Are you looking at how you can reach more potential students and increase enrolment numbers for your school or college? Google Ads for education is a fantastic way to reach students online, whether it’s bidding on relevant keywords, location targeting or retargeting, Google Ads can massively improve awareness of your educational establishment and drive more traffic to your site. We will show you how using Google Ads can positively impact your school marketing, and college marketing strategies.
This article explains the key points that can help you to build an effective Education Google Ads campaign.
Popular Education Marketing Videos
Popular Education Marketing Videos
Benefits of Google Ads for Education
Google Ads for Education offers a wide range of benefits that can significantly impact your school or college marketing strategies. Let’s explore some of the key advantages:
1. Targeted Reach: Google Ads allows you to target specific demographics, locations, and even interests, ensuring that your educational institution’s message reaches the right audience. This precision targeting increases the likelihood of attracting prospective students genuinely interested in your programs.
2. Cost Control: With Google Ads, you have full control over your budget. Set daily, weekly, or monthly spending limits to ensure you stay within your financial boundaries. This flexibility enables educational institutions of all sizes to benefit from Google Ads.
3. Immediate Visibility: Unlike some marketing strategies that take time to gain traction, Google Ads offers immediate visibility. Your ads can appear at the top of Google search results almost instantly, driving traffic to your website without a long waiting period.
4. Measurable Results: Google Ads provides robust tracking and analytics tools. You can monitor the performance of your campaigns in real time, allowing you to adjust and optimize your strategies as needed. This data-driven approach ensures that you get the most out of your advertising budget.
5. Cost-Effective: Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This cost-effective approach ensures that you’re not wasting money on ineffective marketing efforts.
6. Ad Customization: Tailor your ad content to match the unique offerings and strengths of your educational institution. Showcase specific programs, faculty achievements, or campus facilities to make your institution stand out to potential students.
7. Remarketing: Google Ads allows you to retarget visitors who have previously interacted with your website. This powerful feature keeps your institution top-of-mind for potential students who may not have enrolled during their initial visit.
8. Ad Extensions: Enhance your ads with extensions that provide additional information such as contact details, location, and links to relevant pages on your website. These extensions can increase click-through rates and conversions.
9. Competitive Advantage: By utilizing Google Ads, you gain a competitive edge in the education sector. You can outshine competitors by ensuring your institution appears prominently in Google search results.
10. Scalability: Whether you’re a small local college or a large university, Google Ads can be scaled to match your institution’s growth and marketing goals. You can increase your advertising efforts as you expand or refine your target audience.
Incorporating Google Ads into your education marketing strategy can yield significant benefits. It’s a versatile and results-driven platform that empowers educational institutions to connect with potential students effectively while staying within budget constraints.
By harnessing the power of Google Ads, you can enhance your school or college’s online presence, drive more qualified traffic to your website, and ultimately increase enrollment numbers.
Track Everything – Get More Education Enquiries from Google Ads
If you’re to improve the performance of Google Ads campaigns and get more education based leads for your budget, you must track everything you possibly can.
Google Ads has its own tracking functions which you should configure for any actions you consider valuable on your website.
When tracking is configured correctly, you’ll be able to see which keywords and search terms are wasting budget and which are driving valuable enquiries in to your institute. You’ll be able to measure the cost of an enquiry on mobile devices vs desktop devices, or for different locations, days of the week or times of the day.
That tracking data is incredibly powerful – you’ll be able to measure and optimise campaign performance to get more enquiries for the same budget.
If your Educational Facility doesn’t track enquiries, you will waste your budget on poor-quality clicks.
Track Enquiry Forms
If you have a contact form on your website (you definitely should!), you should track when visitors have completed that form. (Pro Tip: Don’t track when a visitor clicks the submit button, or you’re counting button clicks whether an email is sent or not).
Track Open Day Bookings
If you have an open day booking system integrated with your website, you should track open day appointment bookings. If your appointment booking system doesn’t run within your website and the visitor is sent externally, this can often present a challenge in implementing Google Ads tracking directly.In some cases, you may be forced to track visitors clicking the open day appointment button link, rather than an actual open day booking. This is less accurate than tracking appointment bookings, of course, but does at least give an indication of the intent to book.
Track Telephone Calls
Using Google Ads call tracking, it is possible to track when visitors call you whilst they’re visiting your site. This only works for visitors who arrived from a Google Ads click though, and be aware that this tracking will change the telephone number on your site too – just temporarily, for those specific visitors.
Track Email Link Clicks
Whilst we’re never fans of publishing email addresses on websites (that’s just inviting spam email we could all do without!), if you do have email addresses on your site, make sure they’re a mailto: link and configure tracking to measure when visitors click.This is less accurate than a contact form completion, but does provide some measurement where there may be no alternative. We also recommend considering email link click tracking as a secondary conversion – used for measurement, but not used for performance optimisation of your campaigns.
Track Telephone Number Link Clicks
As with email address links, telephone numbers on your site should ideally be tel; links. Clicks on those links can easily be tracked and used as a measurement of success for your campaigns. As with email link clicks though, a click doesn’t mean that visitor called, only that they clicked the link. As such, you may wish to consider added telephone link click tracking as a secondary conversion used for measurement, but not for campaign optimisation.
Poor Targeting Wastes Education Marketing Budget
Google Ads for Education is easy to set up, but difficult to master.
There are dozens, maybe hundreds of options to choose from and to configure and within those, numerous tripping hazards that will waste your budget. Let’s take a look at some of the greatest offenders that waste budget.
Broad Keyword Matching
Yes, we know, “Google recommended it”. Of course Google recommended it – it makes Google more money, but not the Educational institution that’s advertising and wasting their budget on junk traffic.
Bidding on the broad match keyword, ‘school’ could match any search containing the word ‘school’ or words like it – that means some good visitors, of course, but also means ‘school qualifications’, ‘school London’ (bad news if you’re not in London), ‘boarding school’, ‘all girls school’. It could potentially match a search for ‘open days ‘ a similar terms too – that could convert in to an enquiry, of course, but the cost of that conversion/enquiry might be way higher than you should be paying.
Check the Search Terms report in your Google Ads search campaigns too see how much budget you’re wasting on irrelevant searches.
Location Targeting
There’s a slightly buried option in the Google Ads Campaign Settings which defaults to “Presence or interest: People in, regularly in or who’ve shown interest in your targeted locations (recommended)”.
That last part is the killer – “shown interest in” essentially means anyone on the planet that might have searched for something else in your location at some point and can attract clicks from Asia, Africa or from other areas outside of your catchment area – those clicks won’t convert too well and will waste budget, of course.
We’d recommend the second option to focus on more local patients: “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations.”
Convert More Visitors into Students
The greatest wasted budget of all – a website that visitors won’t trust enough to convert, or so confusing, that they don’t know what they should do and leave, taking potential students with them to another Educational facility with a site that looks more trustworthy.
We’re dealing with education – to convert from a click, your web page needs to look like you’re a professional educational facility that a potential student can trust with their education. There’s certainly an element of, “if you don’t care about your website, can I trust you to care about my education”?
Professionally designed education websites convert more visitors into students.
It’s not just how your site and pages look though.
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Page Speed Optimisation
Since 75% or more of your site traffic is from mobile devices and often those users might be on 3G or 4G connections rather than on wifi, your site needs to load fast – aim for 2 seconds for a usable page. 30 seconds of additional load time could be costing you 30% more enquiries every month!
Call to Action
Make it clear what you want a visitor to do when they’re on your page. Enquire, make a booking, get a request a prospectus, call you?
We’d also recommend a “sticky header”, which keeps your Call To Action visible when visitors scroll down the page.
Use Short Forms
Longer forms don’t convert as well as short forms and waste your budget. Keep forms short and don’t request information you could easily obtain from a phone call or follow up email.
Remember, the form’s job is to generate an enquiry – the easier it is for a visitor to fill the form in, the more visitors will and the more enquiries you’ll get.
Effective Google Ads Strategies for Education
In summary, for Google Ads to be effective for Education;
- Track everything so that you, your Google Ads agency and Google’s machine learning can understand what drives enquiries and therefore how to get more of them.
- Target accurately. Steer clear of broad match keywords and low intent search terms which won’t convert well. Take care with location targeting too.
- Most importantly, focus on the design, messaging and calls to action on your website to maximise the enquiries you get from all traffic sources, including Google Ads.
Three areas to focus on to achieve success, some of which are easier than others.
Google Ads Bidding Strategies
Google Ads offers a powerful platform for education facilities to reach their target audience effectively. One critical aspect of a successful Google Ads campaign is selecting the right bidding strategy. For educational institutions, particularly in today’s competitive landscape, it’s essential to consider strategies that maximize the return on investment. Cost-Per-Click (CPC) bidding is a popular choice, allowing schools to control the cost of each click while ensuring their ads are displayed prominently. By aligning your bidding strategy with your institution’s specific goals and budget, you can make the most out of Google Ads, ensuring that your educational offerings reach the right audience and drive meaningful engagement.
Maximise Clicks Bidding Strategy for Education
Maximizing clicks through Google Ads is a dynamic strategy that can greatly benefit educational facilities seeking to expand their online presence. This approach is designed to help institutions generate more website traffic by automatically allocating their budget to get as many clicks as possible within their specified budget limit. Whether you’re promoting degree programs, workshops, or campus events, this strategy can drive valuable traffic to your website. To dive deeper into how to implement and optimize the Maximize Clicks bidding strategy for your educational institution’s online campaigns, check out our dedicated blog post on the topic “Google Ads Maximise Clicks Bidding Strategy“. Discover the ins and outs of this strategy and harness its potential to propel your education-related initiatives forward.
Manual CPC Bidding in Google Ads for Education
For educational institutions looking to have precise control over their Google Ads campaigns, Manual CPC (Cost-Per-Click) bidding is a strategic choice worth exploring. With this approach, you determine the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for each click, allowing for tailored budget management and fine-tuning of your ad campaigns. Manual CPC bidding grants the flexibility to allocate resources to your institution’s most critical offerings, be it degree programs, enrollment drives, or educational events. To delve deeper into the benefits and strategies of Manual CPC bidding in the context of educational marketing, be sure to explore our dedicated blog post on the subject “Manual CPC Bidding in Google Ads: A Comprehensive Guide“
. Unlock the full potential of this bidding method to enhance your institution’s online presence and achieve your education-focused goals.
Enhanced CPC Bidding for Educational Facilities
Enhanced CPC (Cost-Per-Click) bidding is a valuable tool for educational facilities seeking to optimize their Google Ads campaigns and achieve higher conversion rates. This intelligent bidding strategy automatically adjusts your CPC bids to maximize the likelihood of conversions, making it particularly advantageous for institutions looking to boost enrollment or increase participation in educational programs. To gain a deeper understanding of how Enhanced CPC bidding can work to your advantage in the realm of education marketing, we invite you to explore our dedicated blog post on the subject “Enhanced CPC (eCPC) Bidding In Google Ads Explained“
. Discover how this strategy can enhance your institution’s online advertising efforts and ultimately help you reach your education-focused objectives more effectively.
Maximise Conversions Bidding Strategy for Education
Maximize Conversions bidding strategy is a game-changer for educational institutions looking to drive specific actions on their websites, such as student enrollments, event registrations, or information requests. This approach allows your institution to optimize your Google Ads campaigns with the sole aim of getting as many conversions as possible within your defined budget. Whether you’re focused on increasing the number of students in your classrooms or raising attendance at educational events, this strategy can be a powerful ally. To gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively implement and harness the Maximize Conversions Bidding Strategy in the education sector, we encourage you to explore our dedicated blog post on the subject “Google Ads Maximise Conversions Bidding Strategy Explained“. Discover the strategies and insights that can help your institution achieve its conversion-focused goals with precision and efficiency.
Target Impression Share Bidding Strategy for Educational Facilities
The Target Impression Share bidding strategy can be a strategic game-changer for educational institutions aiming to enhance their visibility in the digital landscape. With this approach, you can specify your desired level of ad exposure in search results, ensuring that your institution’s offerings are prominently displayed to potential students and stakeholders. Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness, promote new programs, or boost enrollment numbers, this strategy can be a powerful ally. To delve deeper into the intricacies of the Target Impression Share Bidding Strategy and how it can benefit educational facilities, explore our dedicated blog post on the subject “Google Ads Target Impression Share Bidding Strategy“. Uncover valuable insights and techniques to optimize your online presence and achieve your education-focused objectives with precision.
These are just a few of the different bidding strategies that can be utilised to grow your online visibility and ultimately bring your Education website more traffic. If you would like to learn more about Google Ads Bidding Strategies then check out our blog “Every Google Ads Bidding Strategy Explained.“
Recent Google Ads Blog Posts
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Google Ads for Education
While Google Ads for Education offers numerous advantages, it’s crucial to steer clear of common pitfalls that can hinder the success of your advertising campaigns. Avoiding these mistakes can help ensure that your education marketing efforts are both effective and efficient:
1. Neglecting Keyword Research: One of the most common mistakes in Google Ads is not conducting thorough keyword research. Failing to identify the right keywords relevant to your educational institution can result in wasted ad spend and reaching the wrong audience. Take the time to research and select keywords that align with your programs, courses, and objectives.
2. Ignoring Negative Keywords: Just as important as selecting the right keywords is identifying negative keywords. These are terms you don’t want your ads to appear for because they are irrelevant or unlikely to lead to conversions. Neglecting to add negative keywords can lead to budget wastage on clicks that won’t benefit your institution.
3. Inadequate Ad Copy: Your ad copy should be clear, compelling, and tailored to your target audience. Failing to craft engaging ad copy can lead to low click-through rates (CTR) and missed opportunities. Ensure that your ads convey the unique value propositions of your educational institution effectively.
4. Overlooking Landing Page Optimization: Even the best ads won’t deliver results if your landing pages are poorly optimized. Ensure that your landing pages are user-friendly, load quickly, and provide relevant information. A seamless user experience can significantly impact conversion rates.
5. Ignoring Ad Extensions: Ad extensions are valuable tools for providing additional information to potential students. Failing to utilize ad extensions means missing out on opportunities to showcase your institution’s strengths, such as location, contact details, and program highlights.
6. Setting and Forgetting: Google Ads campaigns require ongoing management and optimization. Setting up your campaigns and leaving them untouched can lead to missed opportunities for improvement. Regularly review and refine your campaigns to ensure they align with your goals.
7. Not Utilizing Geographic Targeting: Educational institutions often benefit from targeting specific geographic regions. Avoid the mistake of using broad location targeting, as it can lead to irrelevant clicks and wasted budget. Narrow your focus to areas where you want to attract students.
8. Neglecting Mobile Optimization: With a significant portion of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that your ads and landing pages are optimized for mobile users. Failing to do so can result in a poor user experience and lost conversions.
9. Overlooking Ad Budget Management: While Google Ads allows for budget control, mismanaging your budget can lead to overspending on less effective campaigns. Monitor your budget allocation and adjust as needed to maximize ROI.
10. Disregarding Analytics: The data provided by Google Ads is a goldmine of insights. Ignoring analytics means missing out on opportunities to fine-tune your campaigns. Regularly analyze performance metrics and make data-driven decisions to optimize your advertising efforts.
Here at Tillison Consulting, we provide Google Ads services for a variety of different business sectors. Whether you’re looking for Google Ads services for Wedding Venues, Events, Law Firms and many more, we have Google Ads specialists to help you improve your online presence.
Proven Google Ads Results
Google Ads double open day bookings
Our Google Ads management service saw Windsor Forest College Group’s open-day enrolments double! We can do the same for you.
