SEM Account Structure – What is It and How to Launch Your Campaign

If this is your first time learning about Search Engine Marketing (SEM), it’s okay. You don’t have to be hard on yourself for having a little understanding of this concept. This article will serve as your roadmap to uncovering the basics of search engine marketing accounts and campaign structure. It will be necessary for every business owner even if at the on of the day you choose to hire a digital marketing agency.

What is SEM Account Structure

An account structure is the spine of your search engine marketing. It involves crucial factors such as Campaigns, Ad Groups, Keywords, and Ad Copies.

Take note that these factors have a connection to one another making it more challenging to manage and make changes when a larger number of campaigns are in it. 

Ad groups are part of a campaign. Distinct keywords trigger specific sets of ads in ad groups. Ad groups are divided into keyword sets, with each group targeting a different set of keywords.

How to Register/Set Up Account Structure

STEP 1: Create an account

1. On the Google Ads page, click the blue “Start now” button in the upper right corner. 
2. Select the email you want to register under. 

If you already have a Google Account (Gmail), use this email address. If you want other people to be able to use your Google Ads account, you can invite them once you’ve created one.

STEP 2: Login

1. Enter your Google email address, and password, and then click Sign in. Only if you already have a Google Account. 

2. If you don’t have a Google Account or want to sign in with a different email address, click the Create Account button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Follow the instructions to create and confirm your new Google Account.

STEP 3: What is your main advertising goal?

1. Google Ads asks you the results you’d like to see. 
2. Choose the one that best describes your brand, whether it is that you want to achieve more calls, visits to your store, or more sales/registrations on the web.

The Importance of SEM Campaign Structure

Definition of Campaign Structure

SEM campaigns are run on one or more of the major search engines, as well as other digital channels. Google is the most popular default selection.

It receives by far the most search traffic and consequently offers the finest overall opportunities. It’s also a user-friendly platform with plenty of training tools to help companies get started.

Good Campaign Structure Will Give You Easy Control Over Your Ad

Well-organised campaign structure is manageable. Since you have control over how you structure your campaign, certain decisions can be made at each of the three levels (campaign, ad group, keyword).

There are times that you need to adjust your optimisation campaign, it will add more challenges if you dont structure it properly and logically. 

Good Campaign Structure Can Increase Your Ad Relevances

Keep in mind that Google likes relevancy. 

If you build your campaign structure having relevant keywords embedded in it, you will reap the rewards of it through your ads. Google changed the game when it introduced Quality Score into the bidding equation, and it is a huge factor today.

Campaign structure has a strong influence on Quality scores. It’s critical to consider how keywords in the same ad group are related to one another and follow a common structure. 

Good Campaign Structure Can Improve Conversion Rate 

A marketing campaign’s management does not end after you launch it. Keeping track of your campaign’s performance is a vital component of efficient campaign management because it allows you to see if you’re close to your goals. 

There are several ways to track and measure the success of your efforts. Measurement of website traffic, level of engagement, conversion and bounce rates are just a few examples.

With this said, reviewing your campaign can be easy if you structured it logically and you know which angle to improve on when the time comes you need to amend it based on the criteria you have set. 

Being mindful of how you perform can lead you to understand the dynamics of your campaign. Having this data can improve your conversion rate. 

Ad Campaign 

Every campaign has an objective, such as selling goods or raising brand awareness. The campaign determines the goal’s budget, location, and targeting so you can concentrate on getting the results you want. 

Definition of Ad Campaign 

An ad campaign is a series of advertisements that holds a specific message intending to achieve a goal. You create an ad campaign to meet your brand’s goals, such as:

• Creating brand awareness for new product
• Driving sales for services or products
• Generating leads by asking people to sign up for an email or download e-books for free.

Some of the most popular types of online ad campaigns include:

1. Google Ads 

Google Ads is a paid search advertising network that lets you display sponsored ads on search engine results pages (SERPs), Gmail, YouTube, and other networks. Google Ads rewards highly relevant ad creators with higher ad rankings and cheaper expenses.

2. Facebook Advertising Campaigns

Facebook, with over 2 billion monthly active members, is a global name in the social network industry. Those numbers speak of influence and the massive potential of attracting an audience for your advertising campaigns. 

The most popular social network on the planet allows you to target extremely particular audiences with your ads. You can base your adverts on demographics – age, interests, hobbies, political party, work title, and income level. Facebook ad campaigns are very cost-effective. If you’d like to learn hands-on how to create impactful Facebook campaigns, you can enrol for this Facebook Marketing and Advertising course.

3. Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn Campaigns 

You can use multiple platforms, which businesses nowadays use, to run their campaigns for the best results. 

How to Set Ad Campaign on Your Account

1. Select your advertising objective and choose a goal

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. On the left-side menu, click Campaigns.
3. Click the plus button, then select New campaign.
4. Select your advertising objective for the campaign.
5. Scroll down, then choose your conversion goals and click Continue.
   1. Click Add another goal to include more goals.
   2. Click the delete button to remove goals.
6. Choose your campaign type and click Continue.

2. Select a campaign type

Your campaign type determines the places online where customers will find your ads.

1. Select a campaign type. If you selected a goal, you’ll be given the options for the best campaign types to achieve it.
2. If your campaign type has subtypes, choose one.
3. Click Continue.
4. You’ll be taken to a new page to select your settings, set up ad groups, and create your ads. Follow the guides below to complete these steps based on your campaign type:

1. Search: Text ads on search results
2. Display: Image ads on websites
3. Video: Video ads on YouTube
4. Shopping: Product listings on Google
5. Discovery: Advertise within online feeds
6. App: Promote your app on many channels
7. Local: Promote your locations on many channels
8. Smart: Simplify your campaigns

Google’s Help Centre created these user-friendly steps to guide you on your Ads Campaign journey. 

How to achieve Ad Campaign Success

1. Organised Ad campaign structure

When creating your ad campaign, pay attention to your campaign structure. Go back to your goals. What are those things that you want your brand to achieve? Asking this question will help you determine whether your campaign aligns with its intention. 

You wouldn’t want to mix up campaigns intended for driving sales or raising brand awareness as it can be hard to monitor or track. 

2. Thorough Keyword and Audience research

Who will see your ads? Who is it for?

Keywords will have the biggest impact on your ad campaigns. Real keywords that people use when looking for stuff online help in bringing audiences to your website – bid on those keywords. 

3. Good Ad campaign measurement and optimisation

Measuring your performance is a must. This is an investment. Knowing your Return on Investment will help you understand the strength of your campaign strategies. 

If you want to make sound decisions, ensure to track your ad performance. You may use the following campaign metrics:

• Click-through rate
• Cost per Click
• Cost per action
• Conversion rate
• Impression share

Ad Groups 

You’ll build relevant ad groups under each campaign, which will be considerably more specialised. There is no suggested number of ad groups in a campaign, but it’s usually more manageable to avoid going overboard because your campaign budget will be stretched across so many ad groups, keywords, ads, and landing pages that results may suffer.

Definition of Ad Groups

An ad group is a “container” for your keywords, ads and landing page. It is up to you how to organise an account, although different sorts of services or items are commonly defined and created as individual ads within ad groups.

Ad groups control the following:

• Campaign structure
• Theme segmentation
• Control keyword/ad association

Function 

The Ad group instructs search engines on which advertisements to display in response to specific keyword searches. It provides details about the content of your advertising and the websites to which they link.

Determining your audience or prospective clients and the information they are searching for can help you develop a successful Ad group. Knowing what type of content will encourage them to stay on your website for as long as possible is quite beneficial.

Ad groups’ goal is to cut expenses while increasing conversions. 

How to Set Ad Group on Your Account

According to Google Ads Editor, you can add single or multiple ad groups to your campaigns by following the steps below.

Add individual ad groups

1. In the type list, select Ad groups.
2. In the toolbar, select Add ad group.
3. If prompted, select the destination campaign and click OK.
4. Enter the ad group name and one or more bids.

Add multiple ad groups

1. In the type list, select Ad groups.
2. Click Make multiple changes.
3. Under “Destination,” select My data includes columns for campaigns and/or ad groups or Use selected destinations.
4. Type or paste your changes into the grid.
5. Click Process.
6. To continue, click Finish and review changes.
7. To add the pending changes to your account, click Keep.

Keywords 

Choosing the right keywords affects your campaign. 

You know by now the power a keyword holds on your website, and for this campaign to succeed, you must pick the right keywords that you can use for your ad copies. 

It is crucial to know which group of keywords appeals best to your target clients and that will stand out among them online. Don’t forget to research your chosen keywords’ search volume before you decide to include them in your campaign. 

What are Keywords on SEM?

SEM keywords are terms and phrases you target in our SEM campaigns. 

They are search engine marketing’s cornerstone. Keywords are part of search queries; therefore, it constitutes the foundation of SEM as an advertising method.

To help you with this one, there are four query match types recognized by Google and Microsoft Advertising:

Broad match – this is the broadest term for which your ad can be matched, including synonyms for your keywords.

Modified broad match – this is a little more restrictive, and the advertising will only appear if you provide the keywords.

Phrase match -a phrase match must include all of the keyword terms for which you’re bidding in the same sequence and without gaps, but words might appear before or after the keyword.

Precise match – when the exact keyword is searched for, an exact match will be shown.

How to Choose Best Keywords for Your Ad?

Keyword research should always be one of the first steps in any SEM strategy. The SEM account, ads, and even landing pages are created on the base of keywords.

Take the following procedures to conduct a keyword study for SEM campaigns.

1. Analyse

Keywords should always be related to the product or service being offered. As a result, the first step is to write down two to ten primary ideas that outline the services or products you provide. Examine your offer as well as the websites of your competitors. 

2. Maximise Keyword Tools

Many keyword planning platforms are available. The programme will generate a list of relevant keywords based on the core ideas you defined in the previous step. You can separate the results by geography and language to narrow them down.

One of the advantages of these tools is that they aid brainstorming and can provide you with numerous recommendations that you would not have considered. 

3. Filter irrelevant words; choose relevant keywords

You’ll have to filter out irrelevant words, group related keywords, and choose the ones with the most searches and the least competition in the tool’s list of keywords.

You’ll have a complete list of keywords to use in your SEM campaign. These keywords should appear on both your landing pages. 

Ad Text 

Each ad group should contain 2-3 ads that all go to the same landing page. To outperform your competitors in the search results, it’s critical to follow AdWords requirements, A/B test your ads over time, and properly showcase the benefits of your service.

Definition of Ad Text

Google simply defines this as a form of marketing communication that advertisers can use to promote their product or service on the Google Network.

The following are the main elements of a text ad: 

Headline – the first thing that people see. Your ad can have up to three headlines, each of which can be up to 30 characters long. So, think of a catchy yet simple one.

Display URL – this includes your website address as well as an optional path field where you may give your landing page URL a name to help your clients understand what the page is about.

Description – you can include all relevant information about your service or offer. It is suggested that you use this field to provide your CTA.

Function 

In a typical sales situation, salespeople spend anything from a few minutes to many hours answering inquiries and resolving concerns from potential consumers. Many of the customer’s objections would go unanswered without this interaction. Customers will not avail of a product or service if your brand doesn’t meet their needs. 

The salesperson, on the other hand, can effectively interact with the consumer by taking the time to lead them through the process and provide relevant insights. It improves your chances of making a sale.

When selling online, however, this form of interaction is rare. This is when advertising copy comes into play. Ad copy is a sales letter that addresses a customer’s potential concerns. It also emphasises the major features and benefits that the buyer would receive as a result of their purchase.

How to Set Ad Text on Your Ad

Adding An Ad Text: 

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. In the page menu along the left, click Ads & extensions.
3. Find the ad you’d like to edit.
4. Hover your cursor over the ad’s name and click the pencil icon.
5. Select Edit.
6. Make changes to your ad text and click Save new version.
7. Your new ad will be reviewed, usually within one business day.

Editing your Ad Text:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. In the page menu on the left, click Ads & extensions, then click Ads at the top of the page.
3. Find the ad group you want to edit and hover over it.
4. In the dialog, you can edit:
   1. Final URL (landing page)
   2. Headlines
   3. Display path
   4. Description
5. Click Save new version. Saving the ad updates, it to a new version and sending it for review. Metrics for previous versions will still be visible.

 Edit your ad text in bulk:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. In the page menu, click Ads & extensions.
3. Check the box next to any ads you want to edit. You can also select all ads by checking the box in the menu bar.
4. Click Edit, then select Change text ads.
5. You can make changes to “Expanded text ads” and “Expanded dynamic search ads”:
   1. Edit: Change the description, headline, display path, or final URL (landing page).
   2. Find and Replace: Find certain words or phrases and replace them with others.
   3. Add to text: Add text before or after existing text.
   4. Change case: Change capitalization to title, sentence, or lower case.
6. Click Preview to see what your edits will look like, or click Apply to edit your selected ads.

Landing Pages 

A landing page serves a specific purpose in a certain moment of a targeted audience advertising campaign. 

What are Landing Pages?

Your landing page is a unique part of your website that collects essential lead converting details like name and contacts information in exchange for something of value – this is where it differs from your other web pages. 

Keep in mind that your landing pages can boost your credibility and reinforce your brand. Always do your best when you conceptualise or create your landing pages because they will determine the kind of market you will attract or lose. 

Three distinct elements set homepages and landing pages apart – the number of links, broader CTA’s, and the type of audiences they serve. 

There are two main types of landing pages: lead generation landing pages and click-through landing pages. 

Function

Your landing page will take your visitors to engage with your business by becoming a lead or a customer:

1. A visitor lands on your landing page, through ads or marketing campaigns.
2. The visitor follows the CTA and fills out a form.
3. You receive the visitor’s contact information, and they receive your offer in return.

What does the perfect landing page look like?

There are no two landing pages alike. However, any high-converting landing page must have the following five basic elements: 

1. A unique selling point (USP)
2. A distinct video or image
3. The advantages of your service
4. Social evidence
5. A Call to Action

Best Practice of SEM Campaign Structure

For a paid search to be successful, account structure is crucial. These recommended practices will assist you in efficiently setting up campaigns and ad groups.

1. Know your audience

This may sound cliche but it matters the most that you continue to study your audiences. 

Keep in mind that you are running a campaign. It demands proper research of your audience. If you don’t know your target market, then you will go astray in your marketing or business as a whole. 

It would be impossible for you to succeed in launching an ad campaign if you failed to identify your prospective audience. That’s why your team should take aside time to thoroughly research your potential client.

Here are some things you need to keep tabs on when researching your target market:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Pain points
• Demographics
• Purchasing behaviour
• Typical expenditure
• Prerequisites for buying online

It’s worth noting that your business will not have complete knowledge of your target market. However, investing in researching your audience can help your team gain a better understanding of who your audience is and what they want from you and your products or services.

2. Implement advanced targeting options

Implement advanced targeting options to narrow your target audience.

Here’s the thing, when you do audience research there is information that you will get along the way that you can use to expand your target market. Many companies flourish in their SEM campaign because they embrace advanced targeting. 

In this approach you will notice that users of a certain age group respond to your adverts but, they do not convert. Having this knowledge, your team tweaks your SEM campaign to exclude that demographic and boost campaign performance.

If you want your target audience to notice and respond to you, produce interesting ad text. This type of copy catches your audience’s attention especially if it addresses their desires, problems, and concerns.

Your text should address your audience’s demands while also emphasising the unique selling characteristics (USPs) of whatever you’re promoting, such as a product or service. 

3. Experiment

Yes. you read it right. Experimentation is a good thing to try in this campaign. 

Dont rest with one way of running your ads. Continue to look for the best ways to improve and capture your audience. You have an idea of what excites or irritates your audiences. Go further and run ads that can be appealing to other segments of the market. 

Use experiments to your advantage. You can test alternative versions of your ads on Google Ads, as well as other advertising platforms.

This method opens creativity and enables your team to make intelligent SEM campaign selections. This approach gives you logical statistics on your next campaign and you don’t rely on a mere guess to execute another campaign in the future. 

4. Create a stunning landing page

Do we have to stress more about the importance of having a stunning and solid landing page?

A landing page is everything. This is what makes your website worthy of your visitors’ attention. If you failed to deliver in providing them with a better landing page, then you lose them already. 

When users click on your ad, they go to a landing page. While a pre-existing page can be used as a landing page, many businesses construct unique landing pages for their advertisements.

Create a landing page that meets the following criteria for the greatest results from your SEM campaign:

• Provides a straightforward user interface.
• It takes two seconds or less to load.
• Includes a precise call-to-action

Final Thoughts

We understand that it will take some time for you to fully understand the terms and elements we have mentioned in this article. 

The great news is that you are already getting yourself acquainted with these essential factors that influence your SEM account structure and campaign. 

Some of the approaches here in this guide may overwhelm you, but as you go along with the process of knowing how search engine marketing works, you will be surprised to know that it is easier than you think. 

Just like SEO, investing in SEM accounts and campaign structure requires effort and resources. It will not give you a favourable outcome overnight if you are not dedicated to it. 

If you want to start your brand’s SEM campaign now, our team for SEM service is looking forward to collaborating with you. 

Roots Digital offers SEO and SEM services to help you improve your website’s performance and search engine visibility. 

Are you ready to launch your first Ad campaign? Book your appointment today, and let’s have that ad posted on Google! 

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