Online marketers who have been working with SEA for some time will likely still be familiar with Google AdWords; this is the former name of Google Ads. The name Google AdWords was used from 2000 through mid-2018. Since July 2018, the name Google AdWords has been phased out across Google services in favor of Google Ads. Consider, for example, Google AdWords Editor, which has become Google Ads Editor.
Good to know: you can now log in to Google Ads at: ads.google.com.
History of Google AdWords
In 1998, Google Search was officially launched by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, with approximately 60 million indexed pages at the time. Given the growing number of users, a revenue model was needed, and Google AdWords was launched.
Within Google Search, but also within Google AdWords, the possibilities were still very limited—especially compared to today’s capabilities. The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) looked quite limited back then, but was cutting-edge at the time due to the smart algorithm behind it:
Google AdWords Development
As the name suggests, Google AdWords initially offered primarily keyword-based ads. The SERP was originally intended only for organic search terms (SEO), but was expanded to include paid search terms with the arrival of Google AdWords. The first 350 advertisers on Google AdWords operated through a “premium sponsorship” model, which—partly due to the success of Google Search—was quickly converted to a “cost per click” billing model in 2002. With CPC, you pay per click/visitor that Google has sent to your website via an ad within the Google network.
Not long after the launch of Google AdWords, standard keyword ads were expanded with Google AdSense in 2003. This made it possible to advertise via display ads in addition to text ads. This was further expanded in 2005 with “site targeting,” which allowed you to specify on which websites your display banner should appear.
For advertisers, the possibilities in 2007 were even greater due to the acquisition and integration of the Supply-Side Platform (SSP) DoubleClick. Not only did this make much more advertising reach available, but DoubleClick’s interface also represented a significant step forward in terms of technical capabilities.
What marketing goals can you achieve with Google AdWords?
Google AdWords is a powerful tool for achieving a wide range of marketing goals. Depending on your specific objectives, you can use various strategies within AdWords to achieve effective results. Here are some examples of what you can achieve:
- Increasing Sales
With targeted shopping campaigns, you can significantly boost the number of sales on your website, app, physical store, or over the phone. Google Shopping is a popular option here, where your products are prominently displayed to potential buyers. - Lead Generation
AdWords enables you to collect more leads and increase conversions. By encouraging people to take action through well-designed ads, you can collect contact information or other valuable data from potential customers. - Increasing website traffic
Want more visitors to your website? Targeted ads ensure that interested users can find your site. AdWords helps you reach the right audience, increasing the likelihood of relevant visitors.
Product and Brand ConsiderationsUse display and video campaigns to encourage customers to discover your products or services. This not only helps attract new customers but also keeps existing customers more engaged with your brand.- Brand Awareness and Reach
Do you want to increase your brand’s name recognition? Display and video campaigns can make your brand visible to a wide audience. By using advanced targeting options, you can display your ads on websites where your target audience is located. - App Promotion
If you want to generate more installs for your app, specific app promotion campaigns are available. These campaigns target mobile users and encourage them to download and use your app.
Google AdWords offers versatile solutions to achieve various marketing goals. By choosing the right strategy, you can strengthen your online presence and achieve visible results.
AdWords: Quality Score
One of the groundbreaking features Google introduced for AdWords was the Quality Score. Quality Score was launched in 2005 and helped AdWords evolve into the platform we know today. As an advertiser, you were no longer simply displayed higher in Google based on the highest bid; suddenly, more variables came into play. The Quality Score was rated on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 was very poor and 10 was very good.
As an advertiser, the task was therefore not only to set bids correctly, but also to write effective ad copy that aligned with the right search intent. Finally, you also had to ensure that the landing page matched the ad:
- Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Ad relevance
- Landing Page Experience
Google AdWords Editor
With not hundreds, but hundreds of thousands of advertisers worldwide, making Google AdWords more scalable became a priority. The solution came in the form of Google AdWords Editor, naturally the predecessor to Google Ads Editor.
This desktop program, which you install on your computer, allows you to make bulk changes to your Google AdWords campaigns. Whereas you used to have to copy ads one by one, you can now use the Editor to make major—and bulk—changes without having to spend hours performing repetitive tasks as an SEA agency.
Google AdWords Features
Over the years, there have been both major and minor changes within Google AdWords. What is now standard within Google Ads has undergone years of evolution. Anyone starting to work as an SEA consultant in Google Ads today takes for granted certain capabilities that were by no means always available within AdWords:
- 2008: Demographic bids available as targeting or as negative keywords.
- 2009: Sitelinks were added below the text ads.
- 2010: remarketing opportunities for retargeting visitors.
- 2011: Negative keywords can be added to lists that can be used across various campaigns.
- 2013: optimized campaign options (Enhanced Campaign) such as day, time, and device type.
- 2016: An additional row of ads was added directly to the SERP. Additionally, ads are now labeled as SEA to distinguish them from organic results (SEO).
- 2018: Google changes the name Google AdWords to Google Ads.
Google AdWords vs. Google Ads
As you may have noticed, Google Ads has taken off in the last 20 years. Where simple text ads were once the only option, this has expanded over the years into an arsenal of advertising possibilities. It’s clear that the name AdWords no longer fit the bill, so the name was changed to Ads.
Google Ads is also constantly evolving and has seen significant developments in recent years. The major trend is the “smart” execution of campaigns, in which Google increasingly takes control of bids and placements while striving to achieve a target ROAS. Consider, for example, Performance Max campaigns, in which Google Ads increasingly pursues a ROAS goal autonomously.
