Google ads are much more than just your “Google my Business” profile. It’s a way to send highly targeted ads to people searching specifically for your yoga studio! Instead of advertising to everyone and hoping to convince a handful of people to try yoga, you can find people that are already on the hunt for exactly what you have to offer.
Understanding the basic mechanics of setting up Google ads will give you the knowledge and confidence to create effective Google ads that get REAL RESULTS!
Google Adwords Express VS Google Adwords Expert
When you first sign up for a Google Adwords account, Google will try to push you to opt for an express account. But Google Adwords Express lacks the ability to customize your ads and targeting exactly to your liking, so it’s best to opt for a Google Adwords Expert account.
Who should you target in your Google ads?
Before creating your Google ad, you need to know who you are targeting. There are a couple of ways you can target your ads:
Search network, display network, and YouTube – A certain set of words or phrases targeted with banner ads and YouTube ads.
Geographical area by radius or city borders – You can target people in a specific location by setting up pins near your yoga studio. This will depend on the size of your city/town and how many yoga studios have an offering in that area. Generally aim for a radius of around 6 – 8 miles.
Target a demographic – Target people based on age, gender, interests, hobbies, etc.
Exclude locations – Exclude locations such as India and Pakistan as there are lots of SEO companies in those areas that might skew your Google ads data as well as cost you money with no ROI. This should always be done as an added measure.
Bidding methods for Google ads
While you can choose between conversions, conversion value, clicks, and impression share, the easiest option is to go for clicks. Although you can do any of the above, using any conversion metric means you have to set up conversion tracking plus it can get expensive.
Using impressions means you will be paying each time your ad is shown, not each time someone clicks through to your site so this method also tends to get expensive quickly.
Keyword targeting for Google ads
There are a couple of ways you can go about targeting keywords.
- Broad match – this means that anyone typing in a keyword that is related to your keyword will see your ad. This is not an ideal way to target your keywords as it can mean that there are a lot of irrelevant searches that come across your ad.
- Phrase match – this means that anyone using the phrase you added as your keyword, in combination with other words, is going to see your ad. This is often a good option, but it does mean you will need to optimize your campaign further down the line. You will be able to see all the searches that have returned your ad, and you can then disclude any searches that have the wrong searcher intent.
- Exact match – exact match keywords will only display your ad when someone types in the exact keyword you have chosen. While this is a safe bet and means you won’t be wasting any money, it also means you miss out on some good opportunities. Despite that, it is a great option for those on a budget and those not wanting to waste any of their campaign spend. That being said, it does mean that you won’t have as much data to work with further down the line. If you are new to Google ads, this is often the best option to start off with.
How to find the best keywords for your targeting
It can be a little tricky to think of keywords related to your business if you haven’t got a background in marketing. In your Google Adwords account, you can go to Keyword Planner and put a prominent yoga studio website into the search bar to see what keywords they are ranking for. You can then choose the ones most relevant for your studio and adapt them for your location and relevancy.
You will also be able to see how often people are searching those terms in your area, which will give you a better idea of how much you will be spending on your campaign when you use those keywords.
Adding negative keywords
When using phrase match or broad match keywords, you will need to add negative keywords to ensure that Google is not showing your ads to people with the wrong searcher intent. An example of that would be keywords such as:
- Naked yoga (‘naked’ would be a good negative keyword if it’s not something that you offer).
- Yoga teacher training (‘teacher training’ would be a good negative keyword if it’s not something that you offer).
If you want to avoid having to add negative keywords, then it’s best to set up your campaign with exact match keywords to avoid this hassle.
Best practices for landing pages
When someone clicks on your Google ad, it will take them to a landing page. This page needs to have one goal and one goal only – to convert the click into a client. Your page needs to be fast loading so that the user doesn’t bounce from the page because it is taking too long to load.
The page also needs to be optimized with major keywords. This is because it will gain authority for those particular keywords while your Google Adwords campaign is running, and ideally rank organically for those keywords later down the line.
Your landing page needs to have a compelling offer. If you are unsure what should be included on this page, it’s best to hire an experienced copywriter to do this for you. The page should include your offer along with a web form and contact details so that the client can book a session with you if they are really interested.
It’s also a good idea to add testimonials and reviews to the landing page to act as social proof. When people see that other people have enjoyed practicing at your studio, they are much more likely to bite the bullet and make a booking with you.
Monitor your Google ads campaigns
To monitor your Google ads campaign effectively, you need to connect the campaign to Google Analytics. You should also set up goals to track whether or not your PPC is actually getting conversions. These are the things you should be setting up as goals:
- eCommerce goals for Mindbody
- Web-form submissions
- Email/phone link clicks
You should check back in with your campaigns at least twice a month and optimize them accordingly. This will ensure no budget is wasted during the trial run of your ad campaigns.
Setting up Google ads for your yoga studio
Setting up Google ads for your yoga studio is a great way to advertise to users already looking for the service that you have to offer. Google offers a very targeted way to find people already searching for yoga in your area, and it’s time that you leverage this service to your advantage.
Are you ready to bring in more revenue for your yoga studio? Using Google ads is one of the most cost-effective ways to do just that. For more tips on how to increase the profitability of your yoga studio and get students in your doors, join the Yogapreneur Collective!
