Tech B2B Industry Knowledge Center

Start off on the right foot

Make the most of Google's powerful targeting features and draw up the blueprints for successful ad campaigns.

In this tips section we'll cover:

• Location targeting: Reach your core audience
• Campaigns and ad groups: Build a strong foundation
• Keywords and ad text: Harness your brand
• The Keyword Tool: Create strong keyword lists

Location targeting: Reach your core audience

Whether you sell products or services around the world or concentrate on local businesses, you can adjust your targeting options to reach potential customers in the areas you serve. With Google AdWords, you can target:

• The entire world
• Specific cities, states, regions, territories, or countries
• A specific mileage radius around your physical address
• Your local designated market area (DMA)
• People using Google in the language(s) of your choice

For example, a network security company that services customers throughout the United States could show its ads to the entire country. An international semiconductor supplier might target all countries and territories. And a local IT support company may choose to target Google users within its service area.

Want to advertise specific products or services to different regions? Do you have special offers for businesses in certain locations? You can run global, national, and localized campaigns within the same AdWords account. For more information on how to target your campaigns, read about regional and local targeting in the AdWords Help Center.

Campaigns and ad groups: Build a strong foundation

Your website can serve as a useful backbone for your AdWords account. Does your site feature a menu broken down into product or service categories? Try creating a separate campaign for each product or service. If your account mirrors your website, you'll have an easier time identifying keywords, writing relevant ads, monitoring your success, and making changes.

With all AdWords campaigns, the general rule of thumb is to group keywords based on the same product, service, or target audience into the same ad group. This allows you to tailor your ads to the keywords that trigger them, showing your potential customers the most relevant message possible.

For example, if you sell different types of software to businesses, your specific ad groups might look like this:

CRM:

Antivirus:

You can also organize your campaigns and ad groups around your customer base. Maybe you're targeting several types of customers: tech staff and managers, C-level executives and administrative personnel, businesses and consumers. Consider creating a separate ad group or campaign for each one so you can choose the keywords and ad text that are most likely to resonate with that target audience. Next, choose the most relevant landing page on your website for each customer category. Executives are likely looking to make a business case for using your service, while technology wizards are more interested in features and specifications.

For example, if you provide business software and are marketing to both tech staff and managers within a single campaign, your list of ad groups might look like this:

If you choose to organize your campaigns around different types of customers, be sure to use distinct keyword lists for each ad group so no keywords are duplicated across your campaigns. For instance, in the above example, the keyword accounting software should appear in either the "Accounting Software - Managers" ad group or the "Accounting Software - Tech" ad group, but not both.

Keywords and ad text: Harness your brand

Do people know who you are? Have they heard of the products, software, or solutions you provide? If so, create distinct ad groups or campaigns with brand- and product-related keywords and ads. Since these types of terms tend to convert at higher rates than generic keywords, you may consider allotting more of your budget to them.

If you're selling Acme antivirus software, for example, you could break out your keywords like this:

Branded

Generic

The Keyword Tool: Create strong keyword lists

Be sure to include plural variations and synonyms for all of your keywords to capture all relevant search queries. Expand on your core keywords by adding terms like business, solution, solutions, enterprise, system, systems, and consulting.

If you're experiencing writer's block, try using the AdWords Keyword Tool from within your account. Just enter terms describing your products or services and the tool will generate keyword suggestions. Add the most relevant ones, and don't be afraid to experiment with new keywords – you can always pause or delete a keyword at any time.

Don't have an AdWords account? Use the external version to start generating some keyword ideas.

Want more help?

• AdWords Help Discussion Group: Ask questions, get answers, and share your favorite AdWords tips and tricks with your fellow advertisers.
• AdWords Glossary: Look up definitions for AdWords-related terms that have you stumped.
• Seminars for Success: Attend a full-day, in-person seminars will help you make the most of your investment with AdWords.
• AdWords Learning Center: Review multimedia lessons covering all things AdWords.
• AdWords Building Blocks Newsletters: Master the basics with advice and tips for new advertisers.