Introduction

While there’s no denying the whirlwind of a year that 2020 was, it’s essential to recognize the wealth of opportunities introduced to the search engine marketing sphere. With an increasing number of consumers buying online, Google Ads has been hard at work to provide advertisers’ the best possible environment to succeed.  Used correctly, it can drastically improve the profitability of your small business online.  So, learning about the latest and greatest search engine marketing features available is your ticket to success. Here’s a collection of the most useful Adwords features you should be using in 2021.

The Zapier Google Ads Integration

Google introduced the Zapier Google Ads Integration. The Zapier Google Ads Integration is an essential tool for automating many disparate tools in your marketing stack. The purpose is to connect Google Ads (search engine marketing) with CRM platforms like Salesforce so that marketers can more easily extract data from their CRM platform and keep track and measure their customers interactions with Google Ads. With it, you can send information to Google whenever someone new is added or removed from your customer list. Several actions can trigger a Zap. For example, you could send information every time someone makes an online purchase or receives a random offer.

This integration is also useful because you can use automation to update your custom audiences continuously. Custom audiences in Google Ads allow those currently on your CRM list to see ads from Google. With this integration, you can more easily attribute, which leads turn into paying clients to measure better your campaign’s ROI (return on investment).

To learn about the Zapier Google Ads Integration in more detail, click HERE.

Call Ads

If you want your calls to increase, call ads are a must. Call Ads encourage people to call your business and appear only on devices that make phone calls. When a potential customer clicks your ad, the ad places a call to you from their device. 

In April 2020, Google added the ability to include an optional link to your website in your call-only ads.  Google said they added the feature to give your customers more flexibility in connecting with your business.

It’s always a good thing to give customers more than one way to connect with you, whether online or by phone. We recommend leveraging this opportunity for new Call Ads and if you currently have Call Ads in your campaign, make sure to add a link to your business’s website within the ad. 

Smart Shopping & Responsive Ads 

Smart Shopping 

If you’re a small e-commerce brand just starting, getting customers is incredibly important. Google provides Smart Shopping for new-to-the-web brands to help them do this. Here’s how it works: tell Google how much you’re willing to pay for a new customer. This campaign will then find potential customers and bid on their searches to bring new customers into the mix.  You can also use this new feature as an existing business to grow your customer base.

Responsive Display Ads

Google has introduced a new set of responsive ads to allow companies to create single advertisements that will appear in multiple sizes, formats, and positions on websites.  The latest feature is three new creative layouts for responsive display ads.  These updated ads will also have auto-generated video content and new video overlays to create unique consumer experiences.

Google also offers “asset enhancements” on responsive display ads, allowing automated image tweaks to make products look better.  With asset enhancements, Google can do “smart cropping” of images to highlight the image focal point. Google can also crop logos to remove unneeded white space and occasionally drop descriptions.  Asset enhancement also allows Google to add design-centric text and logo overlays on relevant image areas to create a more professional look. 

Responsive Search 

If you’re a small business and focused on a specific geographic location like a city or state, you’ll want to pay attention. Google Ads now lets you use location insertion in responsive search ads – another step forward in the personalized search experience Google offers to users.  It’s now possible to include the city name or state name within the headline of your search ad to match that particular ad with the location of the person searching.

They also added the ability to use countdown customizers to responsive ads. Countdown customizers are a new and easy way to tell customers when they must act fast to get the best value for their money. With the countdown adjustment, you can show limited time promotions, and the customizer will automatically update to display the time remaining before the offer expires.  Using this feature in your ads is a straightforward way to boost sales.

If your business needs help revamping Google Ads campaigns, schedule a search engine marketing consultation with Zora Digital. We’ll develop a plan to successfully implement the critical tools and strategies found in this guide.  

For more news on the latest digital innovations, follow us on Instagram @zora.digital. Need help creating your search engine marketing strategy? Contact Us.  

Zora Digital is a Chicago digital marketing agency. We help modern lifestyle brands with a spirit of innovation navigate the digital landscape and create significant ROI.