According to predictions, there is a 98% chance that a global recession might strike in 2023. 

In times of slowed economic growth, marketing budgets are often the first to suffer. 

However, some companies are ramping up their marketing efforts. Survey results show that almost a quarter of companies have increased marketing spending in the last few months, and are preparing to market aggressively through the recession. 

The takeaway? If your brand is forced to make budget cuts, you’ll be left with less marketing spend, while facing tough competition from certain quarters. 

So what do you do? These digital marketing tips can help you make the most of your Google Ads campaign in 2023.

If you can optimize your Google Ads strategies, you can maximize your marketing spend and your reach. 

Who doesn’t want that? Keep reading to find out how to make your marketing dollars stretch further in 2023. 

Start Collecting Visitor Data

Thanks to widespread concern over data privacy, cookies are due to become a thing of the past. Cookie use took its first hit back in 2018 with the implementation of GDPR. 

Soon after, iOS 14 further disrupted advertising by limiting behavior tracking. 

The next stage of cookie restriction is now on the near horizon. Currently, Google is set to phase out third-party cookies by 2024. 

This has serious implications for ad targeting. Ad targeting is one of the pivotal parameters advertisers use to drive down ad costs. 

Unless you want to see your ad spend shoot up, and your conversion rate drop—now is a good time to start collecting your own visitor data. 

The most comprehensive way to gather first-party data is through your CRM. If you run omnichannel campaigns, you can also configure your server-side tracking. This will help you understand your marketing attribution. 

Collecting your own first-party data isn’t as convenient as using third-party data. But, once Google phases out third-party data, it will be an invaluable resource that’ll strengthen remarketing campaigns and lead ads. 

Implement Lead Quality Controls

One of the most important digital marketing tips to follow if you want to make the most of your Google Ads is to implement lead quality controls. 

When it comes to leads, quality is far more critical than quantity. It doesn’t matter how many leads your digital marketing campaign is generating. If these leads aren’t converting, you’ll be wasting time and resources.

Evaluate Your Existing Leads

Start by evaluating the leads you’re already generating.

Take a look at your lead data. Where are your good leads coming from? Is there any room for improvement?

Here are some of the most important metrics to analyze:

  • Length of the buyer’s journey
  • CTR, CVR, and CAC
  • How much each lead contributes to your bottom line

Besides these metrics, you should also evaluate any call logs. Try to see if there are any common threads that create a mismatch between your prospects and offerings. 

Identify Signs of Poor Lead Quality

The next step is identifying signs of poor lead quality. A mismatch between prospects and your offerings is one indication of poor lead quality. 

For instance, if your brand operates primarily within one state, but you regularly receive leads from out of state, this is a mismatch. 

Or let’s say you’re a B2B SaaS brand, but you regularly get B2C inquiries. None of these leads are going to convert because they’re from the wrong target market. 

These types of mismatches are often a result of the wrong messaging. Messaging that inaccurately describes your offerings or overpromises will draw in poor-quality leads. 

Identify Your Ideal Lead

Once you have analyzed the quality of your leads, you should take steps to improve them. The first place to start is by getting a firm handle on your ideal lead. 

Research your ideal customer. What is their age, income level, geographical location, pain points, interests, gender, etc? 

Deeply understanding your target customer will allow you to:

  • Craft compelling ad copy that gets their attention
  • Refine your brand voice
  • Speak to their pain points in your ads and landing pages
  • Distill down your selling points in a way that draws in your target customer

If you want to maximize your Google Ads, you should invest time into defining your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A powerful, targeted USP will help your ads stand out from the crowd and boost relevant conversions. 

Knowing your target customer will also give you insight into what they’re looking for. Once you know what kinds of searches your target market is conducting, you can strengthen your keyword strategy

Another way you can improve lead quality is by passing conversion data on to Google Ads. The more conversion data you can give the platform, the more you can train the algorithm to show ads that have the highest chance of converting. 

If you want to feed conversion data into Google Ads, you can either connect your CRM or manually upload data files. 

To manually upload data, you will need to navigate to “Conversions”. Hit the + button and select import. From here you can select between properties, and select the features you want to import. 

Double Down on Keyword Research

Speaking of keyword research, this is another area to double down on if you want to get maximum results from your ad spend.

As you can see, there are a lot of changes happening in the PPC ad space. But one Google Ads management best practice that isn’t due to change quite yet is keyword optimization. 

Targeting and audience-building capabilities are decreasing. This means that marketers will be forced to rely heavily on keywords.

Thanks to this, keyword research is still the number one cornerstone to running a successful digital marketing campaign.

Getting Specific Gets You Found

Short-tail keywords are becoming less and less profitable to target. Unless your brand has very little competition, targeting short-tail keywords probably isn’t going to cut it. 

What’s more, long-tail keywords can attract better-quality leads. For instance, let’s say your brand sells biodegradable trash bags. You’d much rather attract leads that are searching for “biodegradable trash bags” or “compostable trash bags” than just “trash bags”.

In other words, the more specific you are, the easier it can be to get found. Long-tail keywords are also cheaper to bid on and often target bottom-of-the-funnel searches. 

Therefore, when planning out your keyword strategy, don’t be afraid to get super specific. You might even want to target things like product specifications, including things like:

  • Size
  • Color
  • Special features

Geographical terms can also help you target the right audience. If you’re looking for ideas, you can leverage Google’s keyword tools and autocomplete feature to find relevant long-tail keywords.

Do Not Set-And-Forget Your Keyword Strategy

Ideally, you should build out a fully-fleshed keyword strategy right from the get-go. 

This will give you a strong overview of what keywords you want to target for which ad groups and prevent you from falling prey to things like keyword cannibalization and overlap. 

Start by researching consumer search behavior and plan out your keyword strategy to meet leads where they’re searching.

You should also revisit your keyword strategy on a regular basis. Analyze what keywords are working, their individual ROI, and conversion rate. 

Through this, you can identify (and stop using) low-performing keywords. Instead of wasting money on keywords that don’t drive conversions, you can divert ad spend to the keywords that are actually moving the needle. 

You should also make it a habit to regularly find and test out new keywords. Always make sure that keywords are aligned with your conversion goals and double-check to make sure you’re not bidding against yourself. 

Don’t Forget About Negative Keywords

If you want the most conversions for the least ad spend, don’t forgo negative keywords. 

Negative keywords can save you a lot of money and dramatically increase the quality of your leads. If you take the time to strengthen your account-level negative keywords list, you can weed out leads that are mismatched with your offerings. 

Not only can negative keywords help you generate better leads with less ad spend, but they can also give you a competitive edge. 

Many marketers make the mistake of ignoring negative keywords entirely. If you take the time to compile a comprehensive list of negative keywords, your ads have a better chance of out-performing the competitions’. 

Identifying Negative Keywords With Google Ads Keyword Planner

The easiest place to start identifying negative keywords is in the Google Ads Keywords Planner.

Google’s keyword planner doesn’t offer a dedicated feature for finding negative keywords. But, it can still be an easy way to unearth negative keywords for your ad account. 

Start by typing in one of the main keywords you’re targeting. Let’s say you’re selling hardcopy calendars, so you type in “calendars”. 

Under “Keyword Ideas” you will see a list of related keywords. Go through this list and see if you can spot any potential negative keywords. 

Some examples might be keywords like “free calender”, “downloadable calendar”, “printable calendar”, and “PDF calendar”.

Identifying Negative Keywords With Google Ads Search Terms Report

You can also identify negative keywords using your search terms report. If you dig deep into this report, you might find a few search terms that look like they’re performing well but aren’t triggering conversions. 

If you want to stop wasting money on search terms that don’t convert, add the keywords that haven’t generated any conversions to your list of negative keywords. 

Identifying Negative Keywords Through Search

Another way you can ferret out negative keywords is by doing a Google search for your primary keywords. Everything that comes up on the first page is what Google deems the most relevant for the term. 

If you see results that aren’t transactional or applicable to your offering, add these terms to your negative keyword list. 

For instance, after typing in “calendar”, you might get results for economic calendars, calendar apps, school calendars, etc. 

Use Negative Keywords to Target Specific Sales Funnel Stages

You can even use negative keywords to target certain stages of the sales funnel. For instance, if you’re only running bottom-of-the-funnel campaigns, you could leverage negative keywords such as:

  • “How to”
  • “Definition of”
  • “Guide”
  • “Benefits of”

Bottom-of-the-funnel campaigns are a great way to get purchase-ready leads.

Test Out an Exact Match Campaign

Have you extensively tested your Google Ads and found a winning formula? If so, you can supercharge your results further with an exact match campaign. 

For instance, let’s say you’ve generated a high amount of conversions for the term “best beginner business coaching programs”. 

With a regular campaign, Google will display ads for searches that broadly match your specified keyword. Although your keyword might be “best beginner business coaching programs”, your ads will also display for searches like “best business coaching programs”.

If you know that your conversion rate is higher for the more specific keyword, an exact match campaign will stop Google from showing your ads in broader matches. This can save on ad spend and trigger a higher conversion rate. 

But keep in mind that this only works if you have already identified a high-converting keyword. If you randomly create exact-match campaigns, this could derail your results. 

Exact match gives you more control over who sees your ads. But you have to first know for certain what searches to target. Otherwise, you’ll be operating in the dark and erroneously restricting your ad reach. 

Leverage Sitelink Extensions

Another way you can maximize your digital marketing strategy and budget is by utilizing Sitelink Extensions. 

Google Ads gives you the option to include Sitelink Extensions within your ads. These show up as hyperlinked text under the paid search result. 

Sitelinks can appear for both organic and paid results. They make it easier for searchers to navigate to the specific page they need by giving them more options right within the SERPs.

If you include Sitelinks in your ads, this can increase your CTR. Sitelinks also expand the area of space your ads take up. This makes them more prominent and grabs more visual attention. 

Other benefits include:

  • More detailed analytics data
  • Simple configuration
  • You can customize Sitelinks by device
  • You can schedule Sitelinks to coincide with campaigns, days of the week, etc. 

For Sitelinks to be effective, you must identify which links are most relevant to search intent. For instance, let’s say your business sells kitchen appliances. 

If a user is in the consideration stage of the buyer journey, a link to a product comparison will be more helpful than a direct product link. 

On the other hand, if you’re targeting transactional or branded keywords, links to product or service pages will be more helpful. 

Approach Automation With Care

By this stage, it’s pretty clear that Google Ads is making a steady march toward automation. Last year Google Ads rolled out its Performance Max (PMAX) solution, which uses machine learning models to optimize placements and bids. 

PMAX is supposed to enhance conversions and streamline bidding. According to Google, over 80% of Google advertisers are now using automated bidding to free up time and improve ad performance.

But, it’s important to remember that these automated features are still in their infancy.

PMAX is meant to be a ready-to-use solution. But, if you don’t test it thoroughly, you could do more harm than good. Letting the algorithm run without supervision and intervention isn’t a good idea just yet. 

Set Aside a Portion of Your Ad Budget for Testing

Although marketers should approach automated solutions with care, this doesn’t mean they should avoid them entirely. In fact, your best move might be to test out the new Google Ad features like PMAX while they’re still optional. 

This way, by the time automated features are mandatory, you’ll already have a strong handle on how to use them to your advantage. 

At this point, PMAX is best suited to e-commerce business models. Lead gen businesses may want to hold off for while—unless they have sophisticated conversion tracking set up.

You can start by setting aside a portion of your budget for test-driving PMAX. But, be aware that you will need a large enough budget allocation to let the algorithm work.

If your budget is too small, Google won’t be able to generate the data it needs to learn and optimize. 

Here are a few quick tips for PMAX success:

  • Analyze your most successful Expanded Text Ads to identify your top-performing assets (such as CTAS, headlines, and descriptions)
  • Use URL exclusions
  • Include at least one video asset
  • Optimize for intent
  • Map assets to match audience signals and intent levels
  • Avoid keyword and campaign cannibalization
  • Create an audience signal
  • Check your default location settings

Once you have your campaign set up, keep a sharp watch over it. In particular, pay attention to broad match, as it may trigger overspend on non-relevant queries. If this happens, traffic will rise but conversions will stay the same. 

Sanity-Check Automated Suggestions

It can be tempting to follow Google’s automated suggestions blindly, but you should always sanity-check them first. Just because an automated suggestion comes up doesn’t mean it’s right for your account or your objectives. 

If you robotically follow the automated suggestions in your dashboard, this could drive your costs sky-high and tank your conversions. 

Also, make sure your account isn’t set to auto-apply suggestions. 

This doesn’t mean you should ignore all automated suggestions, however. Some suggestions make sense across the board, and others could point you in the way of valuable improvements. For instance, things like Sitelink extensions, structured snippets, and callouts are beneficial for most campaigns. 

But, bigger campaign moves should always be carefully formulated first. For instance, if Google Ads is suggesting you implement Smart Shopping campaigns, this doesn’t mean you should switch in one click. 

Instead, you will need to carry out meticulous planning and research beforehand. 

Retargeted Ads Still Reign Supreme

Just about any list of digital marketing tips worth its weight will recommend retargeted ads. This is another thing that hasn’t changed. Retargeted ads are just as powerful in 2023 as ever before.

Because they’re directed at pre-qualified leads, retargeted ads can generate fantastic CTRs and engagement. Stats show that while the average CTR for display ads hovers around 0.07%, retargeted ads enjoy a CTR of 0.7%. In other words, retargeted ads perform 10x better. 

Build a Library of Creative Assets

Building a library of creative assets can take time and resources, but it’s essential if you want to maximize your ad spend

For instance, a lot of businesses create a bare minimum of video resources. But, this can be a big mistake, because your video ads won’t be as relevant. 

In order for your ads to be relevant, you need a variety of resources to draw from. According to statistics, relevant video ads get 3X the attention compared to the average video ad.

Don’t Jump on Automated Google Ads Bidding Without Pro-level Help

As you can see, running successful digital marketing campaigns isn’t just a matter of throwing some money at Google Ads. If you really want to make the most of your marketing budget, you need to fine-tune your campaigns, continually revisit your keyword strategy, test-drive automation features, and more. 

Unless you have a fully fleshed-out digital marketing department, complete with a PPC specialist, staying on top of this can become a full-time job in itself. Google Ads changes have been coming thick and fast, and its automated features are especially challenging for amateurs to test-drive. 

Click one campaign setting in error, and your budget could be sent spiraling. 

If your business is struggling to keep up with everything related to paid search, it might be time to outsource this marketing task to the professionals. 

If you opt for expert Google ads management, you can rest easy knowing you’re not missing out on paid search opportunities. The right Google ads management service can ensure that you’re making every dollar of your ad budget count. 

Your digital marketing strategies can be a make-or-break factor in business success. If you have the sneaking suspicion that you’re not managing your ad campaigns correctly, going straight to the pros can end up being cheaper and more effective than trying to fulfill this function in-house. 

Maximize Your Google Ads Campaigns With These Digital Marketing Tips

As we mentioned in the beginning, doubling down on your marketing is one of the smartest moves in an economic downturn. And you don’t necessarily need to increase your ad spend to achieve this. 

By implementing these digital marketing tips for 2023, you can make the most of your Google Ads campaigns and prepare yourself for future changes in paid search. 

Don’t have the time, energy, or marketing muscle to fine-tune your Google Ads campaigns to this level? We can help. 

Here at PayPerClickAuthority, we provide businesses like yours with affordable Google Ads management. Unlike other services, we don’t charge setup fees or lock you into long-term contracts.

With us, you have nothing to lose. Stop leaving leads on the table and contact us for a free Google leads evaluation. 

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