Search advertising is the foundation of most Google Ads strategies. These campaigns display text ads when people search Google for specific keywords related to your business.
Professional search campaign management includes comprehensive keyword research. Managers identify high-intent keywords—searches indicating the person is ready to buy or take action. They distinguish between different keyword types: competitors searching your brand name, people looking for solutions you provide, and people researching before they’re ready to buy.
Keyword match types are crucial. Exact match limits your ads to searches that closely match your keyword, providing high relevance but lower volume. Phrase match shows your ads for searches containing your keyword phrase in any order, balancing relevance and volume. Broad match casts a wider net, showing ads for related searches, but requires careful negative keyword management.
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. For example, a law firm would add “free” as a negative keyword to avoid paying for clicks from people seeking free legal advice rather than legal services.
Ad copywriting is both art and science. Professional managers write headlines and descriptions that highlight your unique value, include relevant keywords for relevance, and include compelling calls to action. They test multiple ad variations to identify which messaging resonates with your audience.
Ad extensions expand your ads with additional information—additional links (sitelinks), phone numbers (call extensions), location information, promotional offers, or structured data about your business. Well-implemented extensions improve CTR and Quality Score.
Landing page optimization ensures the page someone lands on after clicking your ad matches their search intent and provides a clear path to conversion. Professional services often include landing page analysis and recommendations, though many agencies partner with specialists for deeper optimization.
Bidding strategies vary from manual CPC (you set the bid) to smart bidding options like Target CPA (Google automatically adjusts bids to hit your target cost per action) or Target ROAS (Google adjusts bids to hit your target return on ad spend). Professionals select the right strategy based on conversion data and business goals.