If you've created an online course, congratulations! But now comes the next challenge - getting that course in front of the right audience of potential students.

One powerful way to promote your online course is through Google Search Ads. With Google Ads, you can place your course listing as a sponsored result when people search for related keywords on Google.

This allows you to cut through the noise and get your course offering directly in front of motivated learners who are actively searching for what you offer.

You can also create an ad campaign by creating an ad group and adding keywords and ads.

And, when someone searches for one of your keywords, they will see your ad as one of the results. You can also target your ads by location and language.

With a few simple steps, you can get your online course in front of your target audience and increase enrolment. So, let's get started!

You can also check out all the free guides at the Course Creator Academy by clicking on the Academy link on the top menu bar.

If you are looking to learn how to sell online courses, here is my most detailed guide on it. In it, I talk in detail about all the strategies that have worked for me:

How to Sell Online Courses? The Ultimate Guide

Setting Up Your Google Search Ads Account

Once you have your online course created, it's time to set up your Google Search Ads account. This is a relatively simple process that only takes a few minutes.

First, you'll need to set up a Google Ads account using a Gmail account. If you don't currently have one, you can sign up for a free account here.

Next, you'll need to decide how you want to promote your online course.

Let's say you've created a course titled how to create a 6-figure blogging platform( Blogging for a living), you can promote this course on Google by targeting ads to people who are searching using keywords related to your topic.

Google Search Ads allow you to do this by setting up a campaign.

Choose your campaign type

There are three types of campaigns you can set up with Google Ads:

• Search Network only
• Search Network with Display, and
• Display Network only

The type of campaign you choose will depend on your goals and the type of traffic you want to drive to your site.

Since you're promoting an online course, I recommend starting with a "Search Network only" campaign. This campaign type will focus on people who are searching for information about your course type online.

Researching the right keywords for your course Ads

Now that you've selected the type of campaign you want to set up, it's time to get to work on keyword research.

In order to make sure your ads get in front of the right people, you'll need to select the best keywords for your ads.

Keywords that focus on what topics and phrases your prospective students are searching for on Google.

By selecting the right keywords, you can ensure your ads are in front of the right people.

Let's take for example the course titled, "How to create a 6-figure blogging platform (Blogging for a living) The best keywords to select are ones that are related to your topic.

You can select keywords such as "how to make money blogging," "blogging for beginners" and "how to start a blog and make money."

One good thing at this juncture is that Google will display related keywords that you may rank for. You can choose to go with Google’s choice of keywords for your campaign or input yours.

Keyword research will also help you determine the best search volume for your keywords. You can do this by typing your keyword into Google's search bar.

Below your search results, you'll see a box that tells you the average monthly searches for that keyword.

The higher the search volume, the more people will see your ads. This is important because it means you can get more clicks and generate more leads and sales for your online course.

Crafting Your Google Ad Copy

Now it’s time to craft your Google Ad copy. Writing effective ad copy can be a bit of an art, but don't worry, it's one you can learn!

First, think about what makes your online course stand out. What unique features do you offer?

Use these to craft a compelling elevator pitch that will draw people in.

Also make sure to use relevant keywords in your ad copy, particularly if they are words potential customers would use when searching for an online course like yours.

Make sure to mention the benefits of the course and why customers should purchase it.

Finally, give users a compelling call-to-action (CTA) so they know what action to take next.

Your Google Ad copy should reflect the uniqueness of your course and provide readers with enough information to choose if it’s right for them.

An example of a Google Ad copy for a blogging course may be:

“Unlock the secrets to making a living from your blog! Enroll in our comprehensive online course on Blogging for a Living and learn the strategies and tactics for building a successful blog and turning it into a sustainable source of income. Start today and turn your passion for writing into a career!”

Another can be:

"Ready to turn your blog into a profitable career? Our online course on Blogging for a Living covers everything you need to know to turn your passion for writing into a sustainable income stream. You'll learn how to build a following, monetize your content, and take your blog to the next level. Enroll now and take the first step towards a successful career as a blogger!"

With a little time and creativity, you can create an engaging ad copy that will bring your online course to the right audience!

Targeting your Ads on Google search

As you create your ads on Google, you have the option to target them to specific audiences.

When you target your ads, you're more likely to reach people who are interested in what you're advertising.

There are a few different ways that you can target your ads on Google. You can target by keyword, by topic, and or by demographic.

If you want to target your ad by keyword, you'll need to choose the keywords that you want to target. Google will then show your ad to people who search for those keywords.

If you want to target your ad by topic, you'll need to choose a topic that's relevant to your ad. Google will then show your ad to people who are interested in that topic.

If you want to target your ad by demographic, you'll need to choose the demographics that you want to target.

For example, if you're selling a course that's only for women, you would only select the "Women between the ages of 24 and 50" demographic.

Google will then show your ad only to women between the ages of 24 and 50 who fit into the selected demographic.

Optimizing Your Ads for Performance

Now that you’ve had a chance to understand how Google Search Ads can help you promote your online course, it’s time to focus on optimizing your ads for performance.

First off, make sure you use keywords in your ads that are relevant and related to your course.

This will ensure that people who are searching for information about your course will be able to find it quickly and easily.

Second, consider using retargeting ads to remind people who have already visited your website or social media profile about the online course.

This will help create a sense of familiarity and trust with potential customers and increase the likelihood they’ll enroll in the course.

Finally, don’t forget to test different creative elements such as ad copy, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and visuals.

You may be surprised at how even small changes can make a big difference in performance!

Strategies for maximizing advertising ROI

Now that you've researched keywords, selected them for your ads, and optimized your ads, it's time to start tracking your ads and monitoring their performance.

This way, you'll be able to make any changes or adjustments that may be needed to make your ads more successful.

You can track the performance of your ads in a couple of different ways.

You can do this by clicking on the "Ads" tab in your account and scrolling down to "Ad performance."

This will show you the impressions, clicks, and cost of your ads. Another way to track your ads is by using Google Analytics.

This allows you to track how many people came to your site from your ads, what they did once they were on your site, and how many leads or sales you receive from your ads.

By tracking your ads and monitoring their performance, you can make necessary changes to improve your ads and make them more successful.

Measuring the Results of Your Campaigns

Once you set up your Google Search Ads campaigns, it's important to measure the results.

This is key for optimizing your campaigns and making sure that they are delivering the expected results.

The first tool you should use is Google Ads Reporting, which will show you how effective your campaigns have been in terms of both clicks and conversions.

It can also help to identify any potential issues with your ads, such as low click-through rates or high spending levels.

You can also use Google Analytics to track the performance of your campaign.

This will provide insight into the number of people who have visited your landing page, where they came from, and how long they stayed on it.

It can also help to identify any potential areas where visitors dropped off so that you can make adjustments to improve the overall performance of your campaign.

By taking the time to measure and analyze the results of your campaigns, you'll be able to ensure that they are as effective as possible and are delivering on their goal of promoting your online course.

Common mistakes to avoid in your Google Search Ads campaign when promoting your online course

When it comes to promoting your online course, there are a few common mistakes that you'll want to avoid in your Google Search Ads campaign.

Here are four of the most common mistakes:

1. Not using negative keywords: One of the biggest mistakes you can make is failing to use negative keywords.

Negative keywords help you filter out irrelevant traffic and ensure that your ads are only shown to people who are actually interested in what you're offering.

Without them, you'll likely waste a lot of money on clicks from people who will never convert.

2. Not using ad extensions: Ad extensions are a great way to give your ads more real estate and make them more relevant and useful for searchers.

Extensions like sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets can all help improve your click-through rate and quality score, so be sure to take advantage of them.

3. Targeting too broad of an audience: Another mistake is targeting too broad of an audience with your ads.

When you cast too wide a net, your ads become less relevant and less effective. You'll end up paying more per click while getting fewer conversions.

Instead, focus on targeting a smaller, more specific audience with your ads.

4. Failing to test and optimize: Finally, don't forget to test and optimize your ads on an ongoing basis.

Try different ad copy, bidding strategies, and target audiences to see what works best for your business. Regular testing

Conclusion

So, how do I use Google Search Ads to promote an online course?

To use Google Search Ads to promote an online course, you will need to create an account with Google using your Gmail account, if you don't have one already. Once you have an account, you can create a new campaign and select "Search" as the campaign type.

Next, you will need to create ad groups within your campaign and write ads that promote your online course. When writing your ads, be sure to include keywords that people might use when searching for an online course like yours. You can also use ad extensions to provide additional information, such as a phone number or website link.

Finally, you will need to set a budget for your campaign and choose the geographic location and languages that you want your ads to target. Once your campaign is up and running, you can monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed to optimize your results.

As we've already discussed, Google Search Ads are a great way to promote your online course and get people to take notice. They're easy to set up and monitor.

Google Ads makes it easy to track your ads and make adjustments as needed. This makes it simple to promote your online course and monitor your campaign performance.

It is also a cost-effective way to promote your online course. You can set a daily budget for your ads, which means you can control how much money you spend on your ads.

You can also pause your ads if you have a budget set up, and you don't think they're performing well enough to continue spending money on them.

But, it all starts with creating a creating great course on a reliable platform, or else your Google search ads will not accomplish the goals of setting it up in the first place.

Why would you want to run Google Search Ads to a course on a platform without fast loading time, a good checkout process, always online, secured, and easy to use?

You need a course hosting platform that is both reliable and affordable at the same time.

Well, the good news is that you don't have to look far for such a plan.

One such platform is OnlineCourseHost.com.

It is the most affordable and beginner-friendly online course hosting platform with marketing features that you can use alongside Google Search Ads to drive new audiences, like email marketing and Facebook ads integration to help you grow your online community further.

We publish helpful guides and tutorials on our blog to ensure we’re helping new course creators. Join us to become the first to know when a new post goes out.

If you are looking to ask any questions on online course creation, you can reach me on my Facebook group:

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I hope you found this post helpful. Let me know in the comments below what other topics you would like me to cover.

Have any questions about how to use Google Search Ads to promote an online course? Leave your questions below!

Thanks for reading… and enjoy the course creation process! 😉

Course Creators Academy, a community by OnlineCourseHost.com

Founded by Vasco Cavalheiro

Online Course Creator

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