What are Google Ads?

Google Ads is Google's paid advertising platform that lets businesses show ads across Google Search, YouTube, Maps, and a wide network of partner websites. It's a powerful way to reach potential customers at the exact moment they're searching for your products or services.

Where do Google Ads appear?

Ads appear in several places:

• Search results: At the top and bottom of Google Search pages, marked as "Sponsored"
• Google Display Network: A collection of partner websites where banner or video ads can appear
• YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps: Ads can show as videos, promoted listings, or banners

Why use Google Ads?

Google is the world’s most-used search engine. Advertising on Google gives you access to an enormous audience. Some of the key benefits:

• You only pay when someone clicks on your ad (Pay-Per-Click or PPC)
• You control your daily budget
• You can target locally or nationally
• You get immediate visibility

Whether you run a local bakery or a nationwide service, Google Ads can deliver measurable results.

What’s the Google Display Network?

The Google Display Network (GDN) consists of millions of websites that display ads. These ads can be:

• Text
• Image
• Video
• Interactive rich media

The GDN helps you reach people while they’re browsing online – not just when they’re searching.

How does Google choose which ads to show?

Google runs an auction every time someone searches. Whether or not your ad appears depends on:

• Your bid amount (how much you're willing to pay per click)
• The Quality Score of your ad (based on relevance, landing page experience, and click-through rate)

The better your ad quality, the more likely it is to appear – and often at a lower cost.

What is CPC (Cost-Per-Click)?

CPC is the amount you pay when someone clicks on your ad. It varies depending on how competitive a keyword is. For example:

• "Buy shoes online" has a higher CPC than
• "Affordable cobbler in Springfield"

You set a daily budget and Google makes sure you never overspend.

What is a Quality Score?

Quality Score is a 1–10 rating Google gives your ad. It’s based on:

• Ad relevance
• Landing page experience
• Historical click-through rates (CTR)

A higher Quality Score means:

• Lower CPC
• Better ad placement

Why you might not see your ads

Not seeing your ad? Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean it’s not running. Google may limit how often you see your own ad due to:

• Your daily budget being used up
• Google's personalization (e.g., not showing you the same ad repeatedly if you never click it)
• Targeting settings like location or device

How to find the right keywords

Use tools like the Google Keyword Planner to:

• Discover relevant keywords
• See search volumes
• Estimate CPC

Choose keywords your target audience would type when searching for your product or service. Focus on relevance and intent.

What is a landing page?

A landing page is the webpage users are sent to after clicking your ad. It should:

• Match the ad’s message
• Be focused on one goal (buy, sign up, book, etc.)
• Be fast and mobile-friendly

Tip: Don’t just send users to your homepage. Use a page that directly supports the ad offer.

Google Ads with rankingCoach

Managing campaigns can be overwhelming, but rankingCoach 360 makes it easy:

• Set your budget and select keywords
• Generate optimized ads based on your business and competitors
• Choose between local or national targeting
• Add call and link extensions

Your dashboard will show:

• Clicks, impressions, and keyword performance
• CPC and search volume
• Monthly reports on traffic and budget usage