How to Get Your Google Ads Ad to the Top

When you advertise, you naturally want to be visible and encourage users to click your ad so they visit your site and make a purchase or take the action you want.

But what if every advertiser wants that top spot – what do you do then? This post explains just that. You’ll also get some tips on what to do when the cost per click seems expensive, and why you don’t always need to be at the very top.

Contents of this post:

1. How to get your ad to the top
2. Help, it’s too expensive to be at the top…
3. Why you don’t need to always be at the very top
4. I’m at the top, but not getting much (relevant) traffic

1. I want my Ads ad at the top – what should I do?

Before you start running your Ads campaigns, it’s important to know that Google naturally operates Ads as a business: the ads that prompt users to take action (click) and result in happy customers (finding what they searched for) are highlighted. That makes sense.

Think of it like an auction – this is a good way to visualise how ads are selected.

But the days where you could simply increase your bid (the amount you’re willing to pay per click) to get to the top are over. Today, relevance is one of the most important factors.

What does relevance mean for my ad?

Relevance means, for example, that your ad text contains the word “toy car” and leads to a page on your website about “toy cars”. Google is now very good at recognising this and will reward you when relevance is in place – more on this below.

What determines ad position – AdRank

In the “auction”, Google essentially looks at these three elements:

1. Bid
2. Quality Score
   • Expected click-through rate
   • Ad relevance
   • Landing page experience
3. Expected impact of ad extensions/formats

1. Bid

An important parameter in an auction is, of course, the bid itself. In Ads, you can get plenty of guidance on what you might expect to pay per click (but always take this with a pinch of salt). I won’t go into bidding strategies here – you can read more about that here.

A key point is that you can’t always simply buy yourself a top position. As mentioned, relevance is extremely important when it comes to getting your ads shown. Google wants to display the most relevant ads to help users – otherwise, Ads loses its value.

Note: At some point, you’ll encounter suggestions to use “automated bidding strategies”. These can be useful if you don’t have time to optimise manually. However, use them with care, as you won’t have complete control over your bids. Your daily budget can quickly be spent if you aim for the very top.

2. Quality Score

Quality Score is a reflection of relevance and how well your ads are performing.

• Expected click-through rate – when Ads shows your ad, Google expects people to click it. If they don’t, your Quality Score can drop and your cost per click may rise.
• Ad relevance – the keyword you want to rank for (e.g. “toy car”) should ideally be included in your ad text. You’ll be rewarded with a better Quality Score.
• Landing page experience – how quickly and easily users find what they’re looking for. Your landing page should work well, load quickly (including on mobile), be clear and easy to navigate.

3. Expected impact of ad extensions/formats

You can add extra relevant information to your ads, such as a phone number, location, or links to specific subpages on your site.

Extensions offer several advantages:

• Your ads will stand out more (take up more space)
• They often appear more inviting to click (improving your click-through rate)

However, Ads decides when these are relevant and likely to improve ad performance. Sometimes, they simply won’t display.

Note: Your ads usually need to rank quite high for extensions to be shown, so there’s a self-reinforcing effect. Ad extensions can help you rank higher (due to relevance), but your ads also need to rank highly for the extensions to be displayed in the first place.

Tip: Regularly monitor how your Quality Score develops. This gives you insight into why your ads may be losing visibility – take action in time (Keywords > Quality Score column).

2. Help, it’s too expensive to be at the top…

If it’s getting too expensive to be at the top and the cost per click is reaching your limit, you still have a few options.

Example: Many people are searching for “toy cars” on Google, but there’s also fierce competition to show Ads for this keyword.

If you use this keyword for your ad, you might get a lot of traffic, but this broad search doesn’t necessarily mean the user is ready to buy (convert). They might simply be looking for information or browsing for fun.

Here are some ways to get (significantly) cheaper clicks:

1. More precise keywords – consider how you can describe your product more specifically. In this example, you might choose keywords like “metal toy car” or “toy fire engine”. These terms can be much cheaper, although fewer people are likely to search for them. However, your products will be exactly what the user is looking for, increasing the likelihood of a purchase or enquiry.
2. Variants of your best keyword – Ads allows you to match your keyword with more or less precise versions. Try different match types, such as
   • exact match
   • phrase match
   • modified broad match.
     Ads will probably also suggest “broad match” keywords – use this carefully, as it can drive a lot of, but potentially less relevant, traffic.
3. Local targeting (e.g. builder + Herning) – a simple tactic is to use your keyword with a town or region. Bids can be much lower, but it will take more work to set up additional campaigns. You may also need specific landing pages for each location to ensure relevance.
4. Use your daily budget more effectively
   • times of day when conversions don’t happen – consider not showing ads at these times (Settings > Ad Scheduling)
   • geographical areas – sometimes there are regions where traffic just doesn’t result in many sales. You can consider excluding these areas or lowering your bids for them (Settings > Locations)
     Tip: From the start, set up your campaigns with “Location Targeting” – e.g. choose the five main regions in Denmark. If you have lots of traffic, you can target individual towns.
   • limit the budget for expensive keywords – some keywords attract a lot of traffic and can quickly use up most of your budget. If they’re expensive, assign a separate budget to that campaign. This gives your cheaper keywords/campaigns a better chance.
5. Your brand/company name as a keyword – clicks on your brand are usually quite cheap. If you have a well-known brand, this can generate a lot of traffic and conversions without hurting your margin. However, I still recommend running campaigns on generic terms (e.g. your product type), otherwise you risk missing out on those who don’t know you or can’t remember your company name.

Tip: Check which search terms your visitors are using to find you. This helps you discover the keywords actually being used and can inspire new keywords/campaigns (Keywords > Search Terms). You can then create targeted ad copy for these new keywords, which quickly improves Quality Score (relevance) and can often lead to cheaper clicks.

Important: Organise your keywords by type: avoid putting all keywords and match types in the same ad group. If you separate them into ad groups based on “exact” and “phrase/modified broad” matches, it’s much easier to manage your bids and focus on the cheapest ones.

Also consider other ways to increase your visibility in Google search results – read more here: How to Get Your Google Ads Ad to the Top

3. Why you don’t need to be at the very top

It’s fantastic to see your ad at the very top, above perhaps even larger brands.

It’s certainly great for your ego.

But what if more people actually click the ad beneath yours… frustrating, isn’t it?

You can use this situation to your advantage by positioning yourself just below the top competitor with a better ad that attracts more of the traffic.

Some studies show that the top ad does not always get the highest click-through rate. It can vary significantly by industry. The key point is that you can influence how many people click your ad.

Ad copy – get more clicks, even if you’re in position 2 or 3

Know your product and your customers better than your competitors do.

1. Your product – what does your product do, what benefit does it offer the customer?
   • Features – e.g. strength
   • Advantages – e.g. durability
   • Benefits – e.g. save money, avoid uncertainty
     The last point especially can prompt people to take action. By showing what your product can do, you make it personal and more interesting to the customer.
2. Your customers
   • what do your customers actually want?
   • how is a product like yours used?
   • in which situations?

The better your understanding, the better you can write ad copy that appeals and stands out.

Tip: You can often achieve even better results by focusing your ad text on what people can lose, rather than what they can gain – e.g. “avoid missing out”, “are you also struggling with sleep problems?”, etc.

Content – stand out from the other ads

It’s long been a good tactic to include a specific price in your ad text – and it can still work well.

But when everyone does it, or if all the others are using “xx% discount”, your ad can get lost in the crowd, and you probably don’t want to join a race for the biggest discount.

Stand out – what alternative can you offer?

Perhaps you can offer a great subscription – or maybe your service/delivery is super fast.

A phrase like “see how easy/affordable our plan/installment can be for you” often generates plenty of traffic. Just remember to deliver on what you promise.

Format and ad type

Ads now offer a broader ad format, which takes up more space and contains more information. Use this to become more visible. Many still aren’t taking advantage of this opportunity.

Make it easy for the customer – ad extensions

You can add additional links directly in your ad (sitelinks), which send users to specific pages on your site. Just having a visible link makes things much easier for the user – people will often click before they even think about it.

Mobile search

Over 50% of all searches happen on a mobile device.

However, it’s not always easy to navigate a small screen and find the product you’re looking for – especially if you’re on the go.

Tip: Make it easy for users to contact you by phone. With a call extension in your ad, users can simply click the phone icon to call you directly. Simple and effective.

And one more tip…

Tip: If you’re often on the phone or out on the road and can’t always answer, the SMS ad extension could be a smart option. Users can click the SMS field directly in your ad and send you a message.

Great job!

Because you’ve put in the effort with your ads, your Quality Score has increased and so has your ad ranking – congratulations, you’re suddenly at the top, even without raising your bid to match your competitor’s. Well done!

4. I’m at the top, but not getting much (relevant) traffic

Are you getting plenty of traffic to your site through Ads without enough sales or conversions?

Some basic things to consider:

1. Are you even using the right keywords? “Cheap car” might drive lots of traffic, but perhaps your prices aren’t as low as you’re communicating.
   Tip: Use the Search Terms function in Ads to see what customers are actually searching for before clicking your ads (Keywords > Search Terms)
2. Do your ad texts set the right expectation? Maybe your products aren’t of “superior” quality in reality – so be honest and precise, and attract the right visitors to your site.
   If you only operate locally, not nationwide, you can make this clear in your ad text.
3. Your landing pages – are you sure the traffic isn’t relevant? Perhaps you’re not making the most of your site to retain and engage potential customers. Conversion optimisation of your landing pages is becoming increasingly important. Not only to get the most from your traffic, but also in Ads’ assessment of your campaigns (Quality Score – cost per click).
4. Is your sales process longer than you think, and does a customer perhaps visit your site multiple times before making a decision?
   • Consider how you can keep potential customers engaged: e.g. offer a downloadable guide (possibly sent by email), newsletter sign-up, free callback (support), direct chat function on your site, etc.
   • Use Remarketing: show ads to those who have visited your site before:
     1. Display ads (visual) – these can be quite cheap, as many people just need a reminder and then visit the site directly (without clicking the ad)
     2. RLSA – increase bids on text ads for those who have visited your site before

Google has some excellent tools for finding interesting keywords, but it’s also important to use your own experience and instinct for how a customer might search or ask questions.

Tip: Talk to your sales team or receptionist and ask how customers typically phrase their queries. These expressions could be used directly as keywords or to make your ad text livelier and more engaging.

Test your ads

Create several variations of your ads in each ad group and see which perform best. You’ll be surprised at the impact even small changes can have. And don’t forget to test the ads that are already performing well.

Remember, just because your ad was at the top yesterday doesn’t guarantee it will be today. Ads constantly rotates ad placements based on what it believes is most relevant. You can check your average ad position in Ads to see how you typically rank (Keywords > Avg. Position column)

In summary:

Sometimes, you just have to accept that getting your Ads to the top is expensive, even when you’re doing everything right.

That’s when you rely on your sales skills. Make the most of the traffic you get. It’s often easier to sell more to an existing customer than to acquire a new one.

With good customer care and, for example, effective follow-up, you can still build a strong business when considering customer lifetime value and total revenue.

WeMarket can help your business with Google Ads advertising – you are always welcome to contact us here!