AdWords for B&Bs

AdWords forBed and Breakfasts

August 29, 2011

Let’s Get Acquainted

• Ed Tankersley• Principal of Eight

Trails• Smarter websites and

online marketing• 20+ years advertising and marketing

• Interactive director• Creative director• Writer

Let’s Get Acquainted

• Ed Tankersley• Google AdWords Qualified

Individual

What is AdWords?

• AdWords is Google’s paid search advertising program

• Paid search is also known as pay-per-click or PPC

• PPC is one component of SEM

What is SEM?

Connect with potentialcustomers while they’re

actively searching foryour service!

Natural search vs paid search

(SEO vs PPC)

NATURAL SEARCH RESULTS

PAID

SEARCH

ADS

PAID

SEARCH

ADS

PAID SEARCH HERE, TOO

SEO vs PPC

• SEO helps you with your organic search rankings

• PPC is a way to pay for position on the search results pages (and other websites, too)

• PPC is not affected by what you do with SEO

• SEO is not affected by what you do with PPC

AdWords Nitty Gritty

• Benefits of AdWords• Reach• Targeting• Flexibility• Measurability


• AdWords is an auction• The higher you bid, the higher

your ads appear (generally)


• You pay only when someone clicks on your ad

• Hence, pay-per-click• There is no minimum budget

requirement• Spend as much or as little as

works for you


• Your bid price for a given position is determined by competition AND your Quality Score

• With a good Quality Score, you could rank higher than a competitor for a lower bid price


• Your Quality Score is determined by• The relevance of your ad• The relevance of your landing

page• Your clickthrough rate• Other mysterious factors


• AdWords comprises:• Search Network

• Google search• Search partners (AOL, Earthlink)

• Display Network• Hundreds of thousands of websites

Set Up Your First AdWords Campaign, Step by Step

• Create an Account the Right Way the First Time

• Your Secret Advantage – Irresistible Ads• The Lowdown on Keywords• Organize Your Ad Groups for Success• 3 Defaults That Can Bite You• Bonus Tips for Insiders Only

Create an Account the Right Way the First Time

Start at adwords.google.com


• Use an existing email tied to your Google accounts or create a new one

• Set your time zone – can’t be changed

• Set your currency – can’t be changed

• Confirm your email












That’s it! You have an AdWords account

(sort of…)


• Use the Load Settings option to choose Search Network Only

• Name your campaign• Set your Locations• Set your Languages• Leave the Networks and Devices as it is• Leave Bidding Options set to Basic• Choose Manual Bidding• Set Daily Budget• Leave Delivery Method set to Standard• Ad Extensions




















• Advanced Settings• Schedule

• Start date• End date• Ad Scheduling• Ad Delivery: Set Ad Rotation to Rotate

Aug 31, 2011


• Advanced Settings• Schedule

• Start date• End date• Ad Scheduling• Ad Delivery: Set Ad Rotation to

Rotate


• Create an ad• Select keywords• Set your maximum bid• Save and continue to billing








• Enter your billing information• Select automatic payments or

manual payments• Pay a one-time AdWords

activation fee of $5


NOW you have an AdWords account

CAUTION!

Unless you chose a start date in the future, your ads will now start

displaying and you’ll be spending money!

Your Secret Advantage –

Irresistible Ads

Your Secret Advantage – Irresistible Ads

The purpose of your ad is to get people to click on your ad!


People don’t need a drill… …they need a hole.

Sell your benefits!


< Benefits

< Features

Hands-On -Explore Your Benefits

• Create a list of features• Extend those to benefits• Add emotional promise if you

can


• Include a call to action and make it specific

• Bad: Click here.• Better: Learn about our inn.• Best: Book online. Buy now.

Reserve your spot. Get yours today.


• Include a call to action and make it specific


• Put your price in your ad


Spy on your competitors, then

differentiate


• Write two ads and let them battle

Hands-On –What Can You Test?

• Headlines• Offers• Features• Benefits• Appeal/Promise• URLs• Capitalization


• Use your top keyword in your ad headline

The Lowdown on Keywords

Keyword Research

Keyword – A word or series of words that a search engine user types into the search box

Keyword Research

• Generate a seed list• Ask your customers• Ask your front-line employees• Look at analytics or server logs

Sample Seed List

1. Bed and breakfast2. Hotel3. Lodging4. Cabins5. B&B6. Accommodations7. Reviews8. Ratings

Expand Your Keyword List

• Google Keyword Tool• adwords.google.com/select/

KeywordToolExternal

Evaluate Relevance

• The more precise the search, the closer they are to buying:• Hotel• Boutique hotel• Bed and breakfast• Bed and breakfast Flagstaff• Bed and breakfast fireplace Flagstaff• Bed and breakfast near Pine

Mountain Amphitheater

Evaluate Relevance

Are the people who search for a keyword likely to be buyers?

Not likely: Flagstaff hotel with pool, cheap Flagstaff hotel, review Flagstaff Inns

More likely: Flagstaff b&b, hotel near Flagstaff bluegrass

festival


• Choose long tail keywords

Select Your Keywords

• Arrange keywords into closely related groups• Location• Room amenities• Promotions• Nearby attractions

Hands-OnCreate a Keyword List

• Write a seed list across the top• Write similar keywords below

each seed word to create groups


• Use negative keywords to tell AdWords what searches are not relevant to your business


• Put your most popular keywords in their own group

• Put lots of keywords in your campaign

• Add new keywords regularly

Optimize Your Ad Groups for

Success

Organize Your Ad Groups for Success

• Create tightly focused ad groups• One feature or promotion per ad

group, for example

Hands-OnWrite an Ad

• Choose a keyword• Write a headline that includes

the keyword – 25 characters max• Write ad text

• 70 characters total divided into two lines

• Try to include the keyword• Benefits, price, promotion• Include a call to action

Bonus Tipsfor Insiders Only

Bonus Tips for Insiders Only

1. Create a separate campaign for your branded keywords• Company name• Website• Variations

• Keeps these top performers from skewing your other metrics

Bonus Tips for Insiders Only

2. Test Ad Scheduling to run your ads during those hours when you want to answer the phone

3. Don’t make changes too frequently

4. Don’t delete ads; pause and replace

Bookmark These

• EightTrails.com• adwords.google.com• google.com/intl/en/ads/faq –

step-by-step sign up instructions• google.com/adwords/

learningcenter – advanced tutorials• adwords.google.com/select/

KeywordToolExternal – keyword tool

Questions? Effusive Praise?

• Ed Tankersley • EightTrails.com• [email protected]• 602-361-2001

mailto:[email protected]

Business

AdWords for B&Bs