When you’re working hard to ensure that your client’s pages are implementing the best practices and doing it in an efficient way, you want to be sure that you are using every tool that will make you better at your job.
One practice that is often overlooked is the simple process of linking your client’s (or your own) AdWords account to the Google Search Console (GSC).
Why should you link your client’s Google Ads account to the Search Console?
The primary reason to link these accounts is that you will have access to more data that allows you to make the right decisions about all search opportunities and keywords that you are working with. Of course, there are many benefits!
Today, you will learn why should you link your client’s AdWords account to Search Console as well as how to do this in just a few easy steps.
Benefits Of Linking Google Ad Words To Google Search Console
Chances are, you already have a marketing strategy that works for you and your clients. But there’s always room for improvement! Linking together Google AdWords and Search Console accounts make great sense for a number of reasons.
1. Compare Paid And Organic Keywords
Once you’ve linked your accounts, it will be easier than ever to see the difference between how paid and organic keywords are performing and pulling people in to the sites and products that you manage.
In fact, there is a complete report that you can start running once you’ve linked the accounts. This “Paid & Organic Report” page updates daily, and it allows you to see how CTR is being affected for particular keywords through both organic and paid reach.
With this additional data, you can make easy adjustments to make sure that your campaigns are overperforming while still staying in budget.
2. More Data From Queries And Keywords
Additionally, adding the Console to your AdWords account makes it so that you can see incremental values for both Search Queries and for Keywords. These two different approaches can help you to finesse your marketing plan with more accuracy.
3. Compare To Other Bidders
The AdWords system works based on advertiser bids, and that means that you’re up against other companies during every search.
Once you’ve linked the accounts that you are managing, you’ll be able to more clearly see how frequently your ads are over (or under) performing when compared to those competing with your ads.
How To Link AdWords To GSC
Now that you know why you should be linking up these accounts, let’s not waste any more time!
Here is how you can easily link an AdWords account to the Google Search Console, also known as GSC.
Step 1: Enter Your AdWords Account
Before you can do anything else, start by logging into the AdWords account that you want to link to Google Search Console.
Step 2: Find The Linked Accounts Menu
On the top navigation bar when you’re on the Ads dashboard, click “Tools.” Then, select “Linked Accounts” under the Settings header.
Step 3: Find Search Console
Scroll through the list of linkable options until you see Search Console. Then, click “Details.”
Step 4: Link!
You’ll be given the option to link as well as a description of what Search Console is. Click “Link” to continue the process.
Step 5: Enter Your Website Address
Enter the exact same website address that you have in your AdWords account into the Search Console “Link new site” prompt box. Then, click “Continue.”
You will now get a result of the linking process. The list should say the date that the account was linked. If the site shows that the tools were not linked, you may need to take a few additional steps, which are described in the next section.
Potential Problems
If your site was not linked because ownership could not be verified by Search Console, you will need to click the link on the right that says “Claim it at Search Console.” From here, GSC will walk you through the process to verify the site’s owner.
For more information on this verification process from Google, check out their help article here.
Hot Tip: Use The Paid And Organic Reports!
Now that you’ve got your accounts linked up, we’ll get you started with one of the first cool things that you can use now.
The Paid and Organic Report is an awesome feature that doesn’t start accruing data until you link AdWords with Search Console, and it can be super valuable for all types of marketers.
On Google AdWords, click the following options to get access to this data:
- Reports
- Predefined reports
- Basic
- Paid & organic
Now, you are looking at your Paid & Organic Report, and it’s time to play around with it! Here’s a great way to use this tool.
Play around to find out which keywords work better organically and which ones work better on paid searches. Try pausing ads on a few of your test keywords, and then monitor the organic search performance using this tool. In some cases, you’ll be shocked to find that organic CTR results are much higher organically!
Optimizing your marketing plan in unique ways is key to your long-term success, so using this type of report to make changes can help you to gain a new perspective and plan.
Search Console AdWords Takeaways
Even if you haven’t yet decided how you will incorporate the new data obtainable by linking AdWords and GSC into your workflow, there is no reason to leave the accounts unlinked.
Why should you link your client’s Google Ads account to Search Console?
You know why:
- Linking AdWords and GSC provides awesome information.
- The linking process is very simple.
- You can test out the benefits Paid and Organic reports once you link the accounts.
Get to linking these accounts as soon as you can, and you’ll be enthralled by the new set of tools that you have to work with.
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