What Google Ads Ad Groups Should Look Like in 2024

Are you tired of pouring money into Google Ads without seeing any return on your investment? Many business owners find themselves frustrated with Google Ads as they are not seeing the conversions or sales they had hoped for. It's essential to understand that the primary reason for using Google Ads is to increase sales and generate more revenue. If you're not generating conversions, then Google Ads becomes a waste of your time and money.

Key Factors for a Successful Google Ads Campaign

Over the last decade, I have reviewed thousands of accounts and can confidently say that the difference between a profitable campaign and one that merely pays Google without generating sales comes down to three factors: Google Ads account structure, landing page, and offer or price point. Mastering these three items is crucial to seeing success with Google Ads.

1. Optimizing Your Google Ads Account Structure

A common issue I come across is an overly complicated account structure with no thought or overall strategy. To be successful with Google Ads, you need to identify what you genuinely want to achieve with your campaigns before setting them up. What do you want to achieve as a business? Every company is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Leveraging Google's Intent-Based Targeting

Google has shifted from keyword targeting to meaning or intent targeting. This means that instead of targeting specific keywords, Google now interprets the intent behind the keywords. This change requires advertisers to adapt their strategies. Single keyword ad groups (SKAGs) and old campaign setups without custom goals no longer work effectively.

Creating Effective Ad Groups

Instead of multiple ad groups with single keywords, you should create fewer ad groups with more comprehensive keyword lists. This approach allows you to better leverage Google's dynamic keyword insertion feature, which dynamically inserts the keyword that triggered the ad into the ad copy, making your ads more relevant to users.

2. Developing High-Converting Landing Pages

Once you have your account structure in place, you need a clear optimization strategy. The account structure is only half the story. You also need a converting landing page that grabs people's attention, effectively communicates your message, and provides an easy solution to their problem.

Elements of a High-Converting Landing Page

• Clear Messaging: Ensure that your landing page clearly states how your product or service solves the user's problem.
• Credibility Markers: Include reviews, testimonials, and case studies to build trust.
• Risk Reduction: Offer guarantees, such as refunds or price guarantees, to remove any hesitation.
• Easy Conversion Path: Make it easy for users to contact you or complete a sale with straightforward calls to action and a user-friendly layout.

3. Fine-Tuning Your Offer or Price Point

The final point to consider is your offer or price point. It's essential to understand that your product or service is only worth what someone is willing to pay. It's crucial to test your sales or Google Analytics data to determine if the issue is with your Google Ads campaign or landing page or if it's your offer or price point that's the problem.

Case Study: Successful Campaign Structure and Optimization

To illustrate these points, let's look at a case study. When I took over an account in late 2022, the client had multiple search campaigns targeting different countries. Although the overall campaign structure was solid, the ad groups were based on single keywords, which was not effective under Google's new intent-based targeting system.

Simplifying and Consolidating Ad Groups

I merged similar ad groups and reduced the number from eight to four, focusing on broader themes. This change alone resulted in a significant decrease in cost per conversion and an increase in the number of conversions.

Utilizing Dynamic Keyword Insertion

By using dynamic keyword insertion, we ensured that the triggered keyword appeared in the ad's headline, increasing relevancy and click-through rates. This method works best when you have a diverse set of phrases and exact match keywords within each ad group.

In Closing

The key to success with Google Ads in 2024 is mastering your account structure, landing page, and offer or price point. Every business is unique, and it's essential to create a tailored approach that aligns with your specific goals.

If you want to learn more about this topic, I encourage you to watch my detailed training video and download my Google Ads optimization checklist. This checklist provides step-by-step instructions on optimizing your campaigns and how often to carry out each optimization task.

By following these strategies, you can transform your Google Ads campaigns from a costly expenditure into a profitable investment. Don't waste your time and money on ineffective tactics; adapt to the new landscape of Google Ads and see real results.