly target the desired audience. Keywords can be grouped by product categories, brands, pricing, discounts, or use different match types.
Optimize Every Campaign Setting
Once the search account structure is created, targeting settings should also be adjusted to ensure the ads are displayed at the right time and place. Automated bidding strategies can be performed at the ad group level to optimize the campaigns and drive more conversions.
By creating a well-structured campaign with the right targeting settings in place, advertisers can take advantage of automated bidding strategies to increase performance and optimize spend.
Ad copy is a critical component of any search engine marketing campaign. It is the text that potential customers will read when browsing online for what they need. Every word counts, and it’s important to get it right.
Creating a Perfect Ad Copy
At its core, ad copy should be clear, concise, and persuasive. The aim is to grab the user’s attention and make them want to click and continue to your website. When writing ad copy, there are a few key elements to keep in mind.
Here are a few tricks for creating a perfect ad for your paid search campaign:
- Consider the target audience and their needs. Ad copy should be tailored to appeal to their interests and should address the problem they are trying to solve
- Once you know the key message that you want to communicate include the most important phrases, also known as keywords
- Make sure that the ad copy is relevant to the landing page people will be sent to. If the ad copy promises a solution, then the landing page should make it easy for the user to take the desired action
- Besides the main message, ad copy should also include a call to action. This should be an inviting phrase or phrase that encourages the user to click. Examples of call to action include phrases such as “Start a free trial today,” “Visit our store now,” or “Learn more”
- When creating the ad copy, it’s worth running numbers to see which versions are performing better. Split testing enables marketers to compare different ad versions and quickly identify the more successful ones
Ad copywriting isn’t just about words; it’s about crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with the user. With the right techniques and strategies in place, marketers can create ads that optimize performance and reach the right people at the right time.
Understanding and Using the Right Keywords
When it comes to making sure that your ads get seen, choosing the best keywords for your campaigns is essential. You should be aware of the different keyword match types available when setting up your campaigns: Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match.
- Broad Match: As the name implies, these phrases are broad-based and used to match a wide range of related search queries. It’s primarily used for discovery purposes – to find new keywords and create more search volume opportunities. Broad Match is ideal for people running their first Google Ads campaign and those who aren’t fully acquainted with Campaign Manager functionality
- Phrase Match: These keywords are the middle-ground between Broad Match and Exact Match, and as such, match a few words or phrases in the same order. This gives you more control than broad match because it will only show your ad for searches that include your exact phrase
- Exact Match: This is the most precise keyword match type and only shows your ad for searches 100% identical to your keyword. This keyword match type is great for targeting high-converting keywords and for more efficient campaigns
You can also combine keywords in the various match types to create powerful search campaigns. For example, you can use a combination of Broad Match and Phrase Match to target a larger base of potential customers while still maintaining control over which search queries are displayed in your ad.
Overall, choosing the correct keyword match types for your campaigns is important. Understanding the differences between Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match will help you better optimize your campaigns and maximize your return on investment.
Setting Up and Optimizing Google Shopping Campaigns
Google Shopping campaigns are a powerful way to display your products, optimize performance, and measure success. To ensure success with your Google Shopping campaigns, there are some best practices you should follow. Here are our top tips for setting up and optimizing your Google Shopping campaigns.
Set a Budget and Performance Goals
Before setting up your campaign, define your budget and performance goals. Make sure you know what kind of return you want to see on your investment and how much you can afford to spend over time. Consider the cost per click for each product, as well as factors like seasonality, to make sure your budget is achieving the desired results.
Organize Your Product Feed
A successful Google Shopping campaign starts with a well-organized product feed. Make sure that your product descriptions are clear, and use search-friendly terms to improve visibility. It’s also important to keep your product feed updated so that you’re only promoting items in stock. Finally, double-check your pricing information to ensure accuracy.
Utilize Automated Bidding Strategies
Google offers a variety of automated bidding strategies that allow you to optimize your campaigns. For example, you can choose a target CPA to maximize conversions or use Maximize Clicks to get more traffic. Experiment with different strategies to identify which one works best for your products.
Take Advantage of Ad Extensions
Ad extensions are an easy way to make your ads more visible and attractive. Google Shopping campaigns allow you to include seller ratings, product reviews, price extensions, and other features. Adding ad extensions is also a great way to increase your click-through rate.
Track Performance and Adjust as Needed
It’s important to monitor your campaigns continuously and make adjustments to ensure maximum performance. Track key performance metrics like cost per click, CTR, and conversions. Pay close attention to underperforming products, and don’t hesitate to remove them if necessary. You can also experiment with new keywords or adjust bid strategies to further optimize your campaigns.
By following these tips and best practices, you can get the most out of your Google Shopping campaigns. With the right setup and optimization strategies, you can maximize your ROI and ensure that your campaigns are a success.
Using Conversion Tracking and Attribution Models
Proper use of conversion tracking and attribution models can be a game-changer when creating new search ads. You can track these metrics within various tools, such as Universal Analytics, or you can save them into Google Sheets.
Conversion Tracking
Tracking conversions is one of the most important aspects of running a successful digital marketing campaign. Digital advertisers are tasked with setting up conversion tracking to accurately report the performance of their campaigns and make informed decisions about future investments. Conversion tracking involves using different attribution models to measure the success of different digital activities.
Attribution Model Basics
An attribution model is the method used to give credit to various activities in the conversion process. For example, a Standard Last-Click attribution model will give all the credit for a conversion to the last-click activity in the process. There are also Position Based attribution models, which give different credit weights to different stages of the conversion process, and Data-Driven attribution models, which use data to assign credit for a conversion to different activities.
Find the Right Models
The choice of attribution model can have a dramatic effect on the success of a digital marketing campaign. It is important to understand the differences between the models so that you can choose the right one to use for your particular campaign.
Standard Last Click attribution is the simplest model, but it might not be the best option depending on the objectives of the campaign. Position-based attribution gives more credit to activities that have a greater influence on the conversion. Data-Driven attribution is often the most accurate as it uses data to gain more insights into the path to conversion and to adjust weights accordingly.
It is important to understand how each attribution model works to properly track conversions and measure campaign performance. Choosing the right model can maximize your digital marketing efforts and increase the success of your campaigns.
Performance Marketing with Microsoft Advertising
Performance marketing focuses on increasing the efficiency of your marketing campaigns. It is a type of digital marketing that focuses on tracking and maximizing conversions. The goal of performance marketing is to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of each campaign, whether that is through cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-action (CPA).
Microsoft Advertising Basics
Microsoft Advertising is an online platform that offers comprehensive performance marketing solutions. When using Bing Ads, you can use tools such as bid strategies, ad copywriting, and keyword research to optimize your campaigns for different marketing objectives.
Set Viable Objectives
To start driving success with your Microsoft Advertising campaigns, you need to begin by setting up realistic goals. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Are you looking to generate more leads? Understanding what you want to accomplish will help you create campaigns that are tailored to meet your performance goals.
Create a Plan and Perform Tests
Once you have identified your goals, you can develop an actionable plan to reach them. Start by running short-term experiments to determine what types of creative content and bid strategies work best for each of your campaigns. After running several tests, you can analyze the data and apply the results to your overall campaign strategy.
With the right strategy in place, you can use Microsoft Advertising to increase efficiency and optimize your campaigns for success. Tracking performance metrics like clicks, impressions, bounce rate, and conversions will give you a better understanding of how your campaigns are performing and where improvements can be made.
Utilizing Google Analytics to Optimize SEA Campaigns
Integrating Google Analytics and Microsoft Ads together can provide numerous benefits for search engine optimization and paid campaigns. It allows marketers to identify and track keywords, monitor user activity, and measure performance over time. With the help of these tools, marketers can improve their campaigns and make more informed decisions.
Google Analytics allows marketers to gather key website insights, such as which keywords drive the most traffic. The data can then be used to tweak existing or add new keywords to optimize the campaign. Marketers can also use the data to track how users interact with the site, helping them better understand customers’ needs and preferences.
By using the software, marketers can gain a holistic view of the campaign’s performance. This allows them to understand which keywords are driving the most traffic and conversions. Furthermore, they can track website visitors’ experiences from start to finish on multiple search engines. This provides useful information, such as how long users stay on the website and which pages they visit.