- Strategy #1: Rely on Automated Bidding
- Strategy #2: Bid Whatever It Takes to Be First
- Strategy #3: Bid for a Specific Position
- Strategy #4: Bid the Bare Minimum
- Strategy #5: Bid HighThen Lower Your Bid
- Strategy #6: Bid What Its Worth
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Strategy #2: Bid Whatever It Takes to Be First
This bidding strategy is for advertisers who always want the very best placement in Google’s search results. In essence, you spend whatever it takes to always win the keywords you choose—no matter how high that bid might be.
The thinking behind this strategy is simple. When your ad ranks in the number one position for a given keyword, it appears above the search engine’s organic search results for that keyword on the search results page. That’s the best position possible, as it results in more—sometimes a lot more—clicks and traffic than lower positions.
To get the top slot, you have to pay top dollar. That means that this can be a costly strategy, especially if you get into a bidding war with another who’s also intent on being number one. It’s not a strategy for the faint of heart—or small of budget.
There are also some limitations to this strategy. You see, bid price is only part of what determines your final ad position; you also have to factor in your site’s quality score, which includes things like the content of the ad’s landing page. So you can’t guarantee top position by bidding only; it’s possible to lose out to a lower-bidding competitor with a higher quality score.
If you opt to enlist this strategy bidding whatever it takes to win, you’ll need to constantly monitor your ad’s position. If your position starts to slip, that means someone else is outbidding you, and you’ll need to increase your bid.