First, we create (or choose) a Google account that we can use to log in to all Google services that can be linked to the website, such as Search Console, Google My Business, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, your YouTube channel, etc.
Create/Choose a Gmail Account
It’s not advisable to use a Gmail address that you already use for personal email, calendar, contacts, etc. It’s best to create an account that you use only for the website. So, go to myaccount.google.com and create a Google account with an email address like: . Website visitors and the like will never see that email address. The account is solely for the website administrators.
Disable Google Activity
For privacy reasons, it’s recommended to delete and disable everything in “My Google Activity” so that Web and App Activity, Location History, and YouTube history are not saved. To do this, go to myaccount.google.com and click on Data & Privacy in the left column.
Account Recovery
Then go to myaccount.google.com/security and check under “Account Recovery Options” whether the “Secondary Email Address” and “Recovery Phone Number” are your own email address and mobile phone number. If not, please update them with your own information. Finally, enable two-factor authentication.
Forwarding Warning Emails
Important alerts about your website or Google Ads campaigns will be sent to this Gmail address. To ensure you receive these alerts (without having to log in), I recommend forwarding emails to an email address you read daily. So, go to mail.google.com, click the gear icon in Gmail, and choose “Settings.” On the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab, you can configure how your email should be forwarded. If you receive a warning email in the future, please forward it to me so I can fix it.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics offers a wealth of website statistics. You can find information about, for example:
- Your website visitors: where they come from, their age, what devices they use, what their interests are, etc.
- How they found your website: through social media, your newsletter, Google search, other websites, by typing the URL directly into the address bar, etc.
- How they behave on your website: where they enter, how they navigate through your site, where they leave, and how they search on your website.
- Whether your preset goals are being achieved: You can track conversions, such as online purchases, registrations, etc.
Google Analytics can help improve your online marketing. Using the statistics, you can determine your business goals, KPIs, and annual planning. Periodically, we can see if we’re on track or if we need to make adjustments.
In the video below, you can see how to grant me (studiomonelli at gmail.com) access to your Google Analytics account. Go to https://analytics.google.com/analytics/
Google Tag Manager
With Google Tag Manager, you can connect Google Analytics to your website, allowing you to track website statistics. Later, we can also use it to track Google Ads Conversions. Once you’ve entered the tag in Google Tag Manager once, you can then manage all tags from within Google Tag Manager. In the video below, you can see how to grant me (studiomonelli at gmail.com) access to your Google Tag Manager account. To do this, go to: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/tag-manager/
Google My Business
By setting up Google My Business properly, you can firstly ensure that your business is easier to find on google.com/maps. Secondly, in Google My Business, you can manage the display of additional business information to the right of the results on the Google index page. This also enables you to collect reviews. To do this, go to: https://www.google.com/business/
Get more reviews on Google My Business (GMB)
- Log in with the correct Google My Business username. Important! Don’t log in with the wrong account, as this will create a duplicate GMB account.
- Search for your business on google.com
- Click on Read Reviews
- Click on Get more reviews
- Copy the review link
- Download the QR code to print on a flyer, sticker, etc.
See the instruction video below.
By the way you can ask your customers to add nice photo’s to their review to give others the best impression.
Google Search Central
Google Search Central was created to help website owners improve their ranking on Google. For example, you can see how your website is indexed and if there are any issues. If pages are offline or have been hacked, you may also see this in Search Console and receive a warning email. Search Console is also where we submit the website’s sitemap to help Google index the site. If you’ve changed URLs and forgotten to set up 301 redirects, you can fix that here. I’ve already activated Search Central for some websites with my own account, but if you also want to connect your Gmail account to Search Central, go to https://www.google.com/webmasters and send me the HTML file. To complete the verification.
After you have sent me the HTML file and the verification is successful, you can also give me (studiomonelli at gmail.com) access to your Google Search Console.
See the following video for more information.
Google Ads
Paid advertising in Google is optional, but recommended in most cases, otherwise you might miss out on revenue, as a significant percentage of clicks on the paid ads at the top of Google.
Simply put, there are two ways to do this: through Search Ads and through Display Ads. Google Search Ads are paid ads in Google that are shown when someone searches for one of your keywords. You only pay per click, and that click comes from someone searching for something you offer. As long as the ads generate more than they cost, it’s recommended to invest in Google Ads. Whether this also applies to your business is simply a matter of trial and error, as the number of conversions it has generated is easily measurable. You’ll need to set aside a few months to maximize your results through optimization. You can start with a small budget and increase it if you find the returns exceed the costs.
Google Display Ads are displayed on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. These are websites like nu.nl or youtube.com. These ads consist of images, animations, or videos. The ads are shown to people browsing various websites related to the topic you’ve set. This allows you to reach a wider audience and is ideal for generating awareness. Clicks on display ads are also less expensive, as they often reach people who might not be ready to make a purchase just yet.
You can target different topics or audiences. The latter can be a remarketing list of people who have visited your website. After they continue browsing, they’ll see your ads.
If you want to advertise through Google Ads, it’s important to consider the following in advance and discuss them with me. Don’t just do this for your company in general, but also for each product group or service.
- What makes your company unique?
- What is crucial to your company’s success?
- What are your core competencies?
Target group and segments
Describe your ideal customers for each campaign as clearly as possible beforehand, so we can target them.
B2B: Age, Gender, Region, Education, Occupation, Position, Interests, etc.
B2C: Industry, Number of employees, Location, Revenue, Company type, etc.
Focus
We optimize each page for one (group of) keywords and alternatives. It’s too much work to optimize all pages at once. It’s better to first select a few important URLs and determine the keywords for them. For example, start with the 5 most important products or services, choose the corresponding URLs, and start with those. The less important pages will follow later.
Keyword tools
With Google Ads, for example, we can find good alternatives to existing keyword ideas. We can also compare search terms with trends.google.nl to determine which alternatives generate more traffic. We must carefully consider the language your target audience speaks and what search terms they might use. Together, we create a list of keywords for each product or service.
Specific or generic?
We need to choose keywords that generate a high number of conversions without wasting budget. We also sometimes need to use less frequently used keywords (lower search volume), but which are highly relevant to your specialty and can generate significant revenue. The advantage of more specific keyword groups (with lower search volume) over more generic keywords (with higher search volume) is that specific keywords are less expensive and generate more relevant clicks.
